Host: Dr. Kat Lindley Guests: Dr. Paul Marik, Dr. Jamie Waselenko
What happens when an oncologist walks away from the system and finds a new way to heal?
This week, IMA Senior Fellow Dr. Kat Lindley hosts a powerful conversation with IMA Co-Founder Dr. Paul Marik and IMA Senior Fellow Dr. Jamie Waselenko, who left conventional oncology to pursue functional medicine during COVID. Don’t miss this transformative discussion on the future of cancer care and the courage it takes to chart a new path toward true healing.
For decades, oncology has focused on fighting tumors without asking a deeper question: Why do they form in the first place? In this compelling conversation, IMA Senior Fellow Dr. Kat Lindley is joined by Dr. Paul Marik and Dr. Jamie Waselenko to explore what it means to move beyond protocol-driven care and address the root causes of cancer.
Dr. Waselenko, a board-certified hematologist and oncologist who once served as Director of Leukemia Research at the Sarah Cannon Institute, shares her journey from the front lines of conventional cancer care to the integrative and functional approach she now practices.
This episode introduces her as a Senior Fellow at IMA and a member of the newly launched IMA Working Group on Cancer.
📺 Don’t miss one of the most powerful webinars of 2025. Hit play to watch the full conversation, or scroll below for a full breakdown of the key takeaways.
Meet the Experts
Dr. Jamie Waselenko
A board-certified hematologist and oncologist, and new IMA Senior Fellow, Dr. Waselenko served as Director of Leukemia Research at the Sarah Cannon Institute before leaving conventional medicine during COVID. Now practicing integrative oncology and functional medicine, she focuses on metabolic health, lifestyle change, and patient-centered care. In this episode, she recommended The Metabolic Approach to Cancer by Dr. Nasha Winters and encouraged patients to explore EWG’s Tap Water Database for environmental insights.
Dr. Marik is a critical care physician, researcher, and co-founder of the Independent Medical Alliance. He leads IMA’s Cancer Working Group and serves as editor-in-chief of the Journal of Independent Medicine. In this episode, he recommended MY BATTLE AGAINST CANCER, a survivor protocol that tells the story of one man’s successful fight against the disease. Dr. Marik is the author of the Cancer Care Monograph, a book that curates alternative and complementary cancer treatments based on the best available evidence.
Dr. Kat Lindley is an IMA Senior Fellow in Family Medicine and host of the International Fellowship Program. A board-certified family physician and international health advocate, Dr. Lindley is a leading voice for ethical, patient-centered medicine. She leads IMA’s international fellowship program and facilitates critical conversations on health freedom, prevention, and rebuilding trust in healthcare.
Walking Away from the System
“I had drank the Kool-Aid and was indoctrinated in pharmaceuticals just like everyone else,” Dr. Waselenko admitted. “I didn’t wake up until COVID.”
During the pandemic, she found herself surrounded by “very smart people saying very unwise things.” When her hospital mandated the vaccine without long-term safety data, she made the choice to leave—walking away from her position and peers.
“I told my patients before I left,” she recalled. “There are hills in life we must be willing to die on—and this one was mine.”
In the years that followed, Dr. Waselenko embarked on a rapid process of re-education, completing two integrative cancer therapy fellowships, a functional medicine fellowship, and a naturopathic oncology mentorship. “I realized I had only ever been trained to be a pharma salesman,” she said. “I had to retool myself from the ground up.”
When she began practicing functional oncology, Dr. Waselenko quickly encountered the skepticism she once shared:
“Ninety percent of oncologists still say diet doesn’t matter,” she said. “They’ve been trained in a system that cut out half of medicine and only focuses on pharmaceuticals.”
Her approach now combines evidence-based therapies with nutrition, detoxification, and metabolic support. “Sometimes we just talk about things like melatonin, vitamin D, and lowering toxin exposure,” she explained. “Nature cannot be patented. That’s why most physicians are blinded to these natural, inexpensive therapies that can help patients heal.”
Dr. Marik on the State of Oncology
Dr. Marik, who co-founded IMA to champion science over ideology, didn’t mince words. “To completely dismiss dietary intervention, as most oncologists do, means you have no understanding of oncology,” he said. “The somatic mutation theory of cancer is definitively wrong. Interventions such as nutrition can be very powerful.”
He lamented how medicine has been captured by profit motives, but even despite that, there are many hopeful solutions:
“There are 256 repurposed drugs that have been shown to have anti-cancer activity,” Marik noted. “Different clinicians may use different combinations—but if we share what works, we can change outcomes.”
In the webinar, Dr. Marik offered an early look at what he called the ROOT Protocol, a forthcoming cancer prevention framework he co-authored with Dr. Justus Hope.
“Dr. Hope and I put together a paper on how to prevent cancer,” he explained. “We call it the ROOT Protocol—root 3, 4, 5, and 9—based on risk stratification and nutraceutical support.”
The paper, which will be published November 12 in the Journal of Independent Medicine, details lifestyle foundations like diet, exercise, sleep, toxin reduction, and nutraceutical interventions tailored to personal risk.
“Three simple interventions—omega-3s, vitamin D, and exercise—reduced cancer risk by 60% in people over 60,” Marik said. “We built on that research using AI-driven analysis to identify compounds that reduce cancer risk.”
The Power of Terrain and Lifestyle Medicine
Dr. Waselenko emphasized that genetics “may load the gun, but lifestyle pulls the trigger.” She uses terrain-based frameworks like Dr. Nasha Winters’ “Metabolic Approach to Cancer” to assess inflammation, detox pathways, and gut health.
“You can’t out-supplement a crappy diet,” she reminded the audience. “Food is foundational.”
Her recommendations include fasting in conjunction with therapy, minimizing xenoestrogen exposure, and rebalancing the gut microbiome. She encourages patients to use functional lab testing to identify risks and intervene early.
Both doctors also discussed pre-biopsy and pre-surgery prophylactic protocols to reduce the spread of circulating cancer cells—and Dr. Marik suggested these easily implemented protocols should be adopted into a new standard of care.
The New IMA Cancer Resource Hub
The evening concluded with a major announcement: the launch of the IMA Cancer Resource Hub—a comprehensive platform dedicated to integrative cancer care.
This is your one-stop destination for trusted information on prevention, nutrition, and research. It’s a living library that brings together the latest science, practical tools, and integrative resources—all free and easy to navigate. If you’ve ever wanted to share resources with friends or relatives, this is a great resource that allows people to explore at their own pace. Skim the surface with a blog post, or dive into a powerful webinar.
Visitors can sign up for alerts to stay informed as new studies and tools are added. 👉 imahealth.org/cancer-resource-hub/
Building a Global Network for Change
Dr. Marik also shared his vision for the IMA Working Group on Cancer, which will unite integrative clinicians around the world.
“Our goal is to develop a network of integrative oncologists and clinicians,” he said. “There’s no one correct way—there are multiple ways to heal. By sharing case series and clinical experience, we can learn what works.”
In closing, Dr. Waselenko delivered a powerful reflection:
“I have absolutely no regrets. God ordered my steps. I had to stand for my health and my patients’ health.”
Dr. Marik added, “Follow your heart. Follow the science. But know we are up against a hostile system. You must do what’s right for the patient.”
Their shared message was clear: informed patients and courageous physicians are the key to transforming cancer care from reactive to restorative.
