Taking on Cancer
from a Different Perspective
By Dr. Luis C. Valencia,
Medical Associate, Aegle Wellness Center
Cancer was the unmentionable disease. I can still remember my mentors sternly warning us to refrain from saying it in front of our patients during teaching rounds because of the huge psychological impact this disease had both on the patients and their respective families. Back then, it seemed like an unpardonable death sentence. Today, however, cancer is being addressed by cell biologists, geneticists, and even clinical nutritionists in the hope of finding a cure to this dreaded disease. Science and medicine are making some headway in this battle.
Cancer cells literally “refuse to die.” While normal cells undergo regular renewal, cancer cells become parasitic to the human body through relentless cell production with minimal reduction in their number. Cancer starves the patient by diverting important nutrients to support the network of the malignancy, usually rendering patients severely undernourished and weak, or by becoming bulky tumors which “suck the daylight” out of the surrounding cells just by nutrient competition.
How does cancer start?
Cancer is a multifactorial disease. As such, we cannot pinpoint one particular factor that triggers cancerous growth, so let’s simplify them into three: genetic risk factors, exposure to viruses, and environmental risks. Certain types of cancers may arise from genetic risk factors such as colon cancer, which is highly familial, meaning that certain families are prone to develop it due to the presence of a cancer-expressing gene passed on through the offspring. Other cancers can be triggered through exposure to certain viruses. The human papilloma virus (HPV) is one example. It has been proven that exposure to this virus is the main risk factor to the development of cervical cancer of the uterus. Another is liver cancer which is caused by a chronic infection of the hepatitis-B virus. Lastly, and perhaps the most important one implicated in cancer development, is the environment. This includes exposure to air pollutants, chronic cigarette smoking, soil pollutants especially toxic heavy metals, certain herbicides or insecticides used in farms, contaminated water, and even ingestion of livestock fed with synthetic hormones and growth factors, which can predispose individuals to be at risk of developing cancer. With this in mind, we are all potentially at risk for cancer development.
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How can Aegle help you?
As with many illnesses, prevention is definitely better than cure. At Aegle Wellness Center, we advocate for proper nutrition centered more on organically grown vegetables and fruits, freshly culled meats versus processed ones, and avoidance of nutrient-deficient food items (such as processed snacks, instant and fast food, and sodas), which contributes to enhancing a person’s overall health and thus assists in cancer prevention. Exercise enhances the performance of the human body’s immune system, as does the regular intake of antioxidant supplementation.
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For individuals who have a strong family history for certain cancers, Aegle Wellness Center offers genomic testing which not only identifies a person’s risk factors for cancers, but also determines that individual’s risk for the development of other illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes mellitus, and dementia. You are provided with recommendations from in-house experts for proper nutrition, exercise, and supplementation, all of which are aimed at reducing, if not totally eliminating, not just your risk of developing cancer but also preventing other chronic illnesses that you may face throughout your lifetime.
Aegle Wellness Center also can qualitatively measure the levels of one’s heavy metals. High levels of these metals, especially cadmium (commonly found in breads, cereals, potatoes, root crops, and vegetables) are highly inflammatory to the body, and put one at risk for malignancies. Undergoing a series of toxic metal detox intravenous therapies helps your body rid itself of these toxins.
For cancers caused by viruses such as HPV and hepatitis-B, a simple schedule of vaccination is considered preventive.
We also provide other types of intravenous therapy and hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) to assist cancer patients, especially if they are undergoing chemotherapy. As mentioned earlier, cancer patients are usually poorly nourished, which sometimes causes anorexia. If they have already undergone chemotherapy or irradiation, their gastrointestinal tract may be so sick that proper absorption of nutrients is compromised. Providing high levels of antioxidants and micronutrients through intravenous supplementation directly into the bloodstream enables their body to recover from the onslaught of both the disease and the unwanted side effects of anti-cancer treatments.
HBOT assists the immune system by fortifying the different immune cells involved in fighting cancer cells. Regularly exposing the body to HBOT thus enhances the capability of the immune system to do its work against the malignant cells.
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While cancer may remain an enigmatic disease, Aegle’s holistic and integrated approach to fighting it addresses both
preventive and mitigative aspects. And as advances in medical technology are made from the continuous research, cancer will be managed in a way that is more favourable for the patient.
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Dr. Valencia is an endocrinologist specializing in diabetes and metabolic syndrome. His dissatisfaction with conventional medicine treatment of preventable diseases motivated him to develop innovative protocols that involve employing lifestyle modifications hinged on nutritional support, exercise instruction, and customized supplementation. He also utilizes the latest monitoring technology not only to inspire his patients to adhere to their programs, but also to be on top of their laboratory parameters and functional markers even when they are at home.