Listen "13. Shattering the myth forcing your oncologist to treat you with a dead-end protocol"
Episode Synopsis
In this episode, Dr. Lemanne and Dr. Gordon discuss why oncologists believe that cancers inevitably become resistant to any treatment, and the new research that is proving this wrong.On the surface, standard treatment choice for a particular cancer makes sense: 1. Choose the most powerful drug or drug combination possible, the one best at quickly shrinking the cancerous tumor.2. Repeatedly dose this drug/drug combination with as few interruptions as possible, and use the highest doses that the patient can tolerate.3. Stop only when the tumor becomes resistant to this treatment, that is, scans show growth, blood markers rise, or other signs of resumed cancer growth are detected.4. Then switch to a less effective regimen. 5. Repeat the above steps with new drugs until the patient dies. Yes, that is the expected end, and this is unpleasant end is acknowledged in the standard treatment protocols.But the problem is, this is the exact recipe that CAUSES treatment resistance in tumors, and makes them almost impossible to treat, much less cure.What if there was a relatively simple fix? Turns out, there is.This episode delves into a new paradigm in cancer treatment, a paradigm designed to prevent, or at least maximally delay the development of treatment resistance. Based on mathematical modeling of tumor growth dynamics, this field uses the principles of ecology and evolution to drive tumors to extinction, or to control them indefinitely with "adaptive therapy." Dr. Lemanne discusses the research behind these advances, and the hope it brings to patients faced with previously "incurable" cancer. Dawn Lemanne, MD Oregon Integrative OncologyLeave no stone unturned.Deborah Gordon, MDNorthwest Wellness and Memory CenterBuilding Healthy Brains