Surviving Colorectal Cancer — Practical Guidance for Patients and Families

Free Resource

CRC Survival Guidance

Practical, research-backed guidance from a stage 4 survivor. Not medical advice — a starting point for your own research and conversations with your care team.

Step 1

Advocate for Yourself

The medical system was not designed to cure everyone. It will offer standard treatment, run standard tests, and give you standard odds. But standard isn’t enough when your life is on the line.

Key actions:

• Request your full genetic report from the testing lab — not just the curated clinical summary
• Ask about every mutation, not just the “most targetable”
• Tell your oncologist: “I don’t want statistics. I want options.”
• Get a second opinion, and a third if needed
• Search for clinical trials yourself — don’t rely solely on your doctor’s list

Step 2

Clean Up Your Foundation

Your body’s most fundamental building blocks are what you eat, what you drink, and what you’re exposed to. These are things you can control starting today — no prescription required.

Step 3

Find Your Own Trial

Three professional research teams searched for clinical trials on my behalf. None of them found the one that saved my life. I found it myself. Here’s the process:

1. Get your full genetic report from the testing lab (Tempus, Foundation Medicine, etc.) — not just the curated summary
2. Extract every mutation — not just “most targetable”
3. Search ClinicalTrials.gov — enter each mutation + your cancer type, filter by “Recruiting”
4. Cross-reference with AI tools — use specific prompts to find trials by mutation and relevance
5. Contact trial coordinators directly — most are surprisingly responsive
6. Recheck every 2–4 weeks — new trials open constantly

Step 4

Know What to Ask Your Doctor

Most patients walk into oncology appointments overwhelmed and leave without asking the questions that matter most. Here are the ones I wish I’d asked from day one:

1. What is my complete molecular/genetic profile? Can I get the full lab report?
2. What mutations are driving my cancer? Are there targeted therapies or trials for those?
3. What is the treatment sequence you’re recommending, and why this order?
4. Are there repurposed medications (metformin, mebendazole, doxycycline) that might complement treatment?
5. What supplements should I avoid during treatment? Which are safe?
6. Are there clinical trials — at this institution or elsewhere — for my mutation profile?
7. At what point would you consider changing the treatment plan?
8. How will we measure response? What scan schedule? What blood markers?

Watch Out

Red Flags & Avoidable Delays

Delays that cost time:

• Waiting for the curated genetic report only — always request the full file
• Relying on a single trial search source — three teams missed my best trial
• Not starting lifestyle changes early — clean eating, movement, hydration from day one
• Weekend coverage gaps — ask “Who covers for you on weekends?”
• Accepting “standard” as final — my initial prognosis was palliative; my response made surgery possible
• Delaying trial research — start looking before you run out of standard options

Information red flags:

• 🚩 Ads promising “miracle cures” — engineered for clicks, not cures
• 🚩 Mouse studies presented as human cures — always check if evidence is preclinical or clinical
• 🚩 “Ancient secrets” and membership sites — predatory marketing targeting desperate patients
• 🚩 Delaying real treatment to chase unproven alternatives — the biggest danger. Adjuncts complement; they don’t replace.

This page covers the basics. The full book goes deep — 15+ supplement profiles with dosages and research citations, repurposed medications, trial-search methodology, doctor scripts, and more.