The Brutal Truth About Cancer Care: Understanding the Benefits and Limitations of Modern Oncology
If you've been diagnosed with cancer, you’ve probably felt like you were thrown into a foreign land without a map. One moment, life is moving along as usual, and the next, you're sitting in a sterile room with a doctor saying words that don’t quite register—malignant, chemotherapy, five-year survival rates, standard of care. The air feels heavy. The walls start closing in. You hear the doctor talking, but all you really want to know is:
“Am I going to survive this?”
In the days that follow, you do what every patient does: you cling to hope. You hear phrases like "promising new treatments," "aggressive therapy," and "we’ll fight this." Your oncologist shows you numbers, percentages, and survival statistics that sound reasonable—maybe even reassuring. But what do they actually mean?
Here’s the hard truth:
Most of the numbers you’re given don’t reflect your actual chances of being cured.
Survival rates can be misleading—staying alive for five years doesn’t mean you’ll be cancer-free.
Many patients don’t realize what their treatment can and can’t do until it’s too late.
A 2012 study in the New England Journal of Medicine, titled “Patients' Expectations about Effects of Chemotherapy for Advanced Cancer”, found that 69% of terminal lung cancer patients and 81% of fatal colorectal cancer patients believed chemotherapy might cure them—when in reality, it couldn’t.
Let that sink in: The majority of patients with incurable cancer thought their treatment would eliminate their disease.
This is the world of oncology—where well-intended optimism and carefully framed statistics often prevent patients from making fully informed decisions.
If you’re reading this, it means you’re ready to take back control. To ask better questions. To demand clearer answers. To understand the full truth about cancer treatment—its strengths, its limitations, and most importantly, what you can do to create the best possible outcome.
This article is not here to sell false hope, nor is it here to scare you. It is here to empower you—to show you what modern oncology really offers, where it falls short, and how you can take charge of your cancer journey.
Because cancer is not just a battle—it’s a chess game. And the patients who do best? They’re the ones who learn the rules, master the board, and refuse to play by anyone else’s strategy but their own.
My hope is that by setting realistic expectations about oncology treatment, you understand that placing your life entirely in the hands of your oncologist is an unwise move.
That does not mean you should ignore medical advice or go against your doctor’s recommendations. But it does mean you must go above and beyond—not in a haphazard way, grasping at anything that sounds promising, but in a structured, evidence-based approach that gives you the best possible chance at not just surviving, but thriving.
Your doctor’s job is to follow the standard of care. Your job is to create extraordinary outcomes.
Let’s begin.
Decoding Oncology Terminology: What the Numbers Really Mean
The moment you enter the world of oncology, you’re bombarded with numbers. Response rates, five-year survival statistics, progression-free survival—these figures are meant to give patients clarity, but more often than not, they create confusion.
These numbers are not as straightforward as they seem, and if you don’t know how to interpret them, you might believe your treatment is doing more for you than it actually is. Understanding these terms is crucial because your decisions—whether to pursue treatment, whether to combine it with other approaches, whether to explore additional options—depend on having an accurate picture of what modern oncology can and cannot do.
Let’s break down the most commonly used oncology statistics:
Response Rate (RR): The percentage of patients whose tumours shrink after treatment. However, shrinkage does not mean survival. Many treatments produce an initial response, but the cancer rebounds aggressively soon after. A 50% tumour reduction sounds great—until you learn that, in many cases, the tumour returns within months, more resistant than before.
Five-Year Survival Rate: This refers to the percentage of patients still alive five years after diagnosis. But surviving five years does not mean you are cancer-free. Many of these patients are still undergoing treatment, often with significant side effects and a diminished quality of life. Five-year survival statistics can make treatments seem more effective than they are—especially for slow-growing cancers, where a patient may have survived five years even without treatment.
Progression-Free Survival (PFS): The amount of time a treatment prevents the cancer from worsening. This sounds useful, but many drugs extend PFS without increasing overall survival—meaning the patient spends more time on treatment, enduring side effects, without actually living longer. Would you rather live six months longer, or have your cancer “stabilized” for an extra six months but with no impact on overall survival?
Absolute Cure Rate: This is the most important statistic, yet rarely advertised. How many patients are actually cured? How many will never see their cancer return? Absolute cure rates are often far lower than survival rates, and this is a critical distinction. If five-year survival is 60%, but the absolute cure rate is only 15%, that means the majority of those survivors are still battling cancer, not free of it.
Why Transparency Matters
These statistics are not just numbers. They are what patients rely on to make life-or-death decisions. When patients don’t understand what these figures actually mean, they can be led to believe that a treatment offers more than it really does.
If a treatment boasts a high response rate, patients assume it will prolong survival—but that’s not always true.
If a five-year survival rate sounds promising, patients may think they’ll be cancer-free when, in reality, many will still be in treatment.
If progression-free survival is extended, they may assume that means a longer life, when in reality, it may only mean more time on therapy before the inevitable.
Too many patients go into treatment without fully understanding the likelihood of success, and by the time they realise the truth, they’ve already endured months—or years—of toxic side effects.
Why You Must Demand Clearer Answers
If you’re a cancer patient, you deserve to know the full picture. You must ask the hard questions:
How much does this treatment actually improve my chances of a cure?
If survival increases, is it because of treatment or because my cancer grows slowly?
How many people who took this treatment are still alive—and cancer-free—ten years later?
Your doctor may not always volunteer these details, but you have the right to ask. The better you understand the numbers, the better you can make informed, strategic decisions about your treatment—ones that give you the best chance of not just surviving, but actually living.
Surgical Oncology: The Best Chance for Cure—If Caught Early
When it comes to solid tumours, surgery is the only treatment with the potential to completely remove cancer from the body and lead to a true cure. If a tumour is confined to one location and can be fully excised with clear margins, the chances of long-term survival—and even complete remission—are highest with surgery.
However, surgery is only effective when cancer is caught early—before it has spread beyond its original site. Once cancer becomes systemic, cutting out the primary tumour often does little to change the overall trajectory of the disease. This is because even if imaging shows a single tumour, microscopic cancer cells may already have traveled through the bloodstream or lymphatic system to distant organs, where they can grow into new, more aggressive tumours.
Many patients assume that if the tumour is removed, the cancer is gone. But this is not always the case. Surgery is a tool—not a guarantee. It is most powerful when cancer is in its early stages, when a tumour is still localised and has not begun to metastasize. Once cancer is advanced, surgery is rarely curative on its own and must be combined with other treatments.
Understanding when surgery is effective—and when it isn’t—is critical in making informed treatment decisions.
Absolute Cure Rates with Surgery for Early-Stage Cancers
Breast Cancer (Stage I): Surgery alone results in a 90-99% cure rate.
Prostate Cancer (Localized): Radical prostatectomy offers near 100% survival for patients diagnosed early.
Melanoma (Localized): If surgically removed early, 92%+ of patients remain cancer-free.
Why Surgery Fails in Advanced Cancer
Microscopic Cancer Spread: Cancer may already have entered the bloodstream before the tumour is removed, leading to future metastases.
Multiple Metastases: If cancer has spread to distant organs, removing one tumour does not stop others from growing.
For example, colon cancer with liver metastases may be treated with liver resection, where surgeons remove the affected part of the liver in an attempt to control the spread of disease. On the surface, this seems like an aggressive and logical step to extend survival. However, the five-year survival rate for stage IV colorectal cancer with liver metastases remains below 15%—a sobering reality that highlights the limitations of surgery in advanced disease.
Why is this the case?
Cancer is rarely just a single tumour. By the time it has spread to distant organs, there are often microscopic cancer cells already circulating in the bloodstream—undetectable by imaging and poised to form new tumours elsewhere.
Surgery does not stop metastases from developing. Removing the liver tumour may temporarily reduce the cancer burden, but it does not change the fact that cancer is a systemic disease at this stage.
Post-surgical recurrence is extremely common. Even if the surgeon successfully removes all visible cancer, the same metabolic and immune dysfunctions that allowed cancer to spread in the first place remain unchanged, increasing the risk of relapse.
This is not to say surgery has no role in advanced cancer—it can sometimes prolong survival or relieve symptoms. However, it is rarely curative on its own. In these cases, surgery must be part of a larger, systemic strategy that includes metabolic and integrative approaches to disrupt cancer's survival mechanisms, slow progression, and improve overall outcomes.
Bottom Line: Surgery is the best option for a cure—but only if cancer is caught early.
Once cancer has metastasized, the focus must shift from simply removing tumours to changing the conditions in the body that allowed cancer to grow in the first place. Without addressing these underlying drivers, surgery alone is often just a temporary fix, not a long-term solution.
Radiotherapy: Effective for Local Control, but Not for Systemic Disease
Radiotherapy is one of the oldest and most commonly used treatments in oncology, utilising high-energy radiation to damage the DNA of cancer cells, preventing them from growing and dividing. It is frequently used after surgery to destroy any remaining cancer cells or as a primary treatment when surgery is not an option.
For many cancers, radiotherapy plays a crucial role in shrinking tumours, preventing local recurrence, and improving survival—but like surgery, its effectiveness is limited to the area being treated. While it can be a powerful tool for controlling localised disease, it does not address cancer that has already spread throughout the body. This is why, despite its widespread use, radiotherapy alone is not a curative treatment for most cancers, particularly in advanced stages.
Types of Radiotherapy
Radiation therapy has evolved significantly, with different techniques offering varying levels of precision and effectiveness. The type of radiotherapy used depends on the location of the tumour, the type of cancer, and the overall treatment plan.
External Beam Radiation Therapy (EBRT):
The most common form of radiation therapy.
Uses a high-energy radiation beam directed at the tumour from outside the body.
Commonly used in breast, prostate, lung, and head & neck cancers.
Stereotactic Radiosurgery (CyberKnife, Gamma Knife):
Delivers highly targeted, high-dose radiation in fewer sessions.
Gamma Knife is often used for brain tumours.
CyberKnife is used for small, well-defined tumours in the lungs, liver, and spine.
Unlike standard EBRT, this approach minimises damage to healthy tissue while precisely targeting cancer cells.
Brachytherapy (Internal Radiation):
Involves placing radioactive implants directly inside or near the tumour.
Most commonly used in prostate, cervical, and some breast cancers.
Delivers continuous radiation over time, limiting exposure to healthy tissues.
Each of these techniques has unique advantages, but they all share the same fundamental limitation—radiation is a local treatment.
The Limitations of Radiotherapy
Radiotherapy is highly effective at destroying cancer cells in a specific location, but its usefulness drops significantly once cancer has spread beyond the primary site. Unlike chemotherapy, which circulates throughout the body, radiation only targets the area being treated, meaning it has no effect on circulating tumour cells or distant metastases. Even when radiation successfully shrinks a primary tumour, it does nothing to stop new tumours from appearing elsewhere in the body.
Additionally, not all cancers respond well to radiation. Some tumour types—such as pancreatic cancer, renal cell carcinoma, and melanoma—are naturally resistant to radiotherapy. In these cases, radiation may offer little to no survival benefit, making its side effects more burdensome than its effectiveness.
Severe Side Effects and Long-Term Risks
One of the biggest downsides of radiotherapy is collateral damage—while it kills cancer cells, it also damages healthy tissue in the surrounding area, leading to both immediate side effects and long-term complications:
Fibrosis and Organ Damage: Radiation can cause scarring, tissue stiffening, and dysfunction in vital organs over time, sometimes leading to lifelong complications.
Radiation-Induced Secondary Cancers: One of the less discussed risks of radiotherapy is that it can actually cause new cancers years later. This is particularly concerning for younger patients who survive their initial cancer only to develop radiation-induced malignancies a decade later.
Immune Suppression: Radiation triggers widespread inflammation, which can weaken immune function, making it harder for the body to fight off recurring or residual cancer cells.
When Radiotherapy Works—and When It Doesn’t
Radiotherapy is most effective when used in localised cancers that can be precisely targeted. It is not a standalone cure for most cancers, but it can be a valuable tool in specific cases.
Best used in localised disease: In cancers such as prostate, cervical, and head & neck cancers, radiation can be highly effective at controlling tumours and preventing recurrence.
Limited use in metastatic disease: Once cancer has spread, radiation is no longer a curative treatment, but rather a palliative tool to relieve symptoms and improve quality of life.
Toxicity vs. benefit: In cases where radiation provides only marginal benefits, the long-term damage to healthy tissues may outweigh any short-term gains.
Bottom Line: Radiotherapy is a powerful tool for local tumour control, but it does not prevent systemic spread.
Its effectiveness is limited to the area being treated, meaning it must be strategically combined with systemic therapies to improve long-term survival. In cases where radiation offers little benefit, other approaches—such as metabolic and integrative strategies—should be explored to maximise outcomes while minimising harm.
Medical Oncology: Chemotherapy, Immunotherapy, and Targeted Therapies
For most cancer patients, medical oncology is the cornerstone of their treatment plan—offering chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted drugs aimed at shrinking tumours and slowing disease progression. These treatments are considered the standard of care, often delivered in a regimented cycle of infusions, injections, and oral medications.
Oncologists present these therapies as the best available options, but what many patients don’t realise is that while these treatments can extend life, they often fall far short of delivering a cure—especially in advanced cancers.
The public perception of cancer treatment is heavily shaped by success stories, clinical trials, and hopeful media narratives, but the reality is often much harsher. Chemotherapy, despite being one of the most widely used cancer treatments, has a very limited ability to actually cure solid tumours once they have spread. Immunotherapy, initially hailed as a game-changer, has only shown success in a small fraction of patients. Targeted therapies, while promising, are only effective for very specific mutations—and even then, resistance often develops quickly.
This section will break down what these treatments actually do, why they work in some cases but fail in many others, and what every patient needs to know before making treatment decisions.
Chemotherapy: What It Is and Why It Often Fails
Chemotherapy is one of the most well-known cancer treatments, but few patients truly understand what it does, how it works, and its limitations. It is a systemic treatment, meaning that instead of targeting a specific tumour, it circulates throughout the entire body, attacking all rapidly dividing cells—cancerous and healthy alike.
How Chemotherapy Works
Damaging DNA: Some chemotherapy drugs work by breaking the DNA of cancer cells, preventing them from replicating.
Inhibiting Cell Division: Other drugs interfere with the cell cycle, stopping cancer cells from multiplying.
Because cancer cells divide rapidly, chemotherapy can effectively shrink tumours—but it comes at a cost. The body also has healthy cells that divide quickly, such as those in the bone marrow, digestive tract, and hair follicles. This is why chemotherapy causes:
Severe immune suppression (because bone marrow cells are killed).
Nausea, vomiting, and digestive issues (because the gut lining is damaged).
Hair loss (because hair follicle cells are attacked).
Why Chemotherapy Has Limited Curative Potential
Despite being the go-to treatment for decades, chemotherapy has significant limitations.
Kills Healthy Cells Too: Chemotherapy does not distinguish between cancer cells and healthy cells, leading to severe side effects that can significantly impact a patient’s quality of life.
Resistance Development: Many cancers develop resistance over time, meaning that each round of chemotherapy may become less effective than the last. Some cancers even mutate to become more aggressive following chemotherapy exposure.
Limited Effectiveness in Advanced Disease: While chemotherapy is highly effective for blood cancers (such as leukemia and lymphoma), it rarely cures solid tumours in advanced stages. Once cancer has metastasized, chemotherapy can slow progression, but rarely eradicates the disease completely.
Absolute Cure Rates with Chemotherapy
Many patients assume that chemotherapy significantly improves survival, but in reality, its ability to cure cancer is much lower than most people realise.
Breast Cancer (Early-Stage): Chemotherapy increases absolute cure rates by only 3-5%—meaning that for most early-stage breast cancer patients, surgery and hormonal therapies contribute far more to survival than chemotherapy does.
Lung Cancer (Stage IV): Absolute cure is almost non-existent, with five-year survival below 5%, even with aggressive chemotherapy.
Colorectal Cancer (Stage IV): Over 70% of patients die within five years, even with chemotherapy.
This does not mean chemotherapy has no value—it can shrink tumours, relieve symptoms, and extend life in some cases. But it is not the magic bullet many patients believe it to be.
When Chemotherapy Works—and When It Doesn’t
Chemotherapy is most effective in cancers that are highly sensitive to cell-cycle disruption, such as certain blood cancers. It can also play an important supportive role in shrinking tumours before surgery or radiation, or in palliative care to relieve symptoms.
However, for many solid tumours, particularly in advanced disease, chemotherapy often buys time rather than offering a true cure. The key question every patient must ask is:
Am I choosing chemotherapy to live longer, or am I choosing it to truly eliminate my cancer?
If the answer is the former, then it must be combined with other strategies to ensure the best possible outcome.
Bottom Line: Chemotherapy Can Shrink Tumours, But Rarely Cures Advanced Cancer
Chemotherapy remains a central tool in oncology, but its effectiveness is often overstated. It can prolong survival, but it does not address the underlying drivers of cancer, and it rarely eliminates the disease in advanced stages.
For the best possible outcome, patients must look beyond chemotherapy alone and consider complementary strategies—such as metabolic and integrative oncology, which aim to weaken cancer cells, enhance standard treatments, and improve long-term survival.
Immunotherapy: Overhyped and Overpromised?
For years, immunotherapy was hailed as the future of cancer treatment—a revolution that would finally allow the body’s own immune system to seek out and destroy cancer, much like it fights infections. The idea of boosting the immune system to eliminate tumours naturally captured the world’s imagination, and for a while, it seemed like the game had changed.
Pharmaceutical companies poured billions into research, and new drugs like Keytruda and Opdivo quickly became household names. Patients and oncologists alike hoped that these treatments would replace chemotherapy and radiation, providing a more effective and less toxic alternative.
But as the data came in, the reality proved far more disappointing than the promise.
While immunotherapy works exceptionally well for a small subset of patients, for the vast majority, it offers little to no benefit. Even when it does work, response rates remain frustratingly low, and side effects can be severe and life-threatening.
For most cancers, immunotherapy has not lived up to its hype.
How Immunotherapy Works
Unlike chemotherapy, which kills cancer cells directly, immunotherapy works by modulating the immune system, teaching it to recognise and attack cancer. The two most common forms of immunotherapy are:
Checkpoint Inhibitors (Keytruda, Opdivo, Yervoy):
These drugs work by removing the “brakes” from the immune system, allowing T-cells (the body’s defence cells) to attack tumours more aggressively.
Used in melanoma, lung cancer, and some other solid tumours, but with limited success in many other cancers.
CAR-T Cell Therapy:
A more advanced and personalised approach where a patient’s own immune cells are genetically modified to better recognise and attack cancer.
Highly effective in some blood cancers (like leukemia and lymphoma) but has not shown the same success in solid tumours.
Why Immunotherapy Often Fails
Despite the huge excitement and media attention, immunotherapy has major limitations:
Low Response Rates:
Only 15-20% of patients respond to checkpoint inhibitors—meaning that for 80-85% of people, these drugs do nothing.
In some cancers, response rates drop below 10%, making them only marginally better than doing nothing at all.
Severe Autoimmune Side Effects:
By removing the immune system’s “brakes,” immunotherapy can cause the immune system to attack healthy organs, leading to life-threatening complications.
Autoimmune colitis, myocarditis (heart inflammation), and neurological damage are all well-documented side effects.
Some patients have died not from their cancer, but from their immune system attacking their own body.
Even in cancers where immunotherapy does work, the benefit is often temporary—tumours can develop resistance, and patients may relapse within months or years.
When Immunotherapy Works—and When It Doesn’t
Immunotherapy works best in cancers that already have high levels of immune activation, such as:
Melanoma
Some types of lung cancer
Certain blood cancers (using CAR-T therapy)
However, in most other cancers, it has shown little success.
Many patients start immunotherapy with the hope of a long-term cure, only to realise they are not among the small percentage who respond.
Bottom Line: Immunotherapy Is Not the Game-Changer It Was Promised to Be
While immunotherapy is a powerful tool in certain cancers, it is not the universal breakthrough many hoped for. Most patients see little or no benefit, and the side effects can be severe and unpredictable.
For those considering immunotherapy, it must be viewed realistically—as one potential tool, not a guaranteed cure. And like chemotherapy and radiation, it is most effective when used in combination with a broader, evidence-based strategy that enhances the body's ability to resist and fight cancer at multiple levels.
Targeted Therapy: Precision Medicine or Just Another False Hope?
Targeted therapy was supposed to be the next big breakthrough in cancer treatment—drugs designed to pinpoint and shut down cancer’s unique genetic vulnerabilities without the collateral damage of chemotherapy. It seemed like the holy grail of oncology: personalised medicine that could attack tumours while sparing healthy cells.
Pharmaceutical companies jumped in, developing drugs that promised to "turn off" cancer’s growth signals. The idea was simple: find a genetic mutation that drives cancer, create a drug to block it, and watch the tumour disappear.
But the reality hasn’t lived up to the promise.
While targeted therapies have had success in some cancers, their overall impact has been limited. The harsh truth? Cancer is smarter than we are. It adapts, mutates, and finds a way around these treatments, often leading to resistance in a matter of months or years. And for most patients, targeted therapy isn’t even an option—because their cancer doesn’t have the “right” mutation in the first place.
How Targeted Therapy Works
Unlike chemotherapy, which attacks all rapidly dividing cells, targeted therapy focuses on specific molecules that cancer cells rely on to survive. Some of the most well-known examples include:
EGFR Inhibitors (Lung Cancer) – These drugs block a faulty version of the EGFR protein that drives uncontrolled growth in certain lung cancers. Works well—until cancer mutates and stops responding.
HER2 Inhibitors (Breast Cancer) – Used for HER2-positive breast cancer, which is driven by an overactive HER2 protein. Highly effective—unless the cancer develops resistance, which it often does.
Why Targeted Therapy Often Fails
Cancer Evolves Faster Than Our Drugs
Target one pathway, and cancer finds another. Resistance can develop in months.
Some tumours even activate backup survival mechanisms, making them immune to treatment.
Only Works for a Small Percentage of Patients
Targeted therapies depend on having the right genetic mutation—if your cancer doesn’t have it, the drug is useless.
Even when a mutation is present, response rates are often far lower than expected.
Not a Cure—Just Another Temporary Fix
Even when targeted therapy works, it's rarely long-term.
Tumours shrink, but they often come back stronger and more aggressive.
When Targeted Therapy Works—and When It Doesn’t
Best case scenario: A patient’s tumour has the perfect mutation, responds dramatically to treatment, and remains controlled for years.
More common scenario: The drug works initially, but within months, the cancer finds a workaround, rendering the treatment useless.
Worst case scenario: The patient never responds at all—or worse, suffers severe side effects without any benefit.
Bottom Line: A Step Forward, Not a Breakthrough
Targeted therapy is a valuable tool in oncology, but it’s not the miracle many hoped for. While it has transformed treatment for some cancers, it remains a temporary solution, not a cure.
For most patients, the future of cancer treatment isn’t about a single magic bullet—it’s about combining strategies, optimising overall health, and using every available tool to fight the disease from multiple angles.
Beyond the Battle: Better Medicine, Not Alternative vs. Conventional
Cancer care has long been framed as a battleground—not just against the disease itself, but between competing medical philosophies. On one side, conventional oncology relies on chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, and immunotherapy. On the other, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) promotes natural interventions, diet, and lifestyle strategies.
This "us vs. them" mentality has left many patients caught in the crossfire, forced to choose between rigid, all-or-nothing approaches. But the truth is, this debate misses the point. The goal isn’t to pick sides—it’s to do better medicine.
The best outcomes come from an integrative approach that combines the strengths of both conventional and metabolic oncology, maximising effectiveness while minimising harm. We must move beyond outdated models of care and embrace a strategy that enhances treatment responses, weakens cancer’s defences, and optimises the body’s ability to heal.
This is where metabolic oncology comes in—a science-driven, integrative approach that targets cancer’s deepest vulnerabilities while supporting overall health.
The Premise of Metabolic Oncology: Cancer as a Metabolic Disease
For decades, cancer has been framed as a genetic disease, driven by random DNA mutations that cause uncontrolled cell growth. This model—the somatic mutation theory of cancer—has fueled a search for "cancer genes" and targeted drugs aimed at shutting them down.
But a growing body of evidence challenges this paradigm. While mutations are present in cancer cells, they do not fully explain why cancer develops, spreads, or resists treatment. Many cancers arise without clear genetic drivers, and patients with identical mutations often respond very differently to treatment.
This has led to a paradigm shift—from viewing cancer as a genetic disease to understanding it as a metabolic disease.
Emerging research supports the metabolic theory of cancer, which argues that cancer cells are fundamentally defined by dysfunctional energy metabolism. Unlike healthy cells, which generate energy efficiently, cancer cells rely on multiple metabolic pathways to fuel their relentless growth.
The Warburg Effect: Cancer cells prefer fermenting glucose into lactate, even in the presence of oxygen—an inefficient process that helps them survive in hostile conditions.
Glutamine Addiction: Many cancers rely on glutamine, an amino acid, to fuel rapid division and evade immune detection.
Fatty Acid Synthesis: Some aggressive tumours exploit fat metabolism as an energy source.
Amino Acid Dependence: Certain cancers require high levels of methionine and cysteine, making them vulnerable to dietary interventions.
Metabolic oncology is based on this new understanding—instead of attacking cancer cells head-on with toxic treatments, it aims to cut off their fuel sources and disrupt multiple metabolic pathways, making them more vulnerable to conventional therapies.
By leveraging diet, repurposed drugs, and targeted therapies, metabolic oncology weakens cancer’s survival strategies, enhancing the effectiveness of treatments like chemotherapy and radiation while reducing their toxicity.
The Five Pillars of Metabolic Oncology: A Strategic Framework
Metabolic oncology is not an alternative to conventional treatment—it’s a strategic approach that makes those treatments work better. By systematically depriving cancer of its key resources, we can enhance treatment efficacy, minimise side effects, and improve long-term outcomes.
1. Foundational Chemistry – The Diet
Diet is one of the most powerful levers in metabolic oncology. There is no one-size-fits-all cancer diet, but two of the most promising approaches are:
Ketogenic Diet: By drastically reducing carbohydrates, the body shifts from using glucose to burning ketones for energy—a fuel source cancer cells struggle to utilise. Studies show that a ketogenic diet can slow tumour growth, enhance chemotherapy and radiation responses, and reduce treatment side effects.
Methionine & Cysteine Restriction: Many cancers are dependent on methionine and cysteine, two amino acids found in high amounts in animal proteins. Restricting these amino acids through diet can starve cancer cells and make them more susceptible to treatment.
Learn more about this strategy in my ebook on Methionine Restriction in Oncology Care [Get Here].
The key is strategic dietary intervention—not just cutting out food groups, but using nutrition as a tool to weaken cancer while supporting the body’s resilience.
2. The Press-Pulse Strategy – Weakening and Eliminating Cancer
The Press-Pulse Strategy is a metabolic approach to systemic oncology care, designed to exploit cancer’s metabolic vulnerabilities while protecting healthy cells. Unlike conventional treatments that indiscriminately attack both cancerous and normal tissues, this strategy leverages metabolic stressors to create an inhospitable environment for cancer, weakening its defences before delivering targeted, high-impact treatments at the most opportune moment.
This method is based on the understanding that cancer cells thrive in specific metabolic conditions, relying heavily on glucose, glutamine, and other resources to fuel rapid, uncontrolled growth. By systematically disrupting these metabolic pathways, the Press-Pulse Strategy forces cancer into a weakened state, making it significantly more susceptible to treatment.
This approach is not about choosing between conventional and metabolic treatments—it is about using them together in a strategic sequence to maximise efficacy while minimising collateral damage to healthy tissues. By integrating dietary strategies, fasting, repurposed drugs, and supportive therapies with conventional interventions like chemotherapy and radiation, the Press-Pulse Strategy optimises treatment timing, enhances tumour response, and reduces the toxic side effects associated with conventional care.
Press Phase (7-10 Days, depending on treatment plan):
Apply continuous metabolic stress on cancer cells, weakening them and making them more vulnerable.
Methods include:
Dietary restriction (ketogenic or methionine/cysteine restriction)
Fasting & calorie restriction
Sauna therapy (induces heat shock proteins that stress cancer cells)
Specific supplements and repurposed drugs
Pulse Phase (7-12 Days, depending on chemo regimen):
This is the "kill zone," where we introduce aggressive, pro-oxidant treatments to destroy weakened cancer cells.
The most effective approaches include:
Chemotherapy (administered when cancer cells are metabolically stressed)
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) – increases oxidative stress in tumours
Sodium Selenite – disrupts cancer metabolism
Intravenous Vitamin C (IV Vit C) – selectively toxic to cancer cells
By cycling between stress and attack, the Press-Pulse strategy maximises treatment effectiveness while minimising toxicity to healthy cells.
3. Repurposed Drugs & Natural Compounds to Target Cancer Metabolism
Cancer cells rely on unique metabolic pathways to sustain their uncontrolled growth, evade immune detection, and resist treatment. While conventional oncology has primarily focused on genetic mutations, emerging research highlights the critical role of metabolic interventions in weakening cancer’s defences and enhancing treatment responses.
One of the most promising approaches in metabolic oncology is the strategic use of repurposed drugs and bioactive natural compounds—substances originally designed for other conditions that have been found to interfere with cancer metabolism, suppress tumour growth, and increase sensitivity to chemotherapy, radiation, and immunotherapy.
By targeting multiple metabolic pathways simultaneously, these compounds can:
Disrupt cancer’s energy supply (glucose, glutamine, and fatty acid metabolism),
Inhibit tumour growth and spread,
Reduce inflammation and oxidative stress,
Enhance the effectiveness of standard treatments, and
Help prevent resistance to therapy.
Unlike traditional chemotherapy, which often comes with severe systemic toxicity, many of these repurposed drugs and natural compounds selectively impair cancer metabolism while preserving normal cell function, making them powerful adjuncts to conventional cancer care.
This section explores some of the most well-researched repurposed drugs and natural compounds used in metabolic oncology, demonstrating their potential in transforming cancer treatment outcomes.
Repurposed Drugs:
Melatonin – Beyond its role in regulating sleep, melatonin exerts oncostatic effects by modulating mitochondrial function, increasing oxidative stress within cancer cells, and disrupting tumour metabolism. It also enhances the effectiveness of chemotherapy and radiation while reducing treatment-related toxicity.
Mebendazole – Originally an anti-parasitic drug, mebendazole has been shown to interfere with microtubule formation, preventing cancer cells from dividing and spreading. It also induces apoptosis (programmed cell death) and inhibits angiogenesis, cutting off the tumour’s blood supply.
Atorvastatin – A cholesterol-lowering statin that also inhibits the mevalonate pathway, which is crucial for cancer cell membrane formation and growth signalling. Statins like atorvastatin have been linked to reduced cancer progression and enhanced tumour response to conventional treatments.
Phosphodiesterase 5 Inhibitors (PDE5 Inhibitors) – Originally used for erectile dysfunction (e.g., sildenafil), PDE5 inhibitors enhance immune system activity by modulating T-cell and dendritic cell function. They also improve tumour oxygenation, making cancer cells more vulnerable to chemotherapy and radiation.
Natural Compounds:
Vitamin D – Plays a key role in immune modulation and inhibits tumour growth by promoting differentiation, reducing inflammation, and suppressing cancer cell proliferation. Low vitamin D levels have been associated with poorer cancer outcomes.
Green Tea (EGCG – Epigallocatechin Gallate) – A powerful polyphenol that inhibits tumour cell growth, blocks angiogenesis, and enhances apoptosis. EGCG also suppresses glucose metabolism in cancer cells, limiting their primary energy source.
Curcumin (Turmeric) – Exhibits strong anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties by inhibiting NF-kB, a key driver of cancer progression. It also disrupts multiple cancer survival pathways, including proliferation, invasion, and metastasis.
Quercetin – A flavonoid with potent anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects, quercetin inhibits key enzymes involved in cancer metabolism and enhances chemotherapy sensitivity, making it a valuable adjunct therapy.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids – Found in fish oil, omega-3s modulate inflammation, reduce tumour growth, and enhance immune function. They also help counteract cachexia (cancer-related muscle wasting) and improve chemotherapy tolerance.
Berberine – Functions similarly to Metformin, lowering glucose and insulin levels while inhibiting key metabolic pathways that fuel cancer growth. It also disrupts mitochondrial function in cancer cells, making them more vulnerable to oxidative stress.
Sodium Selenite – A form of selenium that induces cancer cell apoptosis via oxidative stress while protecting healthy cells. It also enhances the efficacy of chemotherapy and reduces side effects of radiation therapy.
Each of these repurposed drugs and natural compounds can be strategically integrated into a metabolic oncology framework to enhance treatment effectiveness, reduce toxicity, and weaken tumour resistance. However, it is critical to understand that these interventions are not one-size-fits-all, and some may interfere with conventional oncology treatments if not used correctly. Self-prescribing without expert guidance can compromise treatment outcomes, so it is essential to work with a highly experienced and appropriately qualified health professional who understands the complexity of integrative metabolic oncology and how to tailor these strategies to your specific case.
If you want to explore a comprehensive, personalised approach that combines evidence-based metabolic strategies with your existing oncology treatments, I invite you to learn more about my Cancer Coaching Services. Together, we can develop a targeted, strategic plan to optimise your treatment outcomes and support your body's healing.
Learn more about my Cancer Coaching Services here
4. Supportive Therapies – Enhancing Treatment Responses
Supportive therapies play a critical role in metabolic oncology, working to sensitise cancer cells to treatment, optimise the body’s internal environment, and improve overall resilience during conventional cancer care. While chemotherapy, radiation, and immunotherapy target cancer cells directly, supportive therapies weaken tumour defences, enhance treatment effectiveness, and minimise side effects.
These interventions do not replace standard treatments but serve as powerful adjuncts that can dramatically improve outcomes when strategically integrated into a comprehensive cancer care plan.
Hyperthermia – Using Heat to Weaken Cancer Cells
Hyperthermia is a non-invasive therapy that exposes cancer cells to elevated temperatures (typically between 39-45°C) to impair their function and make them more vulnerable to treatment. Cancer cells are inherently more sensitive to heat than normal cells due to their poor blood supply and impaired ability to regulate temperature, making this an effective strategy to selectively target tumours.
Mechanism of Action in Cancer Care:
Increases Sensitivity to Radiation & Chemotherapy – Hyperthermia enhances the effects of chemotherapy and radiation by damaging cancer cell proteins and DNA, reducing their ability to repair treatment-induced damage.
Disrupts Tumour Blood Supply – Heat induces vascular changes in tumours, making it harder for them to receive nutrients and oxygen. This creates a more hostile environment for cancer growth.
Induces Cancer Cell Death (Apoptosis) – Hyperthermia can trigger heat-induced apoptosis, a process where cancer cells self-destruct due to metabolic stress.
Clinical Use:
Can be applied locally (targeting specific tumours) or systemically (whole-body hyperthermia).
Often combined with radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy to boost treatment efficacy.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) – Oxygen as a Cancer Weapon
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) is a non-invasive treatment that involves breathing 100% oxygen in a pressurised chamber, significantly increasing oxygen delivery to tissues, including tumours. This is a game-changer in metabolic oncology, as cancer thrives in low-oxygen (hypoxic) environments.
Mechanism of Action in Cancer Care:
Increases Oxidative Stress in Cancer Cells – Unlike normal cells, which can adapt to high oxygen levels, cancer cells struggle to handle excess oxygen. HBOT raises reactive oxygen species (ROS) in tumours, leading to oxidative damage and increased treatment sensitivity.
Enhances Radiation Therapy – Many cancers are resistant to radiation due to their hypoxic nature. HBOT reverses tumour hypoxia, making radiation far more effective.
Weakens Cancer’s Defence Mechanisms – Oxygen-rich environments impair cancer cell survival strategies, making them less aggressive and more responsive to treatment.
Supports Healing & Reduces Side Effects – HBOT promotes tissue repair, immune function, and detoxification, helping patients recover from chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery with fewer complications.
Clinical Use:
Used before or after chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery to enhance outcomes and improve recovery.
Particularly beneficial in brain tumours, breast cancer, and other solid tumours with hypoxic regions.
The Role of Supportive Therapies in a Comprehensive Cancer Strategy
Cancer treatment is not just about attacking tumours—it’s about creating the right conditions for the body to heal and respond effectively to therapy. Supportive therapies like hyperthermia, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, and adjunct interventions can:
Weaken cancer’s defences, making it more susceptible to conventional treatment.
Reduce side effects of chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery.
Support immune function, repair tissues, and improve overall well-being.
These therapies are not standalone cures but are powerful tools when used strategically alongside metabolic and conventional oncology approaches.
5. Creating the Optimal Environment for Healing – The Role of Epigenetic Wellness
Cancer is not just a genetic disease—it is a disease of the environment in which those genes are expressed. While conventional oncology focuses on directly attacking tumours, an often-overlooked yet critical aspect of cancer care is optimising the biological terrain in which cancer exists.
Epigenetics refers to the way external factors—such as diet, stress, sleep, hydration, and social connections—influence gene expression, either promoting or inhibiting tumour progression. By actively shaping this environment, we can enhance treatment responses, improve resilience, and increase the likelihood of better outcomes.
Rather than viewing cancer care as just about destroying cancer cells, it’s about creating the conditions where healing is possible. Below are the foundational pillars of epigenetic wellness, each playing a vital role in influencing cancer outcomes.
Hydration: The Foundation of Cellular Health
Proper hydration is not just about drinking enough water—it’s about water quality and its impact on cellular function. Every biochemical reaction in the body, including detoxification, mitochondrial energy production, and immune function, depends on water.
At the very least, filtered water should be a priority. A high-quality under-sink water filter costs around $400 and ensures that your drinking and cooking water is free from contaminants. A whole-house filtration system, costing between $2500 and $4000, provides clean water for bathing, drinking, and cooking, reducing exposure to chlorine, heavy metals, and other harmful substances.
For those looking for the best possible water for cellular health, Electrically Reduced Water (ERW)—also known as molecular hydrogen-rich water—offers significant anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits. Studies suggest that ERW can reduce oxidative stress, enhance mitochondrial function, and support cellular repair, particularly important for individuals undergoing cancer treatments. If you would like more information on this type of water and how to bring this into your family home please email me HERE
Breathwork: Regulating the Stress Response for Healing
Chronic stress is a silent driver of cancer progression—it weakens the immune system, fuels inflammation, and shifts the body into a constant state of survival mode. This is why stress management isn’t just a luxury—it’s a biological necessity for healing.
One of the most powerful ways to regulate stress and activate healing is through breathwork. Slow, controlled exhalations stimulate the vagus nerve, helping shift the body from "fight or flight" (sympathetic dominance) to "rest and repair" (parasympathetic activation). This not only lowers stress hormones but also improves oxygen delivery to tissues, supporting immune function and metabolic balance.
Engaging in regular breathwork exercises can help:
Reduce inflammation and oxidative stress.
Improve circulation and enhance mitochondrial function.
Lower cortisol (the stress hormone), which is linked to cancer progression.
Movement: Mobilising Vitality and Immune Function
Exercise is one of the most potent natural interventions for cancer prevention and treatment. Regular movement enhances immune function, improves metabolic health, and reduces inflammation—all key factors in modulating cancer progression.
Studies have shown that moderate, consistent exercise can:
Improve immune surveillance, helping the body detect and destroy cancer cells.
Reduce insulin resistance, which fuels tumour growth.
Lower inflammation, a key driver of cancer progression.
Enhance mitochondrial function, improving energy production and cellular resilience.
What type of exercise is best?
Gentle movement (walking, stretching, yoga) is ideal for those with lower energy levels or undergoing treatment.
Resistance training helps maintain muscle mass and prevent cancer-related cachexia (muscle wasting).
Aerobic exercise improves cardiovascular health, circulation, and lymphatic drainage.
Sleep: The Most Underrated Cancer Therapy
Sleep is one of the most overlooked yet essential components of healing. Poor sleep is linked to higher inflammation, weakened immune function, and increased tumour progression.
During deep sleep:
The body produces melatonin, a hormone that not only regulates sleep but also has oncostatic properties, meaning it can slow tumour growth.
The immune system identifies and removes damaged cells, a process essential for cancer prevention and healing.
DNA undergoes repair, helping to maintain genetic integrity.
Sleep Optimisation Guidelines for Cancer Healing:
Maintain a consistent sleep schedule – Aim for 7-9 hours per night, sleeping at the same time each night.
Minimise blue light exposure in the evening – Blue light from screens disrupts melatonin production. Use blue-light blocking glasses or apps to reduce exposure.
Create a dark, cool, and quiet sleep environment – Even small amounts of light can interfere with sleep quality. Consider blackout curtains.
Support melatonin production naturally – Avoid caffeine after 2 PM, eat nutrient-dense meals, and limit stress before bed.
Sleep is not a luxury—it is a biological necessity for cancer healing.
Social Connection: Healing Through Community
Cancer is not just a physical disease—it is an emotional and social experience. Isolation and loneliness are major risk factors for poor health outcomes, yet many people navigating cancer feel disconnected from their support networks.
Studies have shown that strong social connections:
Improve immune function and reduce stress.
Lower inflammation and enhance resilience.
Increase survival rates in cancer patients.
Engaging in group activities, support groups, or simply maintaining close relationships can positively influence the healing process. Healing is not just about medicine—it’s about feeling connected, supported, and emotionally resilient.
Stress Management: Healing Beyond Survival Mode
Chronic stress locks the body into a perpetual state of fight or flight, which weakens immune defences, fuels tumour growth, and impairs overall healing. Managing stress is not about relaxation—it is about shifting the body into a physiological state where healing can occur.
Tools to Regulate Stress and Support Healing:
Mindfulness and meditation – Proven to lower inflammation, reduce anxiety, and improve overall well-being.
Breathwork and nervous system regulation – Helps activate the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and repair mode).
The Nurosym device – A vagus nerve stimulation tool that improves stress resilience, autonomic balance, and immune function. Read more about the Nurosym device here(READ HERE). If you're interested in purchasing, please use this link: Nurosym Device.
The Bigger Picture: Creating a Terrain That Supports Healing
Cancer treatment should not just focus on killing cancer cells—it must also address the biological environment that allowed cancer to develop in the first place.
By optimising hydration, movement, sleep, breathwork, stress resilience, and social connection, we create a biological terrain that promotes healing, enhances treatment effectiveness, and improves overall prognosis.
This is not about choosing between conventional and integrative approaches—it’s about using the best of both worlds to achieve better outcomes.The Bigger Picture: A Smarter, More Effective Approach to Cancer
Metabolic oncology is not about replacing conventional treatment—it’s about making it work better. By strategically targeting cancer metabolism, we can weaken tumours, enhance treatment effectiveness, and improve long-term outcomes.
This is not alternative medicine. This is just better medicine.
Conclusion: Take Control of Your Cancer Journey and Create Your Extraordinary Outcome
Cancer is not a single battle—it is a complex, deeply personal journey that demands more than just standard treatments and one-size-fits-all solutions. The truth is, most patients who follow the conventional path receive standard outcomes, and for many, that is not enough. If you want extraordinary outcomes, you must take an active role in shaping your healing journey.
The good news? You are not powerless in this process.
You are not just a passive recipient of medical care—you are the architect of your health, and the choices you make today can transform your future. By combining the best of conventional oncology with strategic, evidence-based metabolic and integrative interventions, you can dramatically shift the odds in your favour. You can create your own cancer statistics—better than any prognosis you were given.
What Can You Do Right Now?
Don’t Rely on Conventional Treatments Alone – While chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, and immunotherapy have their place, they are often not enough on their own. Cancer is a complex disease that requires a comprehensive approach—one that also strengthens your body’s natural defences, rather than just attacking the tumour.
Use Metabolic & Integrative Strategies – These approaches don’t replace standard care, they enhance it. By targeting cancer’s metabolic weaknesses, optimising epigenetic wellness, and leveraging repurposed drugs and natural compounds, you can create an internal environment that makes treatment more effective and reduces toxicity.
Work With Experts in Integrative Oncology – Cancer is overwhelming, and navigating this alone can feel impossible. There is too much at stake to rely on guesswork. Having a guide—someone who understands both the science of cancer and the art of healing—can be life-changing.
Why Work With Me?
This is what I do. This is what I live for.
I don’t just understand cancer from the textbooks—I understand it from the inside out. I have walked this path personally, and I have spent my career helping others do the same.
I specialise in integrative, metabolic, and functional oncology, bridging the gap between mainstream medicine and cutting-edge metabolic science. I work with you to design a personalised plan that aligns with your unique biology, your specific diagnosis, and your individual needs—giving you the best possible chance at not just surviving, but thriving.
You don’t have to accept the statistics. You don’t have to resign yourself to an outcome that doesn’t serve you.
You can fight for more. You can create something extraordinary.
And I am here to help you do just that.
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Medical Disclaimer
The information provided in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. It should not be used as a substitute for professional medical consultation, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the guidance of a qualified healthcare provider before making any decisions about your cancer treatment, including dietary changes, metabolic strategies, repurposed medications, or integrative therapies.
Every individual’s medical condition is unique, and what works for one person may not be appropriate for another. Integrating metabolic and conventional oncology approaches should be done under the supervision of a highly experienced health professional who understands the complexity of cancer care and the potential interactions between different treatments.
No guarantees of outcome are expressed or implied, and reliance on any information provided in this article is at your own discretion and risk.
References:
General Oncology & Treatment Limitations
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Surgical Oncology
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Chemotherapy & Its Limitations
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Radiotherapy
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Immunotherapy
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Targeted Therapies
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Metabolic Oncology
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Press-Pulse Strategy
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Repurposed Drugs
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Supportive Therapies
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