Supportive Cancer Care
Supportive cancer care, alongside your oncology team.
Naturopathic therapies function excellently as supportive cancer care. Various therapies such as nutraceuticals, herbs, IV therapy, diet and lifestyle modification can significantly improve treatment outcomes.
- 5.0 · 257 Google reviews
- Open 7 days · 10am–5pm
- Encinitas, CA
Alongside your treatment
A Helping Hand in Cancer Care
By reducing the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation, naturopathic treatments can improve quality of life during and after treatment. In addition, treatment can help improve healing times after surgery, reduce risk of metastasis, and reduce risk of recurrence.
Naturopathic supportive oncology is provided to our patients in conjunction with their conventional cancer treatment. This supportive cancer care is designed to improve your quality of life while undergoing treatment. We achieve this by reducing side effects of your treatments such as chemotherapy, and aim to aid the body's fight against cancer.
Why it helps
Why Cancer Support?
The same medical treatments that are effective at removing cancerous cells may also cause serious side effects. Mitigating side effects allows for your cancer treatments to work while allowing your body to remain strong and recover from both the cancer and the side effects of treatment.
Many cancer patients lose a dangerous amount of weight and experience depressed immune function during treatment — making them even more susceptible to other illnesses. A balanced medical treatment plan combined with naturopathic treatment options can assist in reducing the number of problematic symptoms that occur. Dietary and supplemental options can help stimulate appetite and reduce excessive weight loss.
The infusion we are known for
High-dose vitamin C, at doses only an IV can reach.
The entire point is a dose you cannot reach any other way. Your gut has a hard ceiling on how much vitamin C it will absorb — by vein we go far past it, into a range oral dosing simply cannot touch. At those levels it fuels your white blood cells, drives the collagen your body builds skin and connective tissue from, and tops up your glutathione.
Every size, every price
| Vitamin C in the bag | Price |
|---|---|
| 25 grams | $185 |
| 50 grams | $235 |
| 75 grams | $285 |
| 100 grams | $335 |
| 125 grams | $385 |
| 150 grams | $435 |
Every ingredient
- Vitamin CAscorbic acid — 25 g to 150 g, whichever size you choose
- MagnesiumAs magnesium chloride
- PotassiumAs potassium chloride
That is the whole bag. Nothing else is in it.
Where it all began
The clinic started with cancer patients.
Our founder, Dr. McNulty, set out to become a surgeon. While earning his Bachelor of Science in Medical Science at the University of South Florida, he worked in prostate and bladder cancer research — and it was there he ran into the limits of what that research could do for the people it was meant to help. He went looking for medicine that treats the whole person instead.
He earned his Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine and completed his residency at Bastyr University, then spent four years teaching Advanced IV Therapy and supervising student clinicians there. He opened Nature & Science Medicine to care for cancer patients, and he researched and formulated every IV on our menu himself — including the vitamin C formula above. That is why the doses are what they are.
What to expect
How care works here
Three appointments, in this order — the same for everyone, with more time set aside at the start when you are in cancer treatment.
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Your first appointment
You meet your naturopathic medical doctor, who does a comprehensive review of your health history, discusses your health goals with you, and orders any necessary diagnostic tests, including lab work. A cancer consultation is booked at ninety minutes — the longest first appointment we offer.
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Your treatment plan
At your second visit you are presented with a personalized plan, based on traditional natural therapies, current conventional therapies and the most up-to-date research. It is built to sit alongside your oncology team's treatment rather than compete with it.
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Follow-ups
Your doctor checks in on how you are doing and adjusts the plan as your treatment changes. We are open seven days a week, 10am–5pm, so infusions can be scheduled around treatment weeks.
Full detail on every appointment, what each one costs and the office policies is on the new patient information page.
Prevention
Healthy Living and Cancer Prevention
As Dr. Benjamin Franklin said, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."
Our clinic is built upon the belief in the Naturopathic philosophy that when the body is in balance, it is able to heal itself. Our personalized treatment plans are centered around optimizing health, wellbeing, and balance, allowing the innate healing properties of the body to function.
A healthy diet, regular exercise, and mood regulation are foundational to cancer prevention. With the right diet, stress control, and activity level you can reduce your chance of developing certain cancers by 50% or more. Nature & Science Medicine's experienced, licensed Naturopathic Doctors will help you create customized lifestyle plans for optimal health and disease prevention.
I have been coming to Nature & Science for almost a year for support during cancer treatment…Caroline M. · 5-star Google review
Cancer screening
Galleri multi-cancer early detection
For adults who want to screen for cancer, we offer Galleri, a single blood draw that screens for a cancer signal shared by more than 50 cancer types, including many that have no recommended screening test. Galleri is a screening test and is not recommended during active cancer treatment.
Supportive cancer care questions
What is supportive cancer care?
Supportive cancer care is naturopathic care provided alongside your conventional cancer treatment. At Nature & Science Medicine in Encinitas, it is designed to support your quality of life during and after treatment, including help with side effects such as poor appetite, weight loss and low energy.
Does supportive care replace my oncologist?
No. Your plan is built to sit alongside your oncology team's treatment rather than compete with it, and your doctor adjusts it as your treatment changes.
What can a supportive care plan include?
Depending on your plan, IV therapy such as high-dose vitamin C, nutraceuticals and herbs, and diet and lifestyle support, built around your treatment schedule.
How does the first appointment work?
A cancer consultation is booked as a 90-minute new patient appointment, the longest first visit we offer. Your naturopathic doctor reviews your health history and goals and orders any tests you need. At your second visit you receive a personalized plan, and follow-ups adjust it as your treatment changes.
Can I take the Galleri test during cancer treatment?
GRAIL does not recommend the Galleri test during active cancer treatment. Galleri is a multi-cancer screening test for adults who want to look for a cancer signal. Ask your doctor about timing if you have finished treatment.
Can appointments fit around my treatment schedule?
Yes. We are open 10am to 5pm, seven days a week, so appointments and infusions can be scheduled around treatment weeks.
Where is Nature & Science Medicine?
At Nature & Science Medicine, a doctor-led medical clinic at 531 Encinitas Blvd, Suite 121, Encinitas, CA 92024, with free parking on site. We see patients from across North County San Diego, including Carlsbad, Solana Beach, Del Mar, Rancho Santa Fe and Cardiff. We are open 10am to 5pm, seven days a week. Call or text (858) 800-2555.
Get started
Book a visit.
Call and we will talk through where you are in treatment and how supportive care could fit alongside it. Open seven days a week.
(858) 800-2555