02/05/2026
There is a growing conversation in medicine that we don’t talk about enough: the metabolic environment of the body and its relationship to chronic disease.
Cancer cells, like all cells, rely heavily on glucose and insulin signaling. This is not alternative medicine — it is basic cellular biology. Numerous metabolic studies have shown that chronically elevated blood sugar and insulin levels are associated with higher inflammation and poorer long-term health outcomes. That is one reason why many clinicians explore lower-sugar, lower-refined-carbohydrate dietary patterns and structured fasting protocols as part of a broader wellness strategy — always individualized and always in partnership with a treating physician.
Nutrition quality matters. Diets dominated by ultra-processed foods and heavily processed meats are consistently linked in population research with increased inflammation and digestive stress. Supporting gut and metabolic health with whole foods, fiber, hydration, and sleep is foundational medicine, not fringe.
There is also a growing body of laboratory and pre-clinical research examining whether certain existing medications might have additional biological effects beyond their original purpose. One example is ivermectin, which has been investigated in cell and animal models for potential anti-proliferative mechanisms in colorectal and other cancer cell lines. These findings are investigational and not established human cancer treatments, but they are being studied in academic literature and remain an area of scientific curiosity. PubMed contains multiple pre-clinical papers exploring these pathways.
The important distinction is this: research interest does not equal standard of care.
However, curiosity and ongoing investigation are how medicine evolves.
My role as a physician is not to replace oncology or conventional care. It is to encourage conversations about metabolic health, nutrition quality, inflammation reduction, and informed scientific awareness so patients can advocate for themselves and ask better questions with their healthcare teams.
Prevention, early screening, and collaboration with qualified medical professionals remain the strongest tools we have. But we should also stay intellectually open to emerging research while maintaining clinical responsibility.
Research shows many adults in their 20s, 30s and 40s are being diagnosed with colorectal cancer, with incidence increasing over the last three decades.
