November 23, 2023
In the wake of my father’s recent cancer diagnosis, my focus has sharpened on the critical realm of early cancer detection.
This unexpected event injected a surge of urgency into my unyielding quest for preventive wellness, leading me back to the brilliant Dr. Ahvie Herskowitz.
Embark on a journey into preventive health as I reunite with Dr. Ahvie, the founder of Anatara Medicine, one of the most comprehensive IV treatment centers in Northern California. The multidisciplinary integrative center in San Francisco treats some of the most difficult chronic health conditions using a unique integrative approach and a host of modern medical technologies and tools.
Dr. Ahvie is a former Clinical Professor of Medicine at UC San Francisco (UCSF) and the personal physician to some of the Bay Area's top biohackers, celebrities, actors, and longevity enthusiasts, along with a wide range of patients looking for eradication of issues like mold, spike protein, fungus, viral particles, and much more. His training includes a medical degree from The Albert Einstein College of Medicine and a Chief Residency in Anatomic Pathology and Internal Medicine, followed by fellowship training in cardiology at The Johns Hopkins Medical Center.
During his 12 years at Johns Hopkins, Dr. Ahvie was co-appointed in the Departments of Medicine and Molecular Immunology and Microbiology. His clinical responsibilities were complemented by directing a multidisciplinary NIH-sponsored research team in the study of molecular immunological and genomic mechanisms of inflammation and cell injury, autoimmunity, transplantation, congestive heart failure, and myocarditis.
You may remember our deep dives into blood oxygenation, ozonation, and stem cell myths on the episode “10-Pass Ozone, Peptides, Blood Irradiation, Constitutional Assessments & Much More!” and the two-part episode that you can listen to here: “East Meets West Medicine Part 1: Blood Oxygenation & Ozonation, Early Cancer Detection, Mold Eradication & Much More With Dr. Ahvie Herskowitz of Anatara Medicine” and here: “East Meets West Medicine Part 2: Stem Cell Myths, Hydrodissection, Vagus Nerve Stimulation Devices, & Much More With Dr. Ahvie Herskowitz.”
Today, Dr. Ahvie is back to impart his wealth of knowledge on colon cancer, spanning early detection methods, cancer screening, preventive remedies, and the vital role lifestyle and diet play in managing and preventing this condition. This episode promises a thought-provoking journey into the intricacies of colon health and its profound implications for overall well-being.
During our discussion, you'll discover:
-Why there has been an increase in cancer incidence lately…7:50
- Not necessarily due to better detection methods
- Data suggests there are more occurrences of specific types of cancers in young people in 2022
- Cancer used to be a disease of the elderly with a spectacular rise after the age of 75
- The most disproportionately affected age group today is 30–49
- Often diagnosed at a late stage
- Has been developing for a while
- Progressing at an accelerated rate
- Spectacularly aggressive mutation
- Often diagnosed at a late stage
- The most common cancers are breast, lung, and colon
- Lung cancer is the most common of the three
- All three are happening in younger people
- Not linked to an increase in testing
- Fewer incidences of cancer in the first part of the pandemic
- People were not getting checkups and screening tests
- In 2022, cancer rates returned to pre-pandemic levels
- Increase in cases is not solely related to changes in healthcare-seeking behavior
- The impact of COVID-19 and vaccinations
- Stress and emotional processing in relation to immune system function
-Dr. Ahvie's hypothesis on why there is an increased incidence of cancer…14:44
- Podcast with Jonathan Otto:
- Higher rates of cancer in the developed world than in the underdeveloped world
- Could be an issue of reporting
- Undeveloped countries that do report well still have lower incidence of cancer
- The United States ranks in the top 10–15 of all nations with cancer rates
- Australia ranks in the top 10
- Could be due to toxin exposure or more alcohol consumption
- Multiple lifestyle and environmental factors
- Environmental toxins
- Food toxins
- Oncogenes
- Viruses
- Australia ranks in the top 10
- Lung cancer is the number one cancer worldwide, even in places that don't have rates of smoking
- Air pollution
- Increase in vaping
- Polyethylene glycol
- Exposure to environmental and food toxins, oncogenes, and viruses
- Cancers are affected by the inflammasome
- Inflammatory cascade is much more pro-inflammatory today than it was 20–50 years ago
- Inflammasome is made up of signaling molecules and cytokines
- There are about 300 of them
- Play a role in inflammation and repair
- Can be assessed using markers like C-reactive protein
- Inflammation can be measured and influences the body's well-being
- Feeling unwell after consuming junk food and alcohol
- There is a correlation between elevated inflammatory markers and increased cancer risk
- C-reactive protein measurement should be less than one in everybody
- Might be elevated after a workout
- Should return to baseline by the next morning
- One cannot exist only on antioxidants
-Is there a specific type of inflammation that might lead to an increased cancer risk?…23:07
- Inflammation and repair go hand in hand, with tremendous overlap
- Muscle repair induces the same cytokine response as chronic inflammation
- Excessive or unmodulated pro-inflammatory state can be harmful
- Modulatory pathways are not working
- The vitamin D (actually a hormone, not a vitamin) pathway helps regulate
- Modulates the immune system back to center
- There are better treatments but death rates remain the same
- Modeling shows that the number of instances will continue to go up by 60% to 70% by 2040
-What early detection methods are out there, and how do they work?…25:00
- Ben's dad's recent cancer diagnosis
- Caused Ben to encourage his siblings to do testing on themselves as soon as possible
- Get educated on treatment options
- Lynch Syndrome, a genomic alteration related to DNA repair genes that increases the risk of colon cancer
- There is a need for more aggressive colonoscopy screening in individuals with Lynch Syndrome due to their higher risk
- Caused Ben to encourage his siblings to do testing on themselves as soon as possible
- PET scans and MRIs are valuable tools
- Have limitations in detecting very early stages of cancer
- Not cost-effective and readily available
- A combination of different approaches, including genomic, blood-based, and inflammatory markers give a more comprehensive assessment
- Dr. Ahvie's clinic, Anatara Medicine has a different approach
- Morning void urine samples in combination with specific blood tests
- This combined approach helps identify biomarkers associated with cancer in the early stages
- Early-stage cancers are detected in approximately 5–10% of the individuals they screen
- Early detection is key
- Dr. Ahvie recommends regular basic blood tests such as:
- Complete blood counts (CBC)
- Comprehensive metabolic panels
- Inflammatory markers like C-reactive protein (CRP)
- Anatara Medicine has an in-depth approach that tests hundreds of markers
- A personalized approach to patient care
- Morning void urine samples in combination with specific blood tests
- Colon cancer isn't easy to detect in the early stages
- Regular colonoscopies
- Detect precancerous lesions (polyps) that blood tests can't detect
- Stool Guaiac Test to detect microscopic blood in the stool
- Cologuard test, a stool-based DNA test for colon cancer
- A good positive predictive value
- Good option for those who want to avoid frequent colonoscopies
- Regular colonoscopies
- Blood-based DNA test is capable of detecting multiple cancer types
- Varying accuracy depending on the cancer stage
- A method for early cancer detection when the tumor isn't visible
- Varying accuracy depending on the cancer stage
- Galleri Test for early detection of all cancers
- Great if you have a positive predictive value — 99 times out of a hundred, you have cancer
- Poor for early stage detection:
- Stage 1 — 40 %
- Stage 2 — 60 %
- Stage 3 — 80 %
- Stage 4 — 95 %
- RGCC Test (Circulating Tumor Cell test) — liquid biopsy
-The testing that Ben underwent at Anatara Medicine…43:19
- Cancer prevention data
- The single most important marker for cancer screening is urine pH
- Reflects DNA repair and the production of reparative proteins in the body
- Most people tend to have acidic urine with a pH around 5 or 5.5
- Pro-cancer environment
- Warburg hypothesis suggests that cancer cells thrive in a hypoxic and acidic environment
- Maintaining an early morning pH between 6.5 and 7.5 is associated with longer life
- Basic markers for longevity and cancer prevention
- Urine pH
- Vitamin D
- Hemoglobin A1C
- Glucose
- Simple tests that allow for stackable data
- Creates a comprehensive assessment
- Ben tested high CD57 count
- Strong immune system
-How more complex markers like the effects of pollution, chemicals, and toxins impact the body's biome and natural immune system…50:04
- Cumulative impact of pollution and toxins
- Suppress the body's surveillance system
- Mold, viruses, and parasites could also contribute to this effect
- Toxic mold and a higher viral load are found in many individuals
- Measurement of natural killer cells (CD57)
- Key components of the immune system
- A CD57 count below 100 may indicate immune system suppression
- Thymosin Alpha 1 peptide can boost CD57 (use code BEN to save 15%)
- Stimulates the thymus gland
- Colostrum plays a role in training the thymus gland
- Thymosin Alpha 1 peptide can boost CD57 (use code BEN to save 15%)
- 90% to 95% of cancer patients have very low CD57 counts
- All cured patients have raised CD57 counts
- Excessive infrequent illnesses might indicate an overly suppressed innate immune system
- Factors that can suppress natural killer cell activity
- Mold exposure
- Oral infections
- Root canals
- Sinus infections
- Heavy metal toxicity
- Gastrointestinal problems like small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) and dysbiosis
- Regular bowel movements are essential for optimal health
- Pooping once every two days is unacceptable
- Twice a day is normal
- The Metabolic Approach to Cancer by Dr. Nasha Winters and Jess Higgins Kelley
- The Cancer Revolution by Leigh Erin Connealy
- Podcast with Ian Clark:
-How Dr. Ahvie treats cancer patients…58:09
- Replenishing depleted nutrients like magnesium (use code BEN10 to save)
- More vitamin D
- Reducing carb load
- Detoxifying the body
- For advanced stages, more aggressive approaches include:
- Intravenous chelation
- IV treatments
- Detoxify the body and replenish nutrients
- In stage four cancer, patients have limited time
- Integrates the German biological medicine approach at the Anatara Medicine
- Laser frequencies can induce heat shock proteins
- Promoting more oxygen in cells
- Swiss Mountain Clinic podcast with Robyn Openshaw:
- ACAM (American College for Advancement in Medicine)
- Chelation therapy maybe once a week
- Ferritin is another marker, a very bad marker to have when you have cancer
- Red meat has been shown to be predisposing to cancer
- The Root Cause Protocol by Morley Robbins and its effect on copper and mineral balance
- The importance of maintaining a balanced nervous system
- HRV and stress management play a crucial role in overall health
- Recommends using heart rate variability as a measure of stress and parasympathetic nervous system balance
- Dr. Shawn Tierney
- At-home vagal nerve stimulators
- Anatara Medicine
-And much more…
Upcoming Events:
- Elements of Vitality: December 8, 2023
Return to the Elements of Vitality: This will be the second time my good friend Dr. John Lieurance, and I collaborate to bring you the most effective and cutting-edge health and wellness advice, protocols, and some of our favorite tools. If you’re into health and wellness and want to stay on top of all the cutting-edge, latest, and greatest innovations and protocols, you don’t want to miss this event. Learn more here and use code GREENFIELD for 5% off at checkout.
- Keep up on Ben's LIVE appearances by following bengreenfieldfitness.com/calendar!
Click here for the full written transcript of this podcast episode.
Resources from this episode:
- Anatara Medicine
- Chelation Therapy
- East Meets West Medicine Part 1: Blood Oxygenation & Ozonation, Early Cancer Detection, Mold Eradication & Much More With Dr. Ahvie Herskowitz of Anatara Medicine
- East Meets West Medicine Part 2: Stem Cell Myths, Hydrodissection, Vagus Nerve Stimulation Devices, & Much More With Dr. Ahvie Herskowitz
- 10-Pass Ozone, Peptides, Blood Irradiation, Constitutional Assessments & Much More!
– Podcasts:
- Alternative Cancer Remedies You’ve Never Heard Of, The Shocking Truth About Animal Venom, Urine Therapy, Nicotine For Viruses & More With Jonathan Otto.
- The Mold-Cancer Link, Resetting Your Nervous System, Dry Fasting, Nanonutrients & More With Ian Clark.
- Fringe Medicine, Blood Ozone, Water Fasting, Hyperthermia & More: What Does Europe Know About Medicine & Cancer That Americans Don’t?
– Books:
- Anticancer Living by Lorenzo Cohen and Alison Jefferies
- The Invisible Rainbow: A History of Electricity and Life by Arthur Firstenberg
- The Metabolic Approach to Cancer by Dr. Nasha Winters and Jess Higgins Kelley
- The Cancer Revolution by Leigh Erin Connealy
– Other Resources:
- Thymosin Alpha 1
- Kion Colostrum
- Magnesium (use code BEN10 to save)
- Vitamin D
- Pulsetto
- Truvaga
- ACAM (American College for Advancement in Medicine)
- Stool Guaiac Test
- Cologuard Test
- Galleri Test
- RGCC Test (Circulating Tumor Cell)
- Dr. Shawn Tierney
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Do you have questions, thoughts, or feedback for Dr. Ahvie Herskowitz or me? Leave your comments below and one of us will reply!
