My protocol explained
Why Did My Protocol Work?
This is a long post, but I’ll try to keep it readable without sacrificing accuracy.
My protocol was inspired in part by Jane McLelland’s book How to Starve Cancer. The core idea is straightforward: cancer survives by exploiting multiple metabolic and signaling pathways, and if enough of those pathways are blocked simultaneously, cancer loses the ability to adapt.
This protocol documents the off-label drugs and supplements that one of us used to overcome a supposedly incurable stage-4 cancer. What matters is not any single agent, but coverage across pathways.
Cancer is metabolically flexible. This protocol was designed to remove that flexibility.
1. Food
Cancer, like our normal cells, needs food to grow. It is flexible in the type of food it can use.
1. Glucose Metabolism (15 Pathways)
Cancer cells consume glucose at a far higher rate than normal cells. This is the most obvious metabolic vulnerability.
The strategy was threefold:
Reduce circulating glucose (low-glycemic or ketogenic diet)
Compete for glucose via exercise (muscle uptake)
Block intracellular glucose use through multiple pathways
Targeted pathways and agents:
JAK2 → Curcumin, Resveratrol
STAT‑3 → Curcumin, Apigenin, Resveratrol
NF‑κB → Curcumin, EGCG, Resveratrol, Quercetin, Apigenin, Luteolin
G6PDH → EGCG
LDH → Quercetin
PDH → Lipoic acid
HK2 → Metformin, Berberine, Resveratrol
OXPHOS → Metformin, Berberine, Doxycycline
Lactate → Simvastatin
GLUT‑1 → Quercetin, EGCG, Resveratrol
GLUT‑3 → Quercetin
GLUT‑5 → Quercetin
Why this matters:
Cancer can bypass one blocked glucose pathway. It cannot bypass fifteen at once.
2. Glutamine & Amino Acid Metabolism (10 Pathways)
When glucose is restricted, many cancers switch to glutamine as a primary fuel.
Dietary glutamine restriction is not feasible or safe. The solution is pathway inhibition, not dietary elimination.
Targeted pathways and agents:
IGF‑2 → Metformin
xCT (SLC7A11) → Sulforaphane
NMDA → Magnesium
mTOR → Metformin, Berberine, Curcumin, EGCG, Resveratrol, Fisetin
Macropinocytosis / Autophagy → Ivermectin, Doxycycline, Metformin
Nucleoside Salvage → Mebendazole
Why this matters:
This closed cancer’s primary fallback fuel system.
3. Fatty Acid Metabolism (9 Pathways)
Fat metabolism supports:
Membrane construction
Hormone signaling
Energy under stress
Cancer exploits all three.
Targeted pathways and agents:
IGF‑2 → Metformin
xCT (SLC7A11) → Sulforaphane
NMDA → Magnesium
mTOR → Metformin, Berberine, Curcumin, EGCG, Resveratrol, Fisetin
Macropinocytosis / Autophagy → Ivermectin, Doxycycline, Metformin
Nucleoside Salvage → Mebendazole
Why this matters:
Cancer could not switch from glucose to fat as a survival strategy.
2. Coordination and Growth
1. Cell Signaling (13 Pathways)
Normal cells use signaling pathways to regulate growth, metabolism, and survival.
Cancer hijacks these pathways, leaving them permanently “on.”
Targeted pathways and agents:
TLR‑4 → Curcumin, Quercetin, Sulforaphane
TLR‑5 → Curcumin
IL‑1 → Curcumin, Omega‑3, EGCG, Doxycycline
IL‑6 → Curcumin, EGCG, Resveratrol, Omega‑3, Aspirin
Hedgehog Signaling → Metformin, Curcumin, Resveratrol
Wnt Signaling → Curcumin, EGCG, Quercetin, Sulforaphane, Apigenin
Notch Signaling → Curcumin, EGCG, Resveratrol, Sulforaphane
Estrogen Receptor → Resveratrol, Apigenin, Luteolin
Progesterone Receptor → Curcumin, Resveratrol
Why this matters:
Cancer wasn’t just starved—it was cut off from self-reinforcing growth signals.
2. Growth Factors & Metastasis (9 Pathways)
Tumors require:
Blood vessels
Tissue remodeling
Migration pathways
Targeted pathways and agents:
VEGF → Curcumin, EGCG, Resveratrol, Quercetin, Apigenin, Luteolin, Berberine
FGF → Curcumin, EGCG, Sulforaphane
MMP‑2 → EGCG, Curcumin, Quercetin, Doxycycline, Ellagic Acid
MMP‑9 → EGCG, Curcumin, Quercetin, Doxycycline, Luteolin, Ellagic Acid
3. Immune
1. Immune Evasion (18 Pathways)
Cancer survives by suppressing immune detection.
Targeted pathways and agents (abridged explanation):
HIF → Curcumin, EGCG, Quercetin, Resveratrol, Berberine, Metformin
NF‑κB → Curcumin, EGCG, Resveratrol, Quercetin, Apigenin, Luteolin, Omega‑3
IDO1 → Resveratrol, CBD
TDO2 → (Curcumin, Reservatrol
Lactate (Immunosuppression) → Simvastatin, Metformin
Fibrin Deposition → Nattokinase, Bromelain
Arginase‑1 → Curcumin, Resveratrol
iNOS → Curcumin, EGCG, Resveratrol, Quercetin
COX‑2 → Aspirin, Curcumin, EGCG, Resveratrol, Apigenin, Luteolin, Omega‑3
MMP‑2 & MMP‑9 (immune context) → EGCG, Curcumin, Quercetin, Doxycycline, Ellagic Acid
IL‑10 → Probiotics
IL‑13 → Curcumin
Dendritic Cell Dysfunction → Probiotics, Vitamin D3, Curcumin, Cordyceps
T‑Helper Cell Suppression → Vitamin D3, Probiotics, Cordyceps, DHEA
Natural Killer Cell Inhibition → Vitamin D3, Cordyceps, Melatonin, DHEA
Why this matters:
Cancer became immunologically visible again.
2. Apoptosis Resistance (5 Pathways)
Cancer disables programmed cell death.
Targeted pathways and agents:
FAS Receptor Blockade → Curcumin, Resveratrol, EGCG
Survivin → Curcumin, EGCG, Quercetin, Resveratrol, Berberine
Bcl‑2 Family Inhibitors → Curcumin, EGCG, Quercetin, Resveratrol, Fisetin, Apigenin
Why This Worked (Summary)
~94% pathway coverage across 79 targets
Multiple agents per pathway
High redundancy against adaptation
Combination pressure across metabolism, signaling, immunity, and survival
Cancer relies on options. This protocol systematically removed them.
Gaps
Creating this explanation revealed a gap that was missed when the protocol was created.
Caffeine is not listed in the protocol, but it was consumed every day, so it was present, just not acknowledged.
TDO1 is not addressed at all, as there is no option to block it directly. Instead, the closest we can come is to reduce kynurenine production via IDO1 → Quercetin, luteolin, curcumin
Sources
[1] Targeting STAT3 signaling pathway by curcumin and its analogues ... https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11680487/
[2] Curcumin effectively inhibits oncogenic NF-kB signaling and ... - NIH https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4543531/
[3] The roles of epigallocatechin gallate in the tumor microenvironment ... https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10859531/
[4] Suppressing glucose metabolism with epigallocatechin-3-gallate ... https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30310905/
[5] Quercetin, Epigallocatechin Gallate, Curcumin, and Resveratrol - PMC https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6983040/
[6] Curcumin and Resveratrol as Dual Modulators of the STAT3 ... https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12376182/
[7] The effect of resveratrol, curcumin and quercetin combination ... - NIH https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10432483/
[8] Fisetin Deters Cell Proliferation, Induces Apoptosis, Alleviates ... - NIH https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8835995/
[9] Sulforaphane: An emergent anti-cancer stem cell agent - PMC - NIH https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9909961/
[10] ZNF217-activated Notch signaling mediates sulforaphane ... - PubMed https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38134973/
[11] Targeting Glucose Transporter 1 (GLUT1) in Cancer - PubMed Central https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12481445/
[12] Aberrant GLUT1 Expression Is Associated With Carcinogenesis and ... https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7880799/
[13] Repurposing approved non-oncology drugs for cancer therapy - PMC https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10500791/
[14] Drug Repurposing for Cancer Treatment: A Comprehensive Review https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11595001/
[15] A New Method for Ethical and Efficient Evidence Generation for Off ... https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6610246/
[16] Drug Repurposing in Cancer - Life Extension https://www.lifeextension.com/protocols/cancer/repurposing-common-drugs-as-adjuvant-cancer-therapies
[17] Mebendazole as a Candidate for Drug Repurposing in Oncology https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6769799/
[18] Targeting the Mitochondrial-Stem Cell Connection in Cancer ... https://isom.ca/article/targeting-the-mitochondrial-stem-cell-connection-in-cancer-treatment-a-hybrid-orthomolecular-protocol/
[19] Targeting metabolic pathways: why are we missing a trick in cancer ... https://www.oncology-central.com/targeting-metabolic-pathways-why-are-we-missing-a-trick-in-cancer-treatment/
[20] The Care Oncology Clinic, COC | CANCERactive https://www.canceractive.com/article/the-care%20oncology%20clinic%20coc
[21] Exploring the Oncology Potential of Mebendazole and Ivermectin https://www.pccarx.com/Blog/exploring-the-oncology-potential-of-mebendazole-and-ivermectin-what-compounding-pharmacists-should-know
[22] [PDF] Curcumin, EGCG, Resveratrol and Quercetin on Flying Carpets https://journal.waocp.org/article_89560_f1b7b2ebd250adb4a4d54c7946a57672.pdf,https:/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33906311,https:/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33906311/,https:/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8325144,http:/journal.waocp.org/article_29166_021017e1353ef06b3487fb2829fd3fe8.pdf
[23] ZNF217-activated Notch signaling mediates sulforaphane ... https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S095528632300284X
[24] Curcumin, EGCG, Quercetin, Resveratrol & More | Live Office Hours
I love this clarity. Thank you. It confirms everything. I appreciate the work you put into this.
Thank you so much for taking the time to write this, it’s really really helpful. I’ve been looking for an article like this for a long time.