Battling Cancers with a Well-Functioning Immune System

No diagnosis is more difficult to hear than cancer. This is because the outcome is not always certain, and treatment often requires radiation and a course of chemotherapy. At Integrative Medicine of New York (IMNY), Dr Jesse Stoff, a board-certified physician, frequently works with cancer patients and offers innovative treatment options. Most of the options are immunologically and/or biochemically based but sometimes we have to use low dose, targeted chemotherapy known as insulin potentiation therapy (IPT).

So, what is insulin potentiation therapy, and how does it work? During this treatment, patients are given insulin, along with reduced, targeted doses of chemotherapy. Insulin helps deliver chemotherapy drugs more specifically to targeted cancer cells. We believe IPT cancer treatment minimizes the adverse side effects associated with chemo and improves your overall quality of life.

Insulin potentiation therapy was first developed in Mexico by Dr. Donato Perez Garcia, Sr. in 1932. Through research, he realized insulin had special properties that could aid in treating certain diseases and chronic infections. He then explored the possibilities of IPT for the treatment of cancer. This innovative approach has since gained support from medical communities in the United States; IPT is now widely used by holistic and alternative practices across the country.

IPT is an alternative cancer treatment designed to target cancer while the patient is under low blood sugar conditions. What makes this option so different is the fact that it requires small doses of chemo and is supplemented with insulin. This method has almost none of the usual side effects of chemotherapy, such as nausea and hair loss, so it is appealing to individuals who recognize their need for treatment but want to conduct it in a gentler manner.

Patients who want to know more about IPT should schedule an appointment at our facility. Before beginning insulin potentiation therapy for cancer, patients first need to consult with their primary care physician and oncologist. The professionals at IMNY happily coordinate with your team of doctors to make sure IPT will work with your specific diagnosis.

Since its conception, insulin potentiation therapy has been a valid alternative cancer treatment for many patients and has been reported to work well with many types of cancers. In fact, some physicians have reported how IPT helps patients with very challenging cancers. Patients should know, however, that each individual is different and responds to IPT in different ways. If you have been diagnosed with cancer, Dr. Stoff can formulate individualized protocols based off of the unique genetics of your cancer, combining insulin potentiation therapy and various other immunotherapies to both target your cancer and support your immune system.

IPT is administered intravenously, similarly to conventional chemotherapy. Patients begin the process by relaxing in a comfortable reclining chair; the treatment itself may take between 60 – 90 minutes. Once the insulin is given, chemotherapy drugs are administered in small doses. While the doses are specific to each patient, Dr. Stoff will thoroughly explain your individualized protocol and treatment plan.

During insulin potentiation therapy for cancer, some patients experience nausea for several hours. Patients may also notice a small drop in platelets, white blood cells, and red blood cells. The number of treatments you require depends on your personal health and how well you respond to IPT. If you have any questions or concerns about this process, we encourage you to get in touch with our office.

Chelation is the process of removing toxic or undesirable Ionic metallic materials from the body which are strongly attached to specific tissues (like nervous or connective tissues) and are creating severe dysfunction, blockages and damage. The world chelation is derived from the Greek word “chele” that means “claw”. To remove ionic toxic metals from our tissue we need extremely strong chelators which bond to the metals and successfully push them out from the body. Like any other toxins the toxic metals have to be transported quickly through our lymphatic and circulatory system and finally through the organs of elimination: the liver, colon , kidneys, and skin out with our excretes. Chelation therapy is widely used for the treatment of cardiovascular conditions using EDTA to remove calcium and other ions of external layers of plaque lining the artery walls thus improving the blood flow, preventing artery spasm, minimizing symptoms of cardiovascular disease like angina pain etc.

This, however, is considered an “off-label” use for EDTA. The research indicates that EDTA chelation arrests free radical proliferation, improving the body’s healing ability.Heavy metal toxicity is affecting our health more than ever and our defense mechanisms are severely compromised by the metals effects in our body. Diseases of many different organs and systems can be linked to heavy metal toxicity including autism, fibromyalgia, Parkinsonism, multiple sclerosis, Lou Gehrig’s Disease (ALS) and Alzheimer’s Disease. Because of the heavy metals’ action on autonomic nervous and immune systems they contribute to diseases of the GI system, cardiovascular and pulmonary conditions, skin disorders, autoimmune diseases, and many more.The success of chelation therapy depends on the proper selection of a chelator, its route of administration, the correct dosage and frequency of treatment, as well as supportive therapies for the organs of elimination, lymphatic and circulatory systems, as well as the immune and autonomic nervous system.

Intravenous therapy consisting of various mixes of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that are given slowly, directly into a vein, through a small needle. It can be very useful in situations where oral nutrients or other therapies are not working or are working to slowly. When nutrients are given intravenously, your digestive system is bypassed and a much higher level of nutrition can be delivered directly to your cells via the bloodstream.

The nutrients then kick-start your system on a cellular level. This type of therapy would be especially appropriate for anyone who has digestive problems, including bloating, diarrhea, food allergies, irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease, or other GI problems or anyone with an acute condition that we want to resolve quickly. For example, one IV solution that we use is called a Myer’s cocktail, named after Dr. John Myer.

He was a pioneering physician and was the first physician to extensively use intravenous nutrient therapy to obtain positive clinical results for a variety of medical conditions. The general effect of a Myers Cocktail intravenous therapy appears to be a marked improvement in the energy capacity and function of cells. If your cells can function at their best, it’s more likely you can recover faster. People respond differently to intravenous nutrient therapy. Some may only need an occasional Myers’ Cocktail, while others may need one monthly or even weekly in order to keep their healing momentum going forward. Once you’ve tried one or two you’ll feel when your body needs another. The Myers Cocktail IV therapy may be helpful for many chronic or acute conditions, including fatigue, fibromyalgia, depression, infection, asthma, palpitations, migraine headaches, cardiovascular disease, respiratory problems, seasonal allergies, hives, hyperthyroidism, and acute muscle spasms, to name a few. A Myers’ Cocktail can even help athletes recover faster from an illness so they can participate in an event. 

At INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE OF NY, we believe that good nutrition is essential in developing and maintaining your physical, emotional, and psychological well-being. As a result, we have a certified nutritional consultant on staff, who will meet with you to discuss your personal food and nutrition program to help ensure optimal nutritional status. Optimal nutrition ensures an adequate supply of nutrients as well as the elimination of wastes from the body on a cellular level, including repairing and normalizing the functions of our digestive system. The first issue addressed is that of an absolute nutritional deficiency. Sooner or later our defenses and systems will fail if our diet is missing some key ingredient. Fortunately, with the wide range of food choices available to us in our society, an absolute deficiency is rarely a problem. The second issue is much more common, and that is of a relative deficiency.

A relative deficiency can occur for many reasons. These may include rapid utilization of a nutrient faster than it is being consumed and absorbed, inflammation, infection or other damage to the digestive tract so that we’re not absorbing the nutrients needed, or a deficiency of enzymes or hydrochloric acid that is preventing us from extracting and further processing the nutrients. Avoiding foods that are detrimental to our healing is also of critical importance, and these can vary widely from one person to another. The old adage that one man’s meat is another man’s poison is often all too true. In any case, an intact biochemistry is the foundation of an intact immune system, and optimal nutrition is the key to proper activity of our biochemical reactions.

Based upon your personal circumstances and goals – overall health and wellness, weight loss, or specific conditions – we may recommend one of several therapeutic diet strategies. Some of them are as follows:

The Specific Carbohydrate Diet has proven to be highly successful for many who suffer from various bowel disorders as well as the many related problems which actually stem from imbalances in the intestinal tract. It is a diet intended mainly for Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, celiac disease, irritable bowel syndrome, diverticulitis, cystic fibrosis, and chronic diarrhea.

One basic principle of the SCD™ diet must be firmly established and persistently repeated: no food should be ingested that contains carbohydrates other than those found in fruits, honey, properly prepared yogurt, and those vegetables and nuts listed. While this principle may be clearly understood, it is sometimes difficult in practice to recognize the existence of carbohydrates in various foods. Small quantities of carbohydrates other than those designated often creep into the diet unless the strictest attention is paid to every item of food. We will help you understand which foods are ok to eat — or not — and further help support the healing process with the appropriate enzymes, probiotics, and proteins to help your immune system overcome inflammation and harmful bacteria in your digestive tract.

There has been extensive scientific research over the past 30 years that shows that your individual blood type may affect your predisposition toward getting certain diseases, such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, lupus, muscular sclerosis, allergies, etc. Blood type also effects what type of biochemistry our digestive systems are made of. “Your blood type is a powerful genetic fingerprint that identifies you as surely as your DNA”. 

We use the blood type diet with patients that have a severe primary immune based illness like Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and other autoimmune disorders. According to research behind the Eat Right for Your Type diet, substances in our foods called lectins are absorbed into our blood stream and can abnormally react or agglutinate with proteins that belie our blood type. Thus, by avoiding these foods — and it’s a different list for each blood type — you will reduce the level of inflammation in your blood and allow the body to heal faster. We couple this with anti-inflammatory supplements and special proteins that further reduce the level of inflammation to help speed up your recovery.

The diet itself seems simple. You can eat all the protein you want and lots of green vegetables and salads. What could be so hard? You may know the answer to that question already. It’s not hard — it seems impossible! Partly because of what you can’t eat, but mostly because you can’t slip up once! Not even one little bit! The idea behind the candida diet is to literally starve the yeast organisms living in your body. Starve them to death! We will help you strategize your diet and menu so that it is compatible with your lifestyle, and we will further help the process with the appropriate probiotics and immune support.

Diet does not cause autism. However, it has been shown that allergies, including food allergies, will exacerbate autistic symptoms. Furthermore, some people with autism spectrum disorders cannot properly digest gluten and casein, which form abnormal peptides, or substances that act like opiates in their bodies. The peptides then alter the person’s behavior, perceptions, and responses to his environment. Some scientists now believe that these peptides trigger an unusual immune system response in certain people. Research in the U.S. and Europe has found these abnormal peptides in the urine of a significant number of children with autism.

There are many different sulfotransferase enzymes in the body that need an adequate supply of sulfates to attach to other molecules. One very important sulfotransferase enzyme is the one that attaches sulfate to phenol compounds, called phenol-sulfotransferase (PST). Research has shown that many autistic people have an abnormality of this enzyme. Without the PST enzyme working properly, the liver will have trouble eliminating the phenols in food which will then act as a sort of neuro-toxin which will affect behavior. Phenols are present in food dyes, in highly colored fruits and vegetables, in bioflavonoids, and in cartenoids (carotene, lutein, lycopene, xanthophylls, and zeaxanthin). Eliminating the yeast overgrowth may also reduce the burden of phenolics on the body. Yeasts and fungi in the intestines can produce phenolics. Phenolic compounds are also found in many foods that contain salicylates. Phytoestrogens are also phenolics. Therefore, eliminating the yeast, and avoiding the phenols, salicylates and phytoestrogens in food may reduce the strain on the PST enzyme and thus reduce the level of toxins in the blood stream. We will help you with the diet and menus as well as specific supportive enzymes and supplements to make it as easy as possible for you to follow.