Cancer treatment is simple, right?

Kill as many cancer cells as possible, as quickly as possible.

In some cases, that may be exactly the wrong approach.

In this episode, Dr. Dawn Lemanne and Dr. Deborah Gordon explore a surprising idea emerging from evolutionary biology, ecology, and mathematical oncology: in some metastatic cancers, aggressive treatment may unintentionally accelerate the growth of treatment-resistant cancer cells.

Using examples ranging from DDT-resistant boll weevils to metastatic prostate cancer, they discuss:

• Why cancer treatments stop working in advanced cancers

• How cancer cells evolve resistance

• How treatment-sensitive cancer cells actually help control more dangerous treatment-resistant cancer cells 

• The concept of "competitive release" and how treatment can unintentionally remove the competition that restrains resistant cancer cells

• How new blood tests called circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) allow physicians to monitor cancer in real time

• The emerging field of adaptive cancer therapy, in which treatment intensity is adjusted in response to the cancer's evolutionary behavior

• The research suggesting that overtreatment can sometimes shorten, rather than prolong, cancer control

Along the way, they explore groundbreaking work mathematical oncologists and cancer evolution researchers, and discuss a radically different way of thinking about advanced cancer—not simply as an enemy to destroy, but as an evolving ecosystem whose behavior may be influenced and, in some cases, steered.

This conversation applies to advanced metastatic cancers that cannot be cured with current treatments. It does not challenge the importance of aggressive treatment for cancers that remain potentially curable.

The question explored in this episode is simple:

Can killing more cancer cells sometimes make cancer worse?

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

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

In today's episode, we welcome back a familiar and popular guest, Andy Baxter, who has an impressive resume as rower, rowing coach, and particularly insightful rehabilitation specialist. What Dr. Lemanne and I have particularly appreciated about his work is his focus on not just rehabbing an injury, but going beyond rehab.  He is a master at how to safely build both strength and resilience, good for avoiding both dementia and cancer. He'll talk about about his exciting new and innovative techniques for achieving those goals. Welcome back, Andy!

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

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

In this episode, we’re joined by Debra Zaslow—author and storyteller—who shares her personal experience with hormone replacement therapy, including some immediate and unexpected effects that took her by surprise.

From that starting point, we explore several unexpected ideas:

•  Estrogen alone may reduce breast cancer risk in certain groups 
•  Not all “progesterone” is the same—synthetic versions can behave very differently 
•  The way a hormone is delivered (pill vs patch vs topical) can significantly change its effects 
•  Hormones are often prescribed without measuring levels—unlike almost every other hormone in medicine 
•  Many key hormones, including estrogen and testosterone, are made from cholesterol 

Dr. Deborah Gordon and I revisit hormone therapy in response to your strong interest in the topic. The conversation moves from lived experience to clinical nuance—how different formulations behave, why dosing and monitoring matter, and how to think more precisely about risks and benefits, especially in menopause and in more complex settings like cancer history.

A candid, grounded discussion for anyone trying to make sense of hormones beyond the headlines.

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

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

In today's episode, we have the distinct pleasure of speaking with Dr. Tommy Wood, whose new book, The Stimulated Mind, will be available soon. We explore his concept of developing greater head space. That's not hat size, but rather our cognitive reserves as we head into older age. We talk about the kinds of brain training and brain resting that are most helpful for our brain health and function. Dr. Woods also talks about his work coaching elite athletes. He shares his insights about getting better results when we remember compassion, both with ourselves and with others. One fascinating item is we learn why an experiment that put glasses--eye glasses--on owls shows us the one missing ingredient that makes it difficult for aging brains to learn. And more importantly, how one specific simple change in attitude turned old owl brains into spring chickens, forgive the pun, able to learn as easily and as well as young owls. Join us for a fascinating discussion and a preview of Dr. Wood's forthcoming book, The Stimulated mind. Enjoy.

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

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

 In today's episode, we explore the controversy regarding ultra-processed foods, starting with an attempt to define just what those are. That's actually not been carefully approached yet. Then we look at the more serious attempts to construct ways to measure and precisely discuss the hazards of ultra-processed foods and ways we might rectify those. We range far afield from our esoteric medical school lectures all the way back to our own childhood eating experiences. We talk about the role of wise choices with any foods, including fast foods. And yes, you can eat those wisely or less wisely. We circle back several times to the importance of some basic home cooking skills and habits. We invite you to listen to this episode and enjoy.

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

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

In this episode we discuss one of our favorite pasttimes – exercise—and the relationship between exercise and health. Of course it’s no surprise that exercise is recommended for its health benefits, for people at any age and any level of fitness.  Dr. Gordon and I both prescribe exercise as one of the most important parts of our routine patient care.

 Today though we dive into what has surprised us both:  the hazards of ??too much?? exercise. 

 When might exercise have a dark side, when should we think twice about our exercise habits? And how might we tweak our exercise routine to get the most benefit from the time we do spend being active. Join us as we pore over some of the details.

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

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

Treat ADHD, lower Alzheimer’s risk?

The episode explores emerging evidence that simply having ADD/ADHD raises lifetime Alzheimer’s risk—yet appropriately treating it in adults, often with low-dose stimulants, seems to push that risk back down. How can the same class of drugs be both feared as “brain-burning” and yet potentially brain-saving—and what does that mean for people already in midlife?

Treating prostate cancer successfully with--testosterone? 

Listeners are introduced to a first-in-oncology “directed evolution” case in metastatic prostate cancer, led by Dr. Lemanne’s team, where high-dose testosterone was deliberately used to expand treatment-sensitive cells—and only then was hormone blockade re-introduced. But did this radical, counterintuitive maneuver actually work?

Emotional trauma in youth as a hidden Alzheimer’s driver? Dr. Gordon discusses links between youth emotional trauma to higher rates of Alzheimer’s decades later, even in people who appear to have “moved on.” Is this just correlation, or should early emotional trauma be considered a subtle form of brain injury that can and should be addressed?

Do you go to bed later on weekends, by just 1-2 hours, but make up for it by rising later?  If so, you'll want to know that you may be increasing your risk of breast or prostate cancer.  This episode explores that research.

Have you heard of the new Alzheimer’s blood tests, that improve as the patient improves, allowing better direction of treatment? 

Dr. Gordon walks us through the ATN panel (amyloid-beta, p-tau, neurofilament light), now accessible through routine laboratory tests, along with galectin-3 as a tau-clustering, inflammation-linked marker, and a new infusion drug (TB006) targeting that pathway. But can these numbers really be moved in the right direction with targeted lifestyle and medical interventions—and what happens when they are?

Enjoy this unusual episode! 

And write to us. We read every email.

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

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

In today's episode, we have the pleasure of a chat with my longtime friend and colleague, Dr. Ann Hathaway. Dr. Hathaway enlightens us on some of the details of her work with Dr. Dale Bredesen, delving into some aspects of the treatment for mold toxicity and hormone replacement therapy for older women. Dr. Lemanne also has a chance to share some insightful details about her innovative work with hormone pulsing as potential treatment for some hormone sensitive cancers. Join us as we explore these exciting topics and more. It's my pleasure today to welcome to our podcast, our guest, Dr. Ann Hathaway 

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

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

In this episode, we uncover the strange fact that 11-year solar cycles shape your health, including your risk of cancer and autoimmune diseases. 

I'll admit this sounds like astrology. Or science fiction. 

It isn't.

Statistics show that the number of sunspots during the year you were born  shortens your lifespan, on average, by more than a decade. 

And sunlight affects us in other strange ways. You may also be surprised to learn that living on the far western side of your time zone, or simply eating supper 8 PM compared to 6 PM, is associated with an increased risk of cancer.

This episode also covers

• why your cancer risk rises as you live farther from the equator (it's not all vitamin D)
• how changing your bedtime each night--by less than an hour!--quietly raises your risk of early death
• why your hospital room window determines how fast you heal

You’ll hear surprising data, real patient stories, and practical takeaways you can implement tonight. 

Want even more? Find out how muscle size correlates with brain size. (Yep.)

And if you want your exercise to actually build muscle, Dr. Gordon tells you the best time of day to get moving.

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

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

What doesn't kill me makes me...weaker?

Learn why short bursts of stress are a tonic, while chronic stress damages your brain and accelerates tumor growth. Especially if you're female.  

Find out why you're wrong about your own stress levels, and what you must do to find the hidden stress before you can fix it.

Discover which meditation practices actually calm your nervous system. Many of the most popular simply won't work for you. The doctors themselves get completely opposite results from the same techniques. 

Dump the widespread belief that any exercise is fights cancer. For example, the walking routines doctors recommend do almost nothing. Find out what the data show actually works to stunt cancer growth.

Plus, learn about the overlooked hormone (most PCPs never think about this) your stressed body steals from your brain, how this theft leaves your brain vulnerable to stress-induced damage, and how Dr Gordon fixes this in her patients with an over-the-counter supplement.

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

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