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Naturopathic Oncology

William D Nelson, NMD -  - Physical Medicine

Explore Health

William D Nelson, NMD

Physical Medicine & Addiction Medicine located in North Scottsdale, AZ & Flagstaff, AZ

For years, Dr. Nelson worked at the premier Naturopathic cancer clinic in the world where he successfully helped hundreds of patients become cancer free.  During this time at this clinic, he became acutely aware that successful cancer treatment cannot be reduced to a simple treatment protocol or a “one size fits all” approach, even for two patients with the same type of cancer.  

Most cancer patients in the US follow the recommendations of their oncologist.  For most childhood leukemias, Hodgkin’s lymphoma and patients where the singular primary tumor can be surgically removed, they should follow this approach because it is usually successful.  For those with cancer that has spread, for those who cannot undergo surgery, questioning the doctor’s recommendations or even asking for the effectiveness of the recommended therapy will result in one of the following responses by most oncologists:

  • A well scripted and rehearsed description of the treatment that doesn’t mention the overall effectiveness of the treatment that sounds more like a sales pitch for a used car or a time share, than a truthful doctor-patient discussion.
  • An intimidating and often insulting exchange where the doctor is obviously frustrated and is curt with the patient, leaving them with many unanswered questions and confusion on what to do and how to proceed.

 

Dr. Nelson has helped many patients that have found themselves in this predicament by providing a patient centered approach to helping patients with an unfortunate cancer diagnosis.  Obviously, the goal of cancer treatments is to become cancer free, but the process of getting there requires creating a personalized treatment plan best suited for the individual patient and the many details regarding their specific situation:  

  • Type and location of cancer, with receptor status (if applicable)
  • Staging:  has the primary tumor spread to local or distant lymph nodes or another organ(s)?
  • Age and overall vitality of the patient prior to diagnosis.  Is the patient a non-smoker, are they diabetic, hypertensive, etc?
  • Has the patient had previous chemotherapy, radiation, or surgery or are they receiving current treatment?
  • Is this the original occurrence or a return of a previous cancer?
  • Diet:  vegan, vegetarian, omnivore, processed foods, junk foods, etc.  Are they willing to change their diet?
  • Do they want to use Naturopathic oncology alone or in conjunction with conventional oncology?
  • Are they taking other prescription medications for other illnesses?
  • What is the goal of the patient?  Become cancer free, improved quality of life for terminal diagnosis, reduce side effects of chemotherapy and radiation, provide naturopathic support for pre or post-surgery.
  • Pain control or dealing with side effects of illness or conventional treatment
  • Financial:  Many patient’s families are unable to pay for expensive conventional treatments and must declare bankruptcy.  Some alternative cancer therapies can also be very expensive.  
  • Alternative and cutting-edge treatments:  There are many underutilized treatments that have been successfully utilized for years and new treatments that show great promise.  Does the patient want to utilize these?
  • Are there existing “obstacles to cure” that are preventing the patient to respond to their conventional or alternative treatment?  Dr
    • Poor digestion and internal toxicity, poor liver and kidney detoxification, surgical scars, heavy metal toxicity, chronic untreated infection, undiagnosed dental problems or infections, pH imbalance, oxidative stress, psychological problems and extreme stress. 

 

As a practitioner, Dr. Nelson is knowledgeable on effective complementary therapies that can be combined with conventional cancer treatments to provide patients with their ideal care plan. Working with a Naturopathic consultant on behalf of the patient, Dr. Nelson can help coordinate cutting edge treatments that combine the best of conventional oncology and naturopathic supportive therapies. He will work with your oncologist or surgeon to formulate a uniquely integrated treatment approach. With all of the latest developments in treatment and cutting-edge technologies, it’s important to work with a doctor who knows about the latest advancements in cancer therapeutics, both conventional and alternative. Dr. Nelson can provide recommendations and help evaluate varied treatment options to guide patients in the direction that works best for them. 

It is important to acknowledge the balance of mind-body medicine, which identifies how emotions, stress, and trauma play a role in recovery. Dr. Nelson understands that unwanted thoughts and recurring negative emotions can impact how the body returns to health after a cancer diagnosis, and he encourages his patients to identify and pursue appropriate therapies to maintain their mental health.

In addition to dealing with the mental/emotional issues affecting your health and recovery Restoring health and preventing recurrence after a successful cancer surgery includes the restoration of gut and digestive microbiome, the elimination of toxins, reducing oxidative stress, mitigating the effects of GcMAF, and maintaining a stable pH balance. Optimizing blood sugar and insulin levels and other hormones also helps restore your health and vitality.  Identifying and correcting these factors is essential to regaining your vitality and preventing cancer relapse. 

Current offerings include: 

Prevention consulting and screening.  “Prevention is the best cure” –Dr. Nelson provides initial health assessments and yearly follow-ups to evaluate your individual genetic pre-disposition and provides practical steps you can start today to significantly lower your risks of developing cancer.  Dr. Nelson can provide expert advice about what to do if your genetic testing indicates an increased cancer risk, an abnormal (but not cancerous) pap, an elevated PSA, pre-cancerous colon polyps, fibrocystic breasts, etc.  Dr. Nelson also offer’s in-house full body ultrasound screening that includes an assessment of your liver, gall bladder, kidney, thyroid, prostate, uterus, ovaries, and provides cardiovascular screening for your carotid arteries and aorta.

Cancer consultation services.   After a patient is diagnosed with cancer, patients have many decisions to make.  Dr. Nelson has helped his patients make these decisions since 1996.  There are several different methods of determining a patient’s status, ranging from early detection screening, genetic testing, x-ray imaging, CT/PET/MRI scans, and many more.  Dr. Nelson will provide expert advice on which options to pursue and help you understand the often confusing complicated medical “jargon” in order to make sound decisions regarding your specific conditions. He can provide guidance on how to effectively combine naturopathic IVs, supplements, and detox plans with conventional chemotherapy and radiation.  He has also helped hundreds prepare for surgical procedures to remove the cancerous tumors and to improve recovery.  Dr. Nelson has partnered with an oncology nurse to provide IV nutritional therapy in their facility or in your home.

Detoxification:  Dr. Nelson is an expert in detoxification.  This is essential to any cancer treatment plan.  Each plan is individualized, but your plan will provide support for improving your digestion and decreasing internally created toxins, improving liver function, identifying and eliminating obstacles to cure, and improving the overall “soil of the body” to make it difficult for cancer to grow or spread.

Physical medicine:  Dr. Nelson is an expert in reducing chronic back pain and painful joints such as knees, hips, shoulders, etc.  Keeping physically active is important to restoring health after recovering from cancer.  Ask us how we have helped thousands of patients return to their favorite sport or physical activity using our non-surgical approach to joint repair.

Mind/Body Medicine:  In Kelly A. Turner, PhD’s New York Times Bestseller book “Radical Remission, Surviving Cancer Against All Odd,” she shares 9 key factors that were observed in over a thousand cases of spontaneous healing of cancer.  A spontaneous healing occurs when someone becomes cancer free when they had previously failed to respond to conventional cancer treatments and were given a terminal cancer diagnosis.  Their radical return to health was both surprising and impossible to predict based on their medical prognosis.  Based on this information, Dr. Nelson has a system and approach that helps his patients incorporate these 9 key factors found in Dr. Turner’s research.  It is interesting to note that 7 of the 9 items exclusively have to do with mental, emotional, psychological and spiritual aspects of health rather than nutritional or biochemical treatment.