Participants at the conference had fifteen tables to choose from for thirty minute discussions. To start, FAIM attended the round table chaired by Henning Saupe, MD, PhD, who runs the Arcadia-Praxis clinic in Germany. The topic of conversation began with information about hyperthermia therapies. In the past, Coley’s toxins were injected into the patient which precipitated a body wide fever. This therapy is no longer available, but currently other options are used to create a fever in the body. The goal of this therapy is to induce fever of 103-105 degrees Fahrenheit over an hour and then maintain the fever for another hour. The effect of this therapy is to regulate the body temperature control to be at a generally higher temperature. It wakes up the immune system and down regulates silent inflammation. This therapy makes cancer more visible, helps detoxify the body, and improves general health. If used with low dose drugs, the treatment is enhanced making it a synergistic therapy to be used with low dose chemo. This is a therapy that should be considered an adjunct option, rather than a stand-alone protocol. At the opposite end of the spectrum was the discussion of the cold plunge. Cancer is basically a disease of the mitochondria. The mitochondria become damaged, needing sugar to survive. This creates an energy crisis within the cell. The cold plunge, or one minute in the cold shower, kills dysfunctional mitochondria. Other therapies that accomplish the same goal include PEMF, oxygen therapies, hydrogen therapies and metabolic terrain therapies.

A second round table was presented by Zubin Marolia, MD, from Mambi, India. He discussed the use of Mistletoe in the treatment of cancer. Switzerland has been the center for research of the 18 types of Mistletoe. He uses Mistletoe through subcutaneous injection as an immune modulator, promotion of apoptosis of cancer cells, and to improve quality of life. After injection, the patient will experience redness at the site of injection and an overall warming sensation body wide. In addition to Mistletoe, Marolia uses homeopathy, B17, curcumin and diet. The goal is to optimize the immune system rather than stimulate it.

The third round table was lead by Andre Williams, MD, reviewing the Gonzalez Protocol. One basic principle of this protocol is to look at and treat the patient’s individual metabolic type. For instance, is their autonomic nervous system predominantly in the parasympathetic range or in the sympathetic range. If the patient is parasympathetic dominant then an alkaline diet will be contraindicated. This patient will do better eating red meat. If the patient is sympathetic dominant then a plant based diet will be more effective. Gonzalez determined there were seven metabolic types with appropriate diets ranging from extreme vegan/vegetarian to extreme carnivore diets. A key element to address is emotional wellness. The website to learn more is The Gonzalez Protocol. There is a questionnaire that can be filled out to determine metabolic type. Williams shared that this protocol is beneficial for cancer and for other illness as well including Lyme Disease.

The last round table FAIM attended was presented by John Malanca who is the head of the United Patients Group. This entity shares educational information about the use of cannabinoids in healing. The body has an internal endocannabinoid system that acts to maintain homeostasis in the body. When it is out of sync then external cannabinoids can help return the balance. There are 160 different cannabinoids including THC, CBN, CBD, and CBG to mention a few. They all have unique balancing characteristics in the body. When considering this therapy it is important to include at least some level of THC with the CBDs. The dosage will vary from patient to patient. John’s United Patients Group offers consults for patients interested in learning more about the science behind this therapy and many other aspects of use.

The afternoon session included presentation from Catharine Janssen, Gina Ruffa, and Monisha Bhanote. Catharine Janssen discussed Immunology and Stress. Again the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems were the topic of discussion. When the body is in the sympathetic mode the considerations are flight, fright, and fight. This is a high stress mode and should be short term. With chronic stress the body is constantly in this mode. When the parasympathetic mode is predominant, the body is relaxing, at rest and repairing. The neurotransmitter that aid this process include dopamine, endorphins, oxytocin and serotonin. Her message was to have the courage to take chances, make new choices and commit to changes. In order to heal patients must transform their behaviors. In the healing process 1/3 is accomplished with medicine, 1/3 is accomplished with healthy lifestyle and 1/3 is accomplished with peace of mind including laughter, love and family.

Gina Ruffa discussed Plant Based Farmacy and the use of herbs in the treatment of cancer. She had been a conventional Pharmacist until her 18 month old child was diagnosed with a rare cancer. Through a feeding tube she treated her son with juicing, colostrum and supplements. Plants are loaded with phytochemicals, isoflavins, catamines, anthocyanins, and polyphenols to mention a few. Her list for the best foods for cancer include dry mustard, garlic, onions, oregano, horseradish, sprouted mung beans, watercress, bitter melon, broccoli sprouts, cruciferous vegetables, asparagus, pomegranates, berries, acai, apricot kernels, brazil nuts, ginger, turmeric, matcha green tea, Tulsi, shitake, maitake, and reishi mushrooms. Look for foods with a high ORAC value and a low AGE value. She felt the best diet includes 80% plant foods, raw verses cooked, gluten free, anti-inflammatory, Mediterranean diet, intermittent fasting, whole food plant based, low carbs, juicing and salads, organic, grassfed, wild caught, and all the colors of the rainbow. She prefers supplements that are liquids being colloidal, ionic, liposomal, or angstrom. The herbs and spices that she recommends include saffron, onko tea, matcha, holy basil, Jason Winters Tea, pu-erh, ginger lemon turmeric tea, essiac tea, and pau D’arco tea. In addition she discussed the use of curcumin BCM 95, oil of oregano, Black Seed oil, colostrum, HAMLET, melatonin, Cell Food, glutathione, NAC, whey protein, zeolite, C60, activated charcoal, fermented foods, probiotics, aloe gel, moringa powder, and adaptogens. There are a tremendous number of options and each patient needs to be assessed to determine the right approach.

Monisha Bhanote, MD, FCAP, ABOIM, discussed the Gut Cancer Connection: Microbiome Insights and Innovations. Bhanote has a long list of impressive trainings which has served her well in her quest to help her patients find the best results to therapy. The gut is teaming with over 100 trillion microbes which include bacteria, virus and fungi. They have a key function which aids in metabolism and digestion. When these microbes are out of balance dysbiosis occurs in the gut and leads to many diseases. When the gut is disfunctioning, so follows the brain axis, lung axis and so on. Causes of dysbiosis include consumption of sugar and artificial coloring, parasites, antibiotic use, herpes and hepatitis, chemo therapy, diabetes, other inflammatory conditions, etc. Pathogens cause many problems in the gut and specific pathogens have been linked to specific cancers. However, all of this can be changed by taking action to repair the gut. Precision diets including pre and probiotics, fiber, whole food, exercise, sleep and no antibiotics go a long way in this effort. A large battery of tests can help determine what specific protocols will rebuild and repair the gut. This testing is instrumental to determine exactly what steps to take to have success.

Henning Saupe, MD: A Gentle Way to Heal Cancer

Henning Saupe, MD, runs the Arcadia Praxis Klinik in Germany. His clinic offers a variety of therapies. It houses 9 patients at a time as live in patients. He views medicine as the art of getting the flow of energy back in balance when it is blocked. This had been the approach for 2000 years prior to the modernization of medicine ushering in reductionist theory (disease is sick cells) Some aspects of modern medicine are good but much of the holistic aspects have been lost. In his view, look at what went wrong in the body when disease happens. Look at the vital health fields.

1. Control inflammation as silent inflammation is at the core of cancer.
2. Detoxify the body from outside toxins and toxins within the body.
3. Look at nutrition
4. Drink clean water
5. Breath. Oxygen is vital as cancer grows in the absence of oxygen
6. Have healthy gut flora and microbiome
7. Manage your stress
8. Keep the blood sugar low and insulin low
9. Maintain a smart immune system
10. Assure mitochondrial function
11. Keep an alkalinity/acidity balance
12. Have infection defense as infection always leads to inflammation

Cancer is a mitochondrial disease. The mitochondria in a cancer cell is 1/18th as effective. The cell lives in the absence of oxygen and survives on sugar. However, there are fields that actually attract the development of cancer.

1. Silent inflammation
2. Nutritional deficiency
3. Toxicity
4. Intercellular water deficiency
5. Oxygen deficiency
6. Unhealthy gut
7. Psychomental stress
8. High blood sugar and high insulin
9. Misled immune system
10. Mitochondrial damage
11. Over acidity
12. Chronic infections as in the gums, gut, root canals, etc.

If these are in existence, cancer results.

Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) is relevant in all diseases and specifically in cancer. To quote Professor Schubert from the Institute of PNI at Insbruck University in Austria “There is no difference between our feelings and our immune system.” This includes our perceptions, feelings and beliefs. Every German center for cancer has a psychooncologist. If cancer knocks at your door first understand the diagnosis which can mean get clarity and/or biopsy. Determine the body weakness through exams and lots of sophisticated biological tests and analysis. Look at tumor markers, nutritional deficiencies, etc. Tests can determine which agents will deter specific tumor growth. Saupe recommends surgery for early stage cancers (not so much with stage 3 or 4). Patients can do hyperthermia, ozone, mistletoe and Vitamin C to prepare for surgery. After surgery complete adjuvant systemic treatments to reduce recurrence. Where the disease is systemic such as lymphoma or metastasis or stage 3 or 4, act holistically from the beginning with often no surgery. Accept the diagnosis but not the prognosis. There is so much to be said about the placebo effect. The “nocebo” effect results from a practitioner telling a patient there is no hope for a recovery where as a “placebo” effect can be extremely powerful if the patient hold to hope. The next step is to create a team. Accept the limitations of a conventional oncologist and put together additional practitioners who will help in your healing. In this case, you are the boss which can be done diplomatically but yet allows you to make choices that feel right to you. This is done with full attention and gratefulness. Studies show that patients who believe in their therapy have a 30% more effective outcome. Of course, for every therapy there is a risk/benefit ratio. Write these ratios down and analyze whether a therapy’s risk outweighs the benefit. Budget your healing journey. Use his Vitality Map which can be found in his book Holistic Cancer Medicine. Determine your inner conflicts. Acknowledge them and get a coach to assist. Carl Simonton’s books can also be helpful. Practice mindfulness, be grateful, don’t judge, be openminded. Saupe believes that healing is a spiritual concept. Work with your emotions and avoid fear. Change fear into acceptance and befriend it. In addition to mindfulness, EFT, physical exercise, and art.

His clinic uses a variety of therapies including Insulin Potentiated Therapy (IPT) and local hyperthermia using radio waves. IPT is the process of lowering the blood sugar, weakening the cancer cell of its energy source, and making the cell longing for sugar. Then the patient is given a lower dose of chemo therapy (15 to 25% of the normal dose) The tumor absorbs the chemo to a much greater extent. Several supplements assist with this therapy. These include Vitamin C, Taurolidin, artesunate, turmeric, DCA, phosphadityl, glutathione, cannabidiol, resveratrol, MSM, Methylen Blue, and Mistletoe extract. The Hyperthermic therapy involves using heat directly over a tumor. It can also be used as a whole body therapy raising the body temperature to 103-105 degrees and sustain this for an hour. Saupe can be reached at info@arcadia-praxis.de

Laura Pole and Lindsay McDonnell: Choices in Healing

Both women shared information about the organization known as Cancer Choices. Their website is Cancer Choices. Three principles include having no fear, recognize the whole person and choose evidence based therapies. They made the point that with cancer there is not necessarily a “cure” but no matter what through therapies there is healing. They promoted the use of conventional, complementary treatment, and self care. Integrative therapy has shown to improve treatment outcomes, improve terrain, manage side effects, reduce recurrence and avoid future issues from aggressive therapy. They recommend developing a team of conventional doctors, complementary practitioners, wellness coaches, and psycooncologists.

Jane McLelland, Grad Dip Phys.: How to Starve Cancer

Jane McLelland, Grad Dip Phys., has written a book entitled "How to Starve Cancer." She has identified how the cancer cell acquires its food for energy production she calls the Metro Map. Three avenues are glucose, glutamine, and fatty acids. These avenues are fluid and as one route is blocked, another route develops. She outlined the progression that takes place, first having abnormal micro environment to abnormal cell metabolism to abnormal growth factors to abnormal immune response to finally fast cell division. She outlined the use of Ferroptosis using iron to destroy the cell membrane so the cancer cell cannot reproduce. She has researched various cocktails that have shown efficacy using medication in pairings such as Dipyridamole with lovastatin drugs. These cocktails are combined with supplements including omega 3, berberine, and vitamin C for example. She explained her story of cancer and how she managed her treatment. For more information, visit the How to Starve Cancer website.

Veronica Desaulniers, DC: Create the Most Optimal Healing Plan

Veronica Desaulniers, DC, prefers to go by Dr. V. After getting a cancer diagnosis, one must make major transformation. Understanding cancer gives you freedom from fear. She has developed 7 Essential Systems.

1. Food. Avoid sugar, GMO, glyphosate, fish with mercury, commercial dairy, seed and plant oils and roasted nuts. She recommends intermittent fasting and fasting 48 hours before and after chemo. It is possible to do genome testing for nutrition. Also the Gonzalez Metabolic Survey will help determine if a vegan, vegetarian, mixed diet, keto etc is best for an individual.
2. Toxic exposures. Avoid xenoestrogens found in plastics, EMFs, lotions and potions, and test for internal toxins from parasites. Detox with coffee enemas, sweating, lymph drainage and cleanses.
3. Energy. Balance energy through chiropractic. Calm the vagal nerve. Balance heart energy with heart rate variability. Use acupuncture, PEMF, and grounding. Balance the hormones by testing to know methylation processes in the body. Get enough quality sleep.
4. Emotions. Heal emotional wounds. She feels this is the most important essential. Nurture yourself, reduce stress and embrace community. With there aspects in your life a person has a 75% decreased risk of dying from cancer. This includes resolving past trauma.
5. Biological Dentistry. Remove amalgam fillings, root canals which harbor infection, gum disease, cavitations and test for heavy metals. Keep in mind that the teeth are each connected to specific meridians and impact the flow of energy therein.
6. Repair with plants and herbs. There are nourishing essentials including broccoli sprouts, curcumin and DIM. Test iodine levels and magnesium levels through the RBC mag test. Also EGEC, matcha green tea, selenium, and zinc. Immune essentials include Ivermectin, mushrooms, mistletoe and sodium ascorbate. Basic Targes include apricot kernels, berberine, Haelan 95, melatonin, maragen, onkobel pro, salicinium, HBOT, IPT, and Ozone.
7. Test. Use thermography for breast health as well as ultrasound. Blood work can help determine metabolic needs. The bottom line is to Do or Do Not. There is no “try”.

Zubin Marolia, MD: When Were You Last Well

Zubin Marolia, MD, is from India and has a clinic called Enlifen. He first started his journey in learning outside the conventional system by attending the Klinik Arlesheim of Anthroposophy and Integrative Oncoloday at the Filderklinik in Germany.

He has a systematic approach to help the patient begin the healing process. The patient must understand their own lifestyle and the practitioner helps the patient accomplish this by going above and beyond with questions and answers. In a way it is looking at ancient medicine wisdom in comparison to new technologies and documentation.

The current approach only allows a short time for the doctor to be with the patient resulting in Doctor Detachment. No time is taken to hear the story from the patient and learn how and when the patient lost their wellness. Clinical data can be beneficial but the most important thing is to go deeper, to observe the patient, listen to their story and then determine an individual treatment plan that is congruent.

The patient story actually comes from the heart creating a healing partnership. Marolia recognizes this story process has three common actions. First, venting from the patient. Second is the vulnerability that is the result of bearing their soul. They realize they are not alone. Through this process the patient learns to accept their situation creating the third element, validation. Often the practitioner will tell the patient’s story back to them to further validate. After the story, a complete history is taken including all aspects of the patient's being. This healing partnership makes it much easier to get to the root of the problem. Marolia makes it a habit to tap the patient on the shoulder three times and say “you will be well.”

So the question is, what is wellness? It is ever changing and has many dimensions. Emotional/mental, occupational, social, spiritual, financial, environmental, and physical. All of these aspects should be addressed for a comprehensive analysis. In each dimension, how are they feeling? What are their energy levels? How is it working? Are they fulfilled? Marolia helps the patient understand wellness with the acronym FOCAL. F:Fresh O: open C: calm A: active and L: light.

He looks for the tipping point as to what happened before the onset of illness. This can be as simple as anxiety about a life event. Some causative factors could be lack of sleep, nutritional deficiency, dehydration, the weather, or grief to mention a few. His motto is: One Caregiver with one Patient in one Room with one Story.

Nalini Chilkov, Lac, OMD: Resolving Cancer Related Fatigue

Fatigue is the earliest symptom and the most common complaint. She sees the time line as diagnosis, treatment, living with it, after treatment, and life beyond. Typically all stages have fatigue and 30% of patients have fatigue for decades after treatment. Cancer-related fatigue can result from genetics, environment, physiology or psychology. The peripheral nervous system sends messages to the brain as a driver of fatigue.

Polyphenols can be very helpful including Baicalein, berberine, ginger, and Omega 3. The mitochondria plays an active role in fatigue and can be supported with intermittent fasting and exercise. For bone marrow suppression, acupuncture, mushrooms, and astragalus can be restorative. In cases of liver toxicity, NAC, glutathione, and milk thistle can be beneficial. Milk thistle, Baicalein, curcumin, and COQ10 can help kidney toxicity. Mindful meditation and yoga help the patient maintain a state of being in the parasympathetic realm where repair happens. Exercise such as walking or using a rebounder can also be used.

Bottom line is that fatigue is common and there are many avenues to reduce inflammation, support organ systems, and restore mitochondrial dysfunction.

Andre Williams, MD: Successful Cases with the Gonzalez Protocol

Andre Williams, MD, practices in Jamaica. He is one of just a few doctors who have been trained to use the Gonzalez Protocol. This is a therapy that works with the automonic nervous system, metabolic typing to determine proper diet, pancreatic enzymes and other processes. Metabolic typing determines a patient’s pH tendency. Typically patients who are predominantly in the sympathetic state have a tendency to be acidic. Those who are in the parasympathetic state have a tendency to be alkaline.

This protocol is built on the work of Weston Price, DDS,, a dentist who travelled the world observing cultures and health. Price found that people in tropical zones were more likely to be sympathetic dominant, have diets that are more plant based. Cultures living in cold climates were more likely to be parasympathetic dominant with diets high in animal foods. Therefore, within the protocol, patients who have a metabolic type that is sympathetic dominant do better on a vegetarian diet, whereas patients who are parasympathetic dominant thrive on a diet with more red meat. This is vital to understand to help the patient eat a diet that will be supportive and healing. It helps explain why some cancer patients do better if they quit eating meat and others thrive on a ketogenic diet.

Part of the protocol involves removing toxins including environmental toxins such as EMFs. Energy is provided by eating organic food, doing emotional work and addressing spirituality. Each protocol is extremely individualized. For more information go to The Gonzalez Protocol website.