Fecal transplants are saving cancer patients at MD Anderson? In this episode of Docs Talk Shop, Dr. Gordon and I explore how a major breakthrough in microbiome science could open up new treatment possibilities for cancer patients.

But the news is not all good--fecal transplants can also transfer obesity. We discuss how a patient who received an FMT from an obese donor gained weight, highlighting just how powerful and influential the microbiome is in regulating metabolism.

We discuss the remarkable ability of bariatric surgery ("stomach stapling," for obesity) to resolve type 2 diabetes in just a few days—long before any weight loss occurs, and the mind-boggling reason for this counterintuitive occurrence.

Lifting weights is better than psychotherapy? Believe it or not, resistance training is found to be 1.5 times more effective than medication or talk therapy for treating anxiety and depression. 

And also in the realm of psychiatry, we explore Morgellon's disease. Patients with this condition report colorful fibers growing from their skin. Long considered a psychiatric disorder with delusions, (a misdiagnosis that has confined patients wrongly to inpatient mental health institutions) recent research finds a link between the colorful fibers of Morgellon's and Lyme disease.

Join us as we explore unexpected solutions to the toughest health challenges.

References:

Morgellons disease psychiatric condition or spirochetal infection? National Center for Biotechnology Information. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8647328/. Accessed September 24, 2024.

Morgellons disease linked to infection. Dove Press. https://www.dovepress.com/getfile.php?fileID=69133. Accessed September 24, 2024.

Links between Morgellons and Lyme disease. LymeDisease.org. https://www.lymedisease.org/links-morgellons-lyme-disease/. Accessed September 24, 2024.

NAC alleviates OCD behaviors: Skin-picking, trichotillomania, etc. National Center for Biotechnology Information. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10909310/. Accessed September 24, 2024.

The nucleus accumbens and its role in reward, addiction, and pain. National Center for Biotechnology Information. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6975138/. Accessed September 24, 2024.

Defecation increases athletic performance by increasing brain oxygenation. PubMed. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37102434/. Accessed September 24, 2024.

Bariatric surgery decreases breast cancer risk. MDedge. https://ma1.mdedge.com/obgyn/article/269409/breast-cancer/bariatric-surgery-may-reduce-breast-cancer-risk-some?ecd=WNL_EVE_240603_mdedge. Accessed September 24, 2024.

Infectious agents and cancer. National Center for Biotechnology Information. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10964319/. Accessed September 24, 2024.

Infectious agents including SARS-CoV-2 linked to cancer. Frontiers. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcell.2022.8761

Dawn Lemanne, MD
Oregon Integrative Oncology
Leave no stone unturned.

Deborah Gordon, MD
Northwest Wellness and Memory Center
Building Healthy Brains