September 8, 2020

The recent death of 43-year-old “Black Panther” actor Chadwick Boseman brought a rather alarming trend—young men and women in their 20s, 30s, and early 40s being diagnosed with late-stage colon cancer typically only seen in older adults—to the forefront of the news cycle.

Stories like Boseman's and grim predictions by the American Cancer Society (one in two men and one in three women in this country will develop cancer in their lifetime, and one in five people of both sexes will die of cancer) paint a picture of doom and gloom that would alarm just about anyone—even those at the pinnacle of health.

The silver lining in all of this is that, while there are certainly exceptions, whether or not you develop cancer in your lifetime depends a lot upon the lifestyle and dietary choices that you make—which means that being healthy and cancer-free is largely within your control.

Nevertheless, we all know people who, despite doing all the right things, still get hit with a diagnosis of cancer. This is why—despite genetics, age-related deterioration, and just plain ol' bad luck sometimes getting in the way of optimal health and leading to a cancer diagnosis—early detection and a holistic approach involving conventional and functional medicine treatment options are key in battling this disease.

When it comes to cutting-edge prevention, detection, and treatment options, Dr. Leigh Erin Connealy is at the forefront of fighting cancer, and a prominent leader in the integrative/functional medicine medical field. She is the medical director of two clinics doing some amazing work: the Cancer Center For Healing and the Center For New Medicine (which, for the sake of brevity will be collectively referred to as “the Center” from here on out). Combined, these two clinics have become the largest Integrative Medical Clinic in North America and are visited by people from all over the world with 47,000 patients and growing. Dr. Connealy reveals the Center's whole-person approach to treating cancer in her book The Cancer Revolution: A Groundbreaking Program to Reverse and Prevent Cancer. When it comes to advanced cancer testing and biohacking or medical technologies, I had never even heard of half the stuff in this book—it's truly groundbreaking.

In today's article, a guest post by Dr. Connealy, you'll discover the importance of early detection in treating cancer, how to test for precursors to cancer and early-stage disease, some of the problems with conventional testing/detection methods, eight groundbreaking cancer treatments you (and your doctor) have probably never even heard of, and much more!

Please keep in mind that the contents of this article is not to be taken, interpreted, or construed as medical advice and is presented for informational purposes only. Always speak with a licensed medical professional before considering any of the following treatments.

Cancer Precursor Tests & Early-Stage Detection

Jack was a patient of mine long before he began experiencing suspicious pain in his abdomen. Although a PET scan, abdominal ultrasound, and routine blood tests all came back normal, he knew something wasn’t right. Jack isn’t the kind of guy who sits around waiting for something to happen, so he consulted me for more thorough cancer screening tests.

It’s a good thing he followed his hunches because it turned out that Jack had cancer of the pancreas—a routinely fatal cancer with a five-year survival rate of just 7%.

He immediately began treatment at the Center and began to feel better right away. It has now been 5 years, and Jack is living a normal, active life. He has continued on a comprehensive wellness protocol, and periodic testing reveals no disease progression.

Jack's story illustrates the importance of staying one step ahead of cancer (and not ignoring signals from your body). When you adopt more intensive preventive measures, you can get a jumpstart on treating cancer in its earliest stages, setting your body up for successful healing.

Before we dive into some of the cutting-edge screening and diagnostic tests, there are two basic tests that can give you an idea of whether your body is an ideal environment for cancer to develop: High-sensitivity C-Reactive Protein (hs-CRP), which measures inflammation in the body and Hemoglobin A1C, which measures blood sugar levels over a 3-month period. You can order both tests here, but—like all tests and treatments I'll cover in this article—I recommend working with a doctor who can help you to interpret your results and formulate an action plan based on them.

The following four cancer screening and diagnostic tests can help you determine if you are at an increased risk of cancer, or if it is “brewing” somewhere in your body:

1. The Cancer Profile

For identifying very early-stage cancer, The Cancer Profile is a test I recommend for just about anyone because it enables you to identify cancer as early as 10 years before the tumor becomes detectable on routine tests. It can also be used to monitor established cancers and help you and your doctor to determine whether your current treatment regimen is working. It measures a wide range of markers, including:

• HCG: This hormone, which increases during pregnancy, is also produced by most cancers. If you have any amount of HCG in your blood or urine, it could indicate cancer.
• PHI: This is an enzyme that nudges cellular metabolism towards a process called glycolysis, which enables cancer cells to produce energy in an anaerobic (low-oxygen) environment that ensures their survival. Elevated PHI suggests your body is a hospitable environment for cancer—and if it’s elevated after cancer surgery, the cancer has already begun establishing itself elsewhere in your body.
• Thyroid hormones: Your thyroid is responsible for your basal metabolic rate, which is linked to the amount of oxygen your body uses. The more oxygen available to your cells, the fewer cancer cells you are likely to have.
• GGTP: This enzyme is indicative of the function of your liver, your body’s primary organ of detoxification. GGTP levels increase with all liver diseases, including metastatic liver cancer, as well as pancreatic carcinoma and breast and colon cancers that have metastasized to the liver.
• CEA: A broad-spectrum but nonspecific cancer antigen that is often elevated in most types of cancer.
• DHEA sulfate: An adrenal hormone that enhances immune function and helps the body to cope with stress. Most people with cancer have very low levels of DHEA sulfate, suggesting immune system suppression.

2. Research Genetic Cancer Center (RGCC) Test

The RGCC Test detects circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and cancer stem cells (CSCs) before cancer visibly appears. One reason conventional approaches to treating cancer often fail is because surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation cannot eliminate CTCs and CSCs. These cells, which break off and migrate into your circulatory system, are dangerous because they can eventually “nest” somewhere else in your body and create new tumors. In fact, CSCs are responsible for 95% of all metastases and deaths from cancer.

For example, if you had surgery to remove the six inches of your colon that had cancer, this test would show whether you truly were cancer-free by checking for any remaining CTCs and CSCs from the original tumor. The only way to be sure that you are cured is when these levels are zero, which is what the RGCC test does.

It also exposes these cells to 49 of the most commonly used anticancer drugs and natural agents to see which ones they respond to. Therefore, unlike standardized testing, the RGCC test will tell you which treatments are the most effective for your genetics and the type of cancer you have. I believe this is one of the most important tests for determining exactly what treatments are best for your particular cancer.

RGCC has a solid reputation and has been used for over 15 years by doctors across the globe. Not all oncologists are aware of this test, but many experienced and knowledgeable integrative cancer doctors are. I highly recommend it for anyone who has cancer.

It is important to note that a liquid biopsy can also detect CTCs before cancer visibly appears, so if you have cancer, or have had a history of cancer, this type of test is also recommended.

3. Bioenergetic Testing

Bioenergetic testing—which utilizes the energy of your body along with a computerized device to detect imbalances indicative of infections, toxins, organ function, and conditions in your body that are favorable for the development of cancer—is a great complement to other types of testing.

Energy testing also recommends specific remedies and treatments that are most likely to be of benefit. I know from clinical experience what my patients are likely to need, but bioenergetic testing can identify specific products that will work best.

One of the devices we use at the Center is the LSA Limbic Stress Assessment System (LSA) from the ZYTO Corporation. The LSA system is a computerized electrodermal screening device that measures the electrical resistance on the surface of your hands. Based on this resistance, it reveals energy imbalances suggestive of problems and their locations in your body. Another bioenergetic test, BioMeridian, uses acupuncture points to determine the health of your organs based on energy flow. Any disruption or abnormality suggests problems, including cancer, in an area along that particular pathway.

Not all integrative doctors do this type of testing, but many do, and these types of tests provide an important contribution to a complete workup of the patient in addition to the other tests I have described.

4. Thermography

A completely safe, painless, and radiation-free alternative to mammography, Thermography, uses infrared imaging technology to measure heat and vascular patterns within the breast that can indicate cancer.

Women are urged to get regular screening mammograms (and the majority of American women comply), but mammography is unfortunately not very accurate for diagnosing breast cancer. According to an article in The Lancet, of the 5% of mammograms that suggest further testing, up to 93% turn out to be false positives. Furthermore, repeat mammograms can expose you to potentially harmful radiation.

An experienced thermography technician, using state-of-the-art equipment, can detect abnormal findings in the breast up to 10 years before a cancerous tumor can be detected on a mammogram. Thermography can be used for women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer to track progress on any given treatment regimen.

It is an exceptionally valuable tool that we use at the Center. The International Academy of Clinical Thermology provides additional information, as well as help in locating experienced doctors and technicians.

The Problem With Conventional Screening & Diagnostic Tests

You probably won’t hear about any of the tests I've discussed thus far from your conventional physician as most doctors recommend only a handful of cancer screening tests you're probably already familiar with.

In addition to mammograms, women are urged to have Pap smears and human papillomavirus (HPV) tests to screen for cervical cancer; colonoscopies are recommended to detect early signs of colorectal cancer for both men and women; and blood tests, including PSA and CA-125, are urged to screen for prostate and ovarian cancer respectively.

Unfortunately, these screening tests are not always accurate. I have seen patients with normal cancer markers who have cancer, and I have seen healthy patients whose cancer markers are falsely elevated. The PSA test is a great example. Richard J. Ablin, Ph.D., the researcher who developed it, has even pointed out its shortcomings, stating that PSA cannot distinguish between slow-growing prostate cancer that won’t cause any harm—and the kind that can kill you.

X-rays, ultrasounds, MRIs, and CT and PET scans are tools of conventional medicine that are sometimes used by integrative cancer doctors, most often to monitor the progress and response of patients who are undergoing treatment. MRIs and CTs provide extraordinarily detailed images inside the body that can help to pinpoint tumor location, stage cancer, and guide treatment. PET scans, which “light up” cancer cells and other areas of heightened metabolic activity, are useful for diagnosing cancer and determining if it has metastasized.

However, these tests still have shortcomings, and one problem with them, in particular, is that the cancer has to have reached a certain size before it is large enough to be detected. You can also have a significant number of circulating tumor cells in your blood, but because they haven’t yet “nested” in a particular organ or area, they go undetected. In other words, you can have normal results but still have cancer. Furthermore, some of these tests are potentially harmful—X-rays, CTs, and especially PET scans expose you to a lot of radiation, which can actually cause cancer.

This is why integrative doctors usually opt for the other tests we have discussed—tests that are safe, non-invasive, and of tremendous value for safely detecting cancer from the earliest stages before it becomes a potential disaster.

Problems with conventional testing methods are the perfect example of why I cannot overemphasize enough the importance of listening to your body.

Returning to my patient Jack, had he not paid attention to his suspicious abdominal pain, it would have likely progressed to full-blown, deadly pancreatic cancer. Of course, chronic fatigue, brain fog, severe indigestion, and unusual aches and pains could be indicative of any number of conditions; but they could also serve as early warning signs of cancer. If you are experiencing unusual symptoms that you just can’t get to the bottom of—or if you’ve already been diagnosed with cancer—I recommend discussing this information with a skilled and experienced integrative doctor who can help you to determine which of these tests is right for you.

8 Groundbreaking Cancer Treatments

“You have cancer” is perhaps the most frightful phrase that you could ever possibly hear. Nancy, a 46-year-old woman came to see me with stage 4 colon cancer that had spread to her liver and lymph nodes. Recognizing that this type of cancer has a survival rate of less than 20%, she was willing to try anything—including liver and colon surgery, as well as chemotherapy.

However, she also understood that she needed to keep her body and immune system as strong as possible while undergoing chemotherapy.

I started Nancy on some of the treatments you'll discover below, and her blood work returned to normal so fast her oncologist declared her recovery a miracle. He had never seen anything like it! It has been four years since her diagnosis, Nancy’s tumor markers are now normal, and she’s doing remarkably well.

Nancy’s story illustrates that cancer doesn’t have to be a death sentence. Cancer can often be managed like a chronic illness, or you can be healed and live disease-free for many years.

Early in my medical career, I realized that chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery aren’t enough to cure cancer, and my experiences with patients at the Center over the years have solidified that belief. Conventional treatments have their place, but by themselves, they are inadequate and rife with adverse effects. This is why I recommend working with an experienced and skilled integrative doctor alongside your oncologist.

There are many alternative treatments out there, but at the Center, we use only those therapies that have been proven in scientific studies and in our clinical experience to work. Rest assured that everything you are about to learn about has been tested and used on thousands of patients. Of course, not every treatment will be useful or effective for every patient and every type and stage of cancer, but chances are many will be.

Here are 8 such treatments we're using at the Center that have produced remarkable results:

1. Insulin Potentiation Targeted (IPT) Low-Dose Chemotherapy

(IPT) low-dose chemotherapy is used by many integrative doctors to shrink tumors. It involves the intravenous administration of insulin, followed by glucose and targeted anticancer agents (chemotherapy drugs and natural therapies) selected specifically for each patient after RGCC testing to determine tumor sensitivity and resistance.

Here’s the logic behind IPT: Cancer cells love glucose and have ten times more insulin receptors than regular cells. So when insulin is administered along with glucose and anticancer agents, insulin acts as a “Trojan horse” and effectively moves both glucose and the cancer-killing agents into the cancer cells. And because the doses of toxic chemo drugs are just one-tenth of those of full-dose chemotherapy, patients experience few, if any, side effects such as hair loss and vomiting.

This therapy has been around for decades, and multiple studies have proven its effectiveness. In one study, researchers from George Washington University found that insulin increased the efficacy of the chemotherapy drug methotrexate in patients with breast cancer by a factor of 10,000! IPT has been reported to work well for a broad range of cancers, and there are even reports of people with very difficult pancreatic, ovarian, and renal cell cancers going into remission with IPT.

2. High-Dose IV Vitamin C

High-dose IV vitamin C—doses much larger than could be tolerated orally—has oxidative, rather than antioxidant, effects that are selectively toxic to cancer cells. Within tumors, vitamin C generates large amounts of hydrogen peroxide, which is lethal to cancer cells but does not harm healthy tissues. This therapy dates back to the 1970s work of Nobel Prize-winning scientist Linus Pauling, Ph.D. who used IV vitamin C to treat and significantly prolong and improve the lives of terminal cancer patients. Although it fell out of favor for decades, National Institutes of Health researchers took up the mantle, and scores of studies have validated the beneficial effects of this therapy.

The Center, as well as other integrative doctors, has treated thousands of patients with high-dose IV vitamin C and found it to be both safe and effective. We have also found that using it in conjunction with IV insulin—as in IPT therapy—drives vitamin C into cancer cells more efficiently.

3. Supportive Oligonucleotide Technique (SOT)

SOT “turns off” cancer genes, effectively disabling and killing cancer cells as well as circulating tumor cells and cancer stem cells that are responsible for metastasis. SOT is an intravenous treatment that binds to and inactivates cancer cells’ messenger RNA (mRNA), which is the molecule responsible for transferring genetic information from DNA. The RGCC Genetic Cancer Center analyzes the mRNA and other genetic components of each individual’s cancer cells and formulates a unique SOT treatment for each patient.

The goal of SOT is to establish tumor stability so that the tumor doesn’t continue to grow and reproduce out of control. It works for 16-18 weeks and, ideally, is repeated up to three times a year. There are no side effects, and SOT can be combined with other therapies.

Although this therapy has been used in Europe for many years and we adopted SOT at the Center in 2013, few other clinics in the United States offer it at this time. Hopefully, that will change in the years to come.

4. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT)

HBOT is a well-established treatment for cancer and other diseases. During an HBOT treatment, you breathe pure oxygen through a mask inside a sealed chamber while the pressure inside the chamber is slowly increased to two to three times that of the normal atmosphere. Oxygen is normally delivered to the tissues via hemoglobin in the red blood cells. Under pressure, however, it dissolves in all body fluids—your cells receive 15 times more oxygen than usual!

Cancer cells survive and thrive in an anaerobic (oxygen-free) environment, and when exposed to high levels of oxygen, they die. In addition to killing cancer cells, HBOT reduces inflammation and stimulates the release of growth factors and stem cells that promote healing. Many doctors also use it to treat bone and tissue damage resulting from radiation therapy.

At the Center, we have found that combining HBOT with Oxidative Preconditioning Therapy—nutraceuticals plus pentoxifylline, a medication that thins the blood and enhances blood flow and tissue oxygenation—amplifies healing effects. To learn more about HBOT, check out a few of Ben's recently published resources below:

• To Biohack A Hyperbaric Experience – A Physician Spills His Insider Secrets On How To Use HBOT Properly To Accelerate & Optimize Healing, Performance, and Recovery.
• A New Treatment For Blasting Tissues With Oxygen, Growing New Blood Vessels, Recovering Faster, Killing Bacteria, Building Stem Cells & Much More!
• My Latest Biohacking Infatuation: The Effects Of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) On Performance And Recovery (Plus 10 Proven Benefits Of High-Pressure Oxygen)

5. Ozone Therapy

A well-established cancer treatment, Ozone therapy helps the body to heal in a variety of ways. Although it is similar to oxygen therapy (it also dramatically increases oxygen delivery to the cells), ozone has somewhat different effects on your body. In addition to damaging cancer cells and causing them to self-destruct, ozone therapy increases circulation, helps get rid of toxins, and boosts immune function.

Ozone can be administered in different ways, including vaginally and rectally. At my clinic, we do intravenous ozone therapy. For this procedure, we remove a certain amount of blood from the patient’s body and saturate it with ozone, which breaks down into oxygen upon contact with blood. We then return that oxygen-rich blood back into the patient’s body.

Increasingly, integrative cancer clinics are using ozone therapy as part of their patients’ treatment regimens. People generally experience no side effects from this therapy.

Ben has also covered this topic recently on the podcast episode “Everything You Need To Know For Antivirus & Immune System Enhancement: A Special One-Two Podcast Episode With Dr. Matt Cook, Dr. Matt Dawson, & Dr. Michael Mallin.”

6. Pulsed Electromagnetic Field (PEMF) Therapy

Another therapy you may be familiar with as a reader of Ben's blog is PEMF Therapy, which uses a pulsed electromagnet to positively modify cellular processes in the body. PEMF is a vital component of all of our cancer treatment protocols. We administer PEMF therapy to our patients after they receive IV vitamin C and/or HBOT because it enhances the effects of these treatments.

Safe, painless, and non-invasive, PEMF therapy provides a major energy boost to healthy cells and helps them to take up nutrients and get rid of waste products. When the body can’t efficiently eliminate wastes from the cells, toxins build up. PEMF facilitates detoxification and, at the same time, promotes proper cellular metabolism.

Research has shown that cancer cells function at a significantly lower electrical voltage than healthy cells and are therefore weakened by electromagnetic stimulation. In 2011, the FDA approved PEMF therapy for the treatment of brain cancer, and it has been used in numerous other types of cancer. For example, PEMF therapy was found to shrink melanomas by 90% within two weeks of treatment.

Many integrative doctors now use PEMF therapy to help reduce pain and inflammation, accelerate healing and tissue regeneration, and restore the body’s energetic balance.

You can learn more about PEMF by checking out the following podcasts that Ben has published:

• The Myth About “Grounding”, Acupuncture Without Needles, 400% Increase In Stem Cell Production & Much More.
• The Most Powerful Cellular Exercise Machine That Exists, How It Works & Exactly How To Use It.
• The Potent Ergogenic Effects of Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy to Enhance Athletic Performance

7. IV Curcumin

Curcumin is often referred to as nature’s most powerful anti-inflammatory, but it is also a potent anticancer agent. Curcumin puts the brakes on NF-kappaB, an inflammatory compound that plays a key role in the initiation of cancer. It also interferes with the development of cancer stem cells, which sustain cancer growth, give rise to metastasis, and are impervious to traditional cancer treatments.

As a cancer therapy, IV curcumin is far superior to oral. Because it bypasses the digestive tract, we are able to administer higher doses than could ever be tolerated orally, and 100% of it gets absorbed. We have had extraordinary results with IV curcumin at the Center. For instance, a patient who had suffered from a rectal tumor for five years that had extended into her colon and caused her a lot of pain found that after just six treatments of IV curcumin, her pain dramatically diminished and her bowel function normalized.

Clinical trials suggest that IV curcumin may be just as effective as pharmaceutical drugs for treating some cancers. It can also be used in conjunction with conventional therapies, as studies suggest it enhances the effectiveness of certain types of chemotherapy.

8. Peptide Bioregulators

Peptide bioregulator therapy is designed to regenerate damaged and dysfunctional organs and tissues. It involves the use of peptides—short chains of amino acids that serve as signaling molecules—to stimulate healing and tissue regeneration. In addition to repairing organs and tissues damaged by cancer, stress, and toxins, peptides also powerfully stimulate the immune system to help your body fight and prevent cancer.

These peptides, which are extracted from animal tissues but are identical to human peptides, are synthesized into a form that stimulates your body’s own regenerative processes. Multiple studies support the effectiveness of various peptide bioregulators. For example, Vladonix, a thymus peptide extract that targets the immune system, has been shown to decrease cancer risk by three to fivefold and extend the lifespan of mice by 30–40%.

We have been using peptide bioregulators, which are safe and free of side effects, at the Center since 2014 with great results. Read Ben's article “Three Little Known, Unconventional Antiviral Approaches For Boosting Your Immune System.” for more on Valdonix.

Summary

Hopefully, after reading this article, you feel more hopeful that a cancer diagnosis does not have to be a death sentence.

Most skilled integrative cancer doctors will use a combination of these and other treatments—in conjunction with a therapeutic diet, exercise as tolerated, stress management, and a broad range of nutritional and mind-body techniques—to allow your body to have a fighting chance at beating cancer.

In some cases, conventional treatments may be part of the protocol. I would not hesitate to recommend surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation to a patient with certain types and stages of cancer that respond well to these therapies. But, I would also start that patient on an individualized treatment plan to enhance the effectiveness of those therapies, minimize side effects, facilitate recovery, and address the whole person—rather than just the affected body part.

Not every patient with late-stage cancer will be able to attain remission. However, we have treated many patients at the Center with stage 3 and 4 cancer who have lived normal, productive lives years beyond their original prognoses. You may find that some of these treatments will enable you to do the same. I highly recommend working with a physician who is knowledgeable and experienced in their use.

If you'd like to dive deeper into groundbreaking and non-conventional cancer treatments, you can pick up my book, The Cancer Revolution: A Groundbreaking Program to Reverse and Prevent Cancer, on Amazon and check out Cancer Center For Healing and Center For New Medicine cancer treatment centers.

Remote consults are available from the Center, but if you prefer to find a doctor in your area, The American College for Advancement in Medicine (ACAM) is a great resource. Just click “Find Practitioner” on their homepage.

Ben has a plethora of resources on cancer on his blog, which are listed below. (To learn what Ben would do if he were diagnosed with cancer, check out Chapter 15 of his book Boundless.)

• Ben Greenfield's Cancer Resources PDF
• Can Plant-Rich Keto Cure Cancer, Clearing Up Collagen Confusion, Peanut Butter Flavored Bone Broth & Much More!
• We All Have Cancer (& How To Starve Cancer With The Foods You Eat).
• Why The War On Cancer Has Failed & What You Can Do About It: Mistletoe, NAD, Deuterium Depleted Water, Melatonin, Gerson Therapy & Beyond!
• Fringe Medicine, Blood Ozone, Water Fasting, Hyperthermia & More: What Does Europe Know About Medicine & Cancer That Americans Don’t?
• How To Cure Yourself Of Cancer: An Epic Interview With A Man Who Defied Conventional Medicine & Cured Himself Of Prostate Cancer.
• Why You’ve Been Lied To About Cancer And What You Can Do About It.
• Why You Get Cancer And What You Can Do About It.

If you have any thoughts, questions, or comments on any of the diagnostic tests or therapies covered in this article, leave them in the comments section below.