How Taylor Dukes Beat Brain Cancer with Functional Medicine

A functional medicine practitioner discovers a plum-sized brain tumor and shrinks it using integrative therapies before surgery.

Key Takeaways

• Functional medicine practitioner Taylor Dukes discovered a massive brain tumor through preventative screening despite having zero symptoms.
• She took five months before surgery to pursue integrative treatments including ketosis, hyperbaric oxygen, and high-dose vitamin C.
• The tumor actually shrunk before surgery, demonstrating the power of metabolic and immune-supporting therapies combined with conventional care.
• All cancer begins as healthy cells that become metabolically sick, making immune system support crucial for prevention and treatment.
• Stress management, gut health, and removing toxins like parasites and heavy metals form the foundation of cancer prevention.
• Simple lifestyle changes like grounding, sunshine exposure, and clean eating provide powerful health benefits without expensive equipment.
• Teaching children healthy habits early empowers them to make independent choices rather than feeling restricted or deprived.
• Building supportive communities accelerates healing and provides accountability for maintaining healthy lifestyle changes long-term.

Timeline Overview

• Initial Health Crisis (College Years) — Taylor experienced mysterious symptoms including hair loss, joint pain, rashes, and fatigue after medical mission trips to Africa and Ecuador. Traditional doctors offered only medications without addressing root causes.
• Functional Medicine Discovery — Her mother encouraged seeing an integrative doctor who identified parasites, heavy metal toxicity, and lifestyle factors. This healing experience changed Taylor's career trajectory toward functional medicine.
• Career Development — Taylor became a nurse practitioner, worked with renowned functional medicine doctor Amy Myers, and eventually opened her own thriving practice with thousands on the waiting list.
• Cancer Diagnosis (2022) — A preventative full-body MRI scan revealed a plum-sized brain tumor in her right frontal lobe. Despite the massive size, she had no symptoms whatsoever.
• Five-Month Integrative Journey — Taylor spent months researching and implementing holistic treatments at cancer centers in Mexico and California while preparing for surgery. She pursued hyperbaric oxygen, red light therapy, methylene blue, high-dose vitamin C, and strict ketosis.
• Surgical Success and Recovery — The tumor had shrunk before surgery. Her neurosurgeon successfully removed the remaining tissue, and Taylor walked six hours post-surgery, going home within 24 hours with no deficits.

The Shocking Discovery That Changed Everything

• Taylor Dukes had built a thriving functional medicine practice, married an Air Force pilot, and was raising two young children when Prouvo offered her a complimentary full-body MRI scan in 2022. She expected routine results but instead discovered a plum-sized brain tumor in her right frontal lobe.
• The tumor was so large that from a medical perspective, even a millimeter shift in brain tissue typically causes symptoms, yet Taylor experienced none. She describes this as "truly beyond my comprehension" and attributes it to divine intervention.
• When she opened the app to view her results, she saw the abnormal finding herself before any medical professional contacted her. The white mass was so prominent that it didn't require radiological training to identify.
• Her initial reaction was disbelief, thinking there must be a mistake with the charts. After meeting with a local neurosurgeon several days later, the diagnosis was confirmed as a stage three brain tumor.
• Rather than panicking or making fear-based decisions, Taylor took time to pray and research. She recognized that unlike most brain tumor patients who discover their condition through emergency seizures, she had the unique advantage of time to plan her approach.
• The diagnosis forced practical life decisions including executing a living will and granting her husband access to business operations. As a mother of a 10-month-old and three-year-old, she had to consider worst-case scenarios while maintaining hope.

The Integrative Treatment Protocol That Delivered Results

• Taylor committed to treating healing "like a job" for the five months leading up to surgery, implementing a comprehensive protocol that addressed cancer from multiple angles. She visited Hope for Cancer in Mexico and the Cancer Center for Healing in California to access specialized treatments.
• High-dose vitamin C infusions became a cornerstone of her protocol, starting at 25 grams and working up to 75 grams. This required careful monitoring and gradual increases to avoid adverse reactions while maximizing therapeutic benefit.
• Methylene blue therapy was strategically combined with red light exposure for enhanced effectiveness. Taylor would take methylene blue drops 30 minutes before using her red light helmet, a German-made device specifically designed for neurological applications.
• Hyperbaric oxygen therapy provided another layer of support, though Taylor admitted developing claustrophobia with her soft chamber. The increased oxygen pressure helps create an environment hostile to cancer cells while supporting healthy tissue.
• She implemented strict ketosis monitoring using both ketone strips and continuous glucose monitors to track her glucose-ketone index (GKI). This metabolic approach starves cancer cells of their preferred fuel source while supporting healthy cellular function.
• The protocol included molecular hydrogen therapy, curcumin IVs, and comprehensive stress management techniques including EMDR therapy for past trauma. Taylor emphasized the importance of "therapy stacking" to maximize efficiency rather than spending all day on treatments.

Nutritional Strategies That Supported Recovery

• Taylor's ketogenic approach focused on therapeutic ketosis rather than casual low-carb eating, requiring 75% of calories from high-quality fats. She initially struggled because she was consuming too much protein, which can kick the body out of ketosis.
• Healthy fat sources included olive oil shots, avocados, macadamia nuts, and grass-fed animal products. She emphasized that achieving true ketosis requires conscious effort to increase fat intake beyond what feels natural for most people.
• Wild-caught fish and grass-fed meats provided clean protein sources while avoiding the inflammatory compounds found in conventionally raised animals. She avoided processed foods entirely, focusing on nutrient-dense whole foods.
• Low-carb vegetables like leafy greens provided essential micronutrients without disrupting ketosis. Taylor stressed the difference between "dirty keto" (processed low-carb foods) and "clean keto" (whole food sources).
• She monitored her glucose-ketone index religiously, pricking her finger multiple times daily to ensure she maintained therapeutic levels. This level of precision helped optimize the metabolic environment for healing.
• The nutritional approach wasn't just about cancer treatment but preparing her body to be strong going into major brain surgery. She viewed nutrition as foundational support for both healing and surgical recovery.

Addressing Root Causes Beyond the Tumor

• Parasites emerged as a significant factor in Taylor's health history, particularly toxoplasma gondii, which she tested positive for in both stool and blood. The International Journal of Cancer and American Cancer Society link this specific parasite to brain tumors in middle-aged people.
• Her parasite exposure stemmed from medical mission trips to Africa and Ecuador during college, where she contracted multiple infections that suppressed her immune system for years. She emphasizes that parasites aren't limited to third-world countries and that Americans should consider regular deworming protocols.
• Heavy metal toxicity was another contributing factor identified through comprehensive testing. These metals can accumulate over time and create chronic inflammation that weakens immune surveillance of abnormal cells.
• Taylor implemented both pharmaceutical anti-parasitic medications like ivermectin and mebendazole, as well as herbal protocols for ongoing maintenance. She now does quarterly family cleanses, treating parasite management as routine preventive care.
• Lyme disease was reactivated by the stress of brain surgery, causing sleep disruption and nervous system dysregulation. This demonstrates how chronic infections can remain dormant until immune stress allows them to resurface.
• She utilized frequency therapy and rife technology to address pathogens, finding these methods particularly effective for detecting and treating parasites that traditional testing sometimes misses.

Stress Management and Nervous System Support

• Taylor recognized that stress had played a major role in her health decline, noting that her tumor likely began growing during the period when she was initially sick in college. The timeline correlation between her early illness and the tumor's estimated growth period was striking.
• She implemented multiple stress-reduction techniques including EMDR therapy for past trauma, biofeedback training, and pulse electromagnetic field therapy (PEMF). These approaches targeted both current stress and residual trauma stored in the nervous system.
• Prayer and spiritual practices provided crucial emotional support during the cancer journey. Taylor emphasizes having "hope beyond circumstances" and credits her faith with providing peace during the most challenging periods.
• Practical stress management included deep breathing exercises, infrared sauna sessions, grounding (direct earth contact), journaling, and Epsom salt baths. She points out that many effective stress-reduction techniques are free and accessible to everyone.
• The cancer diagnosis forced difficult business decisions, including closing her thriving private practice with thousands on the waiting list and stepping away from her wellness center partnership. These decisions removed significant stressors but required sacrificing professionally meaningful work.
• She restructured her entire life around healing and family priorities, recognizing that no amount of professional success matters if health is compromised. This perspective shift allowed her to focus energy on recovery rather than spreading herself too thin.

The Miraculous Surgical Outcome

• Before surgery, imaging revealed that the tumor had actually shrunk, which Taylor describes as "a miracle" and "insane." This demonstrated that the integrative protocols were having measurable impact on the cancer before conventional treatment began.
• Her neurosurgeon, Dr. Chris Smith at Barrow Neurological Institute in Arizona, believes in metabolic ketosis for cancer patients. Rather than dismissing her integrative approach, he encouraged continuing these supportive therapies alongside conventional treatment.
• The surgery itself was remarkably successful, with Taylor walking just six hours post-operatively and going home directly from ICU after only 24 hours. This rapid recovery was attributed to her pre-surgical conditioning and continued metabolic support.
• Despite having a "huge hole" in her brain where the tumor was removed, Taylor experienced no cognitive deficits or personality changes. Friends and family noted she seemed unchanged even 24 hours after major brain surgery.
• The tumor had infiltrated healthy brain tissue rather than sitting on top of the brain, making complete removal challenging. However, the surgeon achieved clean margins by removing additional tissue around the tumor site.
• Her post-surgical scans three weeks before the interview showed no recurrence. The neurosurgeon recommended against chemotherapy and radiation, instead encouraging continued focus on ketosis and immune system support for preventing recurrence.

Empowering the Next Generation Through Education

• Taylor's approach to raising healthy children focuses on education rather than restriction, teaching her kids why certain foods and lifestyle choices matter for their health and development. Her children understand concepts like food dyes affecting brain function.
• The family maintains a "hard and fast rule" against food dyes while allowing flexibility for special occasions like birthday parties. This balanced approach prevents children from feeling deprived while establishing clear health boundaries.
• Her kids drink her homemade electrolytes instead of Gatorade and understand the reasoning behind this choice. They've become advocates for their own health, telling friends that conventional sports drinks contain harmful additives.
• She creates healthy swaps for conventional treats, like Simple Mills cake for birthday parties and homemade hot chocolate sweetened with monk fruit instead of sugar. These alternatives allow normal childhood experiences without compromising health.
• Taylor emphasizes practical changes like removing inflammatory seed oils, reducing sugar, and increasing whole foods. She shows parents that healthy eating doesn't require expensive specialty items but rather smart substitutions.
• The children are empowered to make independent choices because they understand the reasons behind their family's food decisions. This education-based approach builds lifelong healthy habits rather than temporary compliance.

Building Community for Lasting Change

• Taylor transitioned from one-on-one practice to an online community model, recognizing that sustainable health changes require ongoing support and like-minded connections. Her community provides access to functional medicine testing and nurse practitioner consultations.
• The monthly community calls allow members to ask questions directly and learn from each other's experiences. This peer-to-peer learning accelerates everyone's health journey while providing accountability and encouragement.
• She emphasizes finding "a few good people that you trust" rather than trying to follow every health influencer or expert. This focused approach prevents information overwhelm and maintains consistency in health practices.
• Her product line emerged from community requests for clean alternatives to conventional products. Items like electrolytes flavored with organic fruit powders and sugar-free lemonade provide practical solutions to common health challenges.
• Taylor's social media presence focuses on education through "healthy swaps" that show practical, cost-neutral alternatives to processed foods. These visual comparisons make healthy choices accessible to busy parents shopping on budgets.
• The community model recognizes that lasting health changes require more than information—they require connection, support, and practical implementation help that extends beyond individual consultations.

Taylor's integrative approach to brain cancer recovery demonstrates that conventional and holistic treatments can work synergistically for optimal outcomes. Her emphasis on addressing root causes while building sustainable healthy habits provides a roadmap for both cancer prevention and recovery support.