Functional Oncology Support
The Metabolic Approach to cancer — a revolutionary path to healing.
Rooted in the science of Warburg, Seyfried, Winters, and Kalamian. We work alongside your oncology team to support the metabolic terrain your body needs to heal — before, during, and after conventional treatment.
The Science
Cancer as a metabolic & mitochondrial disease.
The Metabolic Approach to Cancer is rooted in the groundbreaking research of Dr. Otto Warburg and further developed by experts like Dr. Thomas Seyfried and Dr. Nasha Winters. Warburg’s 1920s discovery revealed that cancer cells rely predominantly on fermentation — an inefficient form of energy production — rather than the oxidative phosphorylation used by healthy cells. This metabolic shift, the Warburg Effect, plays a central role in cancer growth, survival, and spread.
Dr. Seyfried’s work deepened our understanding of how metabolic dysfunction drives cancer, and his strategies target these energy imbalances directly. Dr. Winters expanded the lens to the terrain — the overall environment cancer cells live in — highlighting mitochondrial dysfunction, inflammation, and poor metabolic health as the soil cancer needs.
Together, this body of work points to an integrated approach: combine metabolic therapies with lifestyle medicine, optimize immune function, lower inflammation, and support the mitochondria — creating a therapeutic environment that can slow, stall, or reverse cancer growth.
Trained In This Work
Alicia Hickson, PA-C, has trained directly under Dr. Thomas Seyfried and Dr. Nasha Winters — two of the leading voices behind the metabolic theory of cancer. The clinical approach at Rayma Health is rooted in their teachings and applied in partnership with your oncology team: nutrition, mitochondrial support, glucose control, IV therapies, peptides, HBOT, and lifestyle medicine that surround and support your treatment plan.
Dr. Thomas Seyfried
The Press-Pulse therapeutic strategy.
Developed by Dr. Thomas Seyfried and Dr. Purna Mukherjee at Boston College, the Press-Pulse strategy borrows from evolutionary biology — species face extinction under sustained environmental stress (the press) combined with sudden acute disturbances (the pulse). Applied to cancer, the goal is to chronically squeeze cancer-cell metabolism while delivering acute hits that healthy cells — which can use ketones and fat — can tolerate. This is the framework Alicia trained in directly under Dr. Seyfried.
The Press — Sustained
Chronic metabolic stress on cancer cells.
The press is the steady, ongoing pressure that shifts the body’s fuel economy away from what cancer thrives on. It runs in the background, day after day.
- Therapeutic ketogenic nutrition (lowered glucose, raised ketones)
- Calorie-aware eating & metabolic flexibility
- Glucose-Ketone Index (GKI) monitoring
- Stress, sleep, and circadian regulation
- Mitochondrial support & targeted supplementation
- Movement & aerobic conditioning
The Pulse — Acute
Targeted, timed interventions.
The pulse is the periodic, more aggressive hit. Layered on top of the press, it pushes cancer cells past what their metabolism can survive while healthy cells stay protected.
- Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT)
- Strategic fasting & fasting-mimicking protocols
- Exogenous ketones
- Glucose-lowering agents (when clinically appropriate)
- Glutamine-targeting strategies
- Coordinated timing around chemotherapy & radiation
What Metabolic Support Addresses
Six terrains we work on with every patient.
Cancer doesn’t happen in isolation — it happens in a body. The same systems that allowed it to develop are the ones we can support during and after treatment. This terrain-based framework is drawn directly from Dr. Nasha Winters’ work.
1
Mitochondrial Function
Targeted nutrients, peptides, and therapies that support the cellular energy machinery cancer struggles to use efficiently.
2
Glucose & Insulin Regulation
Continuous glucose data, nutrition coaching, and metabolic flexibility work — because glucose and insulin signal directly to cancer cells.
3
Inflammation & Immune Tone
Calming chronic inflammation while supporting the immune surveillance your body needs to identify abnormal cells.
4
Detoxification Pathways
Supporting liver, lymph, and elimination pathways so your body can clear treatment byproducts and environmental load.
5
Nutritional Status
Preserving muscle mass, micronutrient sufficiency, and gut function — the foundation of treatment tolerance and recovery.
6
Nervous System & Sleep
Down-regulating the stress physiology that drives growth signals and disrupts repair — with practical, body-based tools.
Toxic Exposure & The Terrain
Addressing what disrupts metabolic balance.
An essential part of the Metabolic Approach is addressing the exposures that quietly degrade metabolic function and create a permissive environment for cancer. Three areas matter most.
1
Gut Health & The Microbiome
The microbiome is central to immune function and metabolic health. Imbalances drive inflammation and immune dysfunction — fertile ground for cancer. We optimize gut health through targeted nutrition, probiotics, and gentle detoxification.
2
Environmental Toxins
Exposure to mold, glyphosate, heavy metals, and PFAS in water increases oxidative stress and disrupts mitochondrial function. Practical reductions — organic foods, low-tox household products, clean water — meaningfully shift the picture.
3
Dental & Oral Infections
Chronic infections in the mouth — root canals, gum disease, hidden cavitations — can drive systemic inflammation and immune dysfunction. Addressing oral health is often a missing piece in metabolic terrain work.
Who This Is For
We support patients at every stage of the journey.
Whether you’ve just been diagnosed, are mid-treatment, finishing up, or focused on never going back — the metabolic work is different at each phase, and equally valuable.
How We Work
The tools we bring to every plan.
Functional Lab Work
Beyond standard oncology labs, we look at the markers conventional care often skips — insulin and HbA1c, inflammatory panels, micronutrient status, hormone metabolites, methylation, mitochondrial markers, Glucose-Ketone Index (GKI), and stool microbiome analysis. The goal is a clear picture of the terrain we’re working with.
Lab work informs every recommendation. Nothing is generic.
Common Panels
- Comprehensive metabolic & insulin panel
- Inflammation markers (hs-CRP, ferritin, fibrinogen)
- Vitamin D, B12, magnesium, zinc, iron studies
- DUTCH hormone metabolite testing
- GI-MAP stool analysis
- Organic acids & mitochondrial markers
- Glucose-Ketone Index (GKI) tracking
Nutrition & Ketogenic Strategy
A cornerstone of the Metabolic Approach is a low-carb or ketogenic dietary strategy — reducing carbohydrate intake and increasing healthy fats so the body shifts from glucose-burning to fat-burning. Healthy cells adapt; cancer cells, which depend on glucose, struggle. We draw on the work of Miriam Kalamian and her book Keto for Cancer, and partner with Dietary Therapies to ensure every patient is supported by a qualified nutritionist.
Every protocol is personalized to diagnosis, treatment phase, and real life. No rigid prescriptions. No fear-based eating.
Approaches We Use
- Therapeutic ketogenic protocols
- Low-carb, glucose-aware eating
- Fasting & fasting-mimicking around treatment
- Anti-inflammatory rebuilding
- Continuous glucose monitoring
- Partnership with qualified nutritionists
IV Nutrient Therapy
High-dose vitamin C, Myers’ cocktails, and customized formulations to support energy, immune function, and recovery during treatment. IV protocols are timed carefully with chemotherapy and radiation in coordination with your oncology team.
Many patients use IV therapy to soften treatment side effects and shorten recovery between cycles.
Frequently Used
- High-dose vitamin C
- Myers’ cocktail
- Custom amino acid & mineral blends
- Targeted hydration & electrolyte support
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT)
HBOT is a key pulse tool in the Press-Pulse strategy. By saturating tissues with oxygen at increased pressure, HBOT supports healthy cell function, encourages tissue repair, and creates a metabolic environment that cancer cells — which prefer fermentation over oxygen-based energy — do not tolerate well. It may also enhance the effects of certain conventional treatments.
HBOT Supports
- Tissue oxygenation & repair
- Pairing with ketogenic strategy (Press-Pulse)
- Recovery from surgery & radiation
- Reduced fatigue & brain fog
- Immune & mitochondrial support
Peptide Therapy
Targeted peptides for tissue repair, immune modulation, mitochondrial support, and recovery. Peptides are selected and dosed based on labs, treatment phase, and goals — never as a one-size-fits-all protocol.
This is one of the fastest-evolving areas of integrative oncology, and we stay current.
Areas Of Use
- Tissue repair & surgical recovery
- Immune system modulation
- Mitochondrial support
- Cognitive recovery (chemo-related)
- Energy & resilience
Thermofield & Body-Based Therapies
Thermofield, lymphatic support, infrared, and other body-based therapies promote circulation, lymphatic flow, and gentle cellular activation — supportive modalities that integrate cleanly with conventional treatment. Learn more on the Thermofield page.
Supportive Modalities
- Thermofield sessions
- Lymphatic drainage support
- Infrared therapy
- Targeted nutrition & supplementation
- Lifestyle & nervous system work
Lifestyle & Whole-Person Care
Holistic health is part of the protocol.
Cancer affects the whole person — physical, emotional, and environmental. Our integrative strategy treats all three.
1
Movement & Sleep
Aerobic exercise enhances mitochondrial function. Restorative sleep regulates inflammation and growth signaling. Both are non-negotiable pillars of metabolic care.
2
Stress & Emotional Resilience
Chronic stress suppresses immune surveillance and drives growth signals. We use breathwork, meditation, and nervous-system practices to build resilience and support healing.
3
Environment & Healing Space
We help patients reduce daily toxic load — food, water, household products, air — creating a safer environment for the body to do its repair work.
Defense & Repair
Working alongside conventional treatment.
Conventional cancer treatments — surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and targeted therapy — are essential and save lives. Our work runs alongside these treatments, never against them. Lifestyle-based interventions can enhance the effectiveness of conventional care while easing some of its harshest side effects.
Better nutrition, smarter movement, mind-body practices, and targeted supplementation help patients tolerate treatment, recover faster, and feel more like themselves through it.
How Integrative Care Helps
Reducing side effects: Easing pain, managing autoimmune-related effects, and improving comfort.
Immune & digestive support: Targeted supplementation to bolster immune function and protect the gut and microbiome.
Mental, emotional, & spiritual support: Mind-body therapies that build resilience and improve the body’s response to treatment.
What To Expect
A clear, collaborative path forward.
01
Initial Consultation
A 60–90 minute deep-dive into your diagnosis, treatment plan, history, labs, and goals. We listen first, then build a plan with you.
02
Personalized Protocol
A written plan covering nutrition, supplementation, IV therapy, peptides, HBOT, and supportive modalities — coordinated with your oncology team.
03
Ongoing Partnership
Regular check-ins, lab follow-ups, and protocol adjustments as you move through and beyond treatment. You are never doing this alone.
The services described on this page are complementary and supportive in nature. They are not a substitute for conventional cancer care, diagnosis, or treatment. Rayma Health works alongside your oncology team and encourages ongoing coordination with your full medical care. Individual results vary, and no outcome is guaranteed.
