About this episode
In this podcast episode of Integrative Cancer Solutions Dr. Karlfeldt interviews Dr. Chris Apfel about his integrative approaches to cancer treatment. Dr. Apfel shares his journey from traditional medicine to integrative oncology, sparked by his father's lung cancer diagnosis. This personal experience led him to question conventional cancer treatments after learning about their low success rates, particularly for stage four lung cancer.Dr. Apfel discusses his development of the SAGE Oncotest, which can identify effective cancer therapies within a week by culturing tumor fragments. This test evaluates a wide range of treatments including chemotherapies, targeted therapies, and repurposed drugs. He emphasizes the importance of avoiding ineffective treatments that can harm the immune system and diminish quality of life, while highlighting the potential of repurposed drugs like statins, Metformin, and Itraconazole. The conversation addresses tumor heterogeneity and the need for representative biopsy samples, particularly from metastatic sites. Dr. Apfel explains that the SAGE Oncotest is commercially available, with discounts offered to patients willing to share their data for research purposes. He discusses various methods for obtaining tumor samples and the importance of timing in the collection process.Dr. Apfel emphasizes patient advocacy and the need for patients to be informed about their treatment options. He notes that the SAGE Oncotest can double the odds of a positive tumor response and significantly increase median survival rates. The podcast concludes with Dr. Apfel expressing interest in collaborating with Dr. Folt's center to help more cancer patients through this innovative approach to personalized cancer treatment.About Dr Chris Apfel:Chris Apfel, MD, PhD, MBA is a physician and clinical researcher with over 100 published papers, including a six-factor clinical prediction model published in NEJM that led to the development of The Apfel Score, a clinical calculator used universally to predict the risk of postoperative nausea and vomiting, and Dr Apfel’s ultimate recruitment to the US and the University of California, San Francisco.Dr. Apfel was driven to revolutionize the field of cancer patient treatment after losing his mother to a long battle with ovarian cancer and his father to lung cancer. Witnessing their suffering inspired him leave the clinical department at UCSF to develop more efficient ways to identify the best treatment plans for cancer patients.Dr Apfel received his MD and PhD from the University of Giessen in Germany and his MBA from Wharton at the University of Pennsylvania. He is the founder and CEO of SageMedic. https://sagemedic.com/Dr. Apfel developed the SAGE Oncotest, which can identify effective cancer therapies within a week by culturing tumor fragments, potentially doubling the odds of positive tumor re
