I Fought Cancer by Starving Its Survival System
| Dear Fighter, When I was first diagnosed with colorectal cancer March 17th, I felt like the ground dropped beneath me. But instead of surrendering to fear, I started researching — not just what cancer is, but how it survives. What I discovered changed everything. I learned that cancer doesn’t grow by accident. It has a plan — a survival system made up of 10 powerful pathways that help it grow, spread, and hide from the immune system. These pathways aren’t just random. They are how cancer adapts, resists treatment, and avoids death. Here’s what I learned: PI3K/Akt/mTOR – Cancer’s growth engine. Wnt/β-Catenin – Keeps cells stem-like and resistant. NF-κB – Fuels inflammation and tumor protection. HIF-1α – Helps cancer survive low-oxygen. STAT3 – Turns off immune responses. MAPK/ERK – Increases spread and movement. MYC – Accelerates cell duplication. Telomerase – Prevents aging, gives immortality. Glutathione Shield – Blocks immune attacks. Iron Metabolism – Fuels rapid regrowth. Blocking just a few wouldn’t be enough. So I built a strategy to target them all — timing my actions carefully and designing my entire day around this war. I learned how to lower cancer’s glutathione shield at the right time, then rebuild my immune system afterward with antioxidants. I starved cancer of sugar, protein, and iron — while feeding myself the fats and nutrients healthy cells need. This was not passive healing. It’s a daily battle. But with each day, I’ve gotten stronger. I now believe cancer can be defeated not just by attacking it — but by understanding how it survives and shutting down every escape route it has. If you’re reading this, know that you’re not powerless. Cancer has a playbook — and once you learn it, you can write a new ending. Explore a world of cancer knowledge on this site. Fight The Good Fight, Triumph Michael Duffy |
A Hard Truth About Cancer: A Letter from Someone in the Fight
Dear Friend,
I want to share something from the heart — not to discourage anyone, but to make sure the truth is told plainly, without false hope or oversimplification.
I’m sorry to say this, but taking one or two dewormers or adding a few supplements is not enough to kill cancer. I truly wish it were that simple. The idea that a single compound or quick fix might be a secret cure is comforting. But cancer is far more complex and deeply rooted than it seems.
Even if you’re lucky enough to see your cancer go into remission — and scans like PET, CT, or MRI come back clear — that doesn’t mean the fight is over. These machines can only detect tumors once they’ve grown large enough — around a billion cells or more clumped together. That means millions of microscopic cancer cells could still be floating through your bloodstream or hiding in your lymph nodes, bones, or fat tissue, undetectable… waiting.
Cancer doesn’t just sit in one place. It spreads quietly, adapts, and hides. It can reappear when your guard is down — when your immune system is weak or your body is under stress. That’s what makes it such a terrible, relentless disease.
This isn’t to scare you. It’s because we must be serious about the long game. Real healing isn’t just about shrinking a tumor or seeing a clear scan. It’s about changing the environment that allowed cancer to grow in the first place. Reprogram your metabolism. Starve cancer of sugar, protein, and iron. Shut down all the survival pathways. Rebuild your immune system until your T cells and NK cells patrol your body like an army, every day.
Cancer isn’t a battle you win and walk away from. It’s a discipline you carry forward. You can’t hit it once and forget — you need a strategy that works daily, monthly, yearly. One that breaks down its defenses, restores your biology, and prevents its return.
One pill won’t do it. It takes more. But if you stay committed, stay educated, and stay disciplined, you can turn the odds in your favor.
This isn’t about fear. It’s about facing reality with strength, wisdom, and action.
With respect and solidarity,
Michael Duffy
Why Your Urine Smells Like a Dirty Fish Tank (And Why That’s Actually Good News)
Dear Friend,
I want to talk about something that most people never warn you about when you’re doing deep fasting, a strict keto diet, or really pushing your body into autophagy: that odd, unmistakable “dirty fish tank” smell that can show up in your urine or your stool. If you’ve noticed it, you’re not alone — it’s one of those strange things that a lot of us only find out about after reading deep forum threads or posts on X, long after we’ve already started wondering if something’s wrong.
The truth is, it’s not usually dangerous. In fact, it’s mostly your body doing exactly what you asked it to do: recycle old cells and waste so you can heal. But I know it can be unsettling, so let me explain it to you in plain terms, the way I wish someone had done for me.
When you fast or cut carbs drastically, your body turns up autophagy — your cells cleaning house. Damaged proteins, old cell parts, and junk get broken down, releasing nitrogen waste in the form of ammonia. Your liver normally converts ammonia to urea, which your kidneys flush out. But during fasting or ketosis, protein recycling goes into overdrive, so there’s more ammonia — and ammonia has that pungent, fishy smell.
Your gut bacteria pitch in too. When carbs disappear, the balance in your gut shifts. Bacteria that thrive on proteins and choline step up. Some make trimethylamine (TMA), which smells fishy. If your liver can’t convert TMA fast enough, it exits through urine and stool, adding to the “dirty fish tank” vibe.
Add in ketones and sulfur and it’s a perfect storm. Ketones can smell sweet or fruity, but mixed with ammonia and TMA, things get musty. Sulfur compounds from certain amino acids (like eggs) can give a rotten egg smell. If you’re dehydrated — common while fasting — the waste gets more concentrated, so the smell is stronger.
Most of the time, this is not dangerous. It means your body is doing its cellular spring cleaning. But watch for red flags: a strong ammonia smell plus confusion, yellowing skin, or fatigue could mean your liver needs help. Rare conditions like trimethylaminuria (TMAU) can cause fishy smells that don’t go away — if it persists for weeks, see your doctor.
How to help: drink more water than you think you need — at least 2.5 to 4 liters daily when fasting or deep in keto. Add electrolytes. Support your liver with milk thistle, dandelion root tea, and B vitamins. Add fiber (psyllium husk, flaxseed) to keep waste moving. Bitters like dandelion tea or apple cider vinegar can help bile flow. If you suspect TMA, cut back on choline-rich foods like eggs or fish for a bit. Keep protein moderate — 0.8 to 1.2 grams per kilogram is usually enough.
Most people share these stories on X — folks doing 5-day fasts wondering why they smell like a fish market. For most, it goes away once you hydrate, add electrolytes, and let your body adapt.
It may be weird, but that smell means your body is taking out the trash — breaking down old, damaged bits that needed to go. That’s what autophagy is for. If anything feels off, don’t guess — basic bloodwork is cheap insurance that your liver and kidneys are fine.
This path isn’t always pretty. Sometimes it stinks — literally. But it means you’re healing. Keep showing up for yourself. Hydrate, stay curious, and adjust when needed. You’re not alone.
If you ever need to compare notes or talk it through, I’m here.
With respect and understanding,
Michael Duffy
Why Protocol 2 Works: A Letter on Redundancy, Double Attacks & On-Contact Kill
Dear Fighter,
If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the idea that cancer has so many survival tricks, you’re not alone. I felt the same way when I first learned that my cancer wasn’t just sitting there waiting to be zapped away — it was actively using multiple pathways to grow, spread, and hide. That’s why I built Protocol 2 around one idea: redundancy. If cancer can survive in ten different ways, we need to hit it in ten different ways — and back those hits up with layers of timing, synergy, and daily repetition.
Protocol 2 wasn’t born overnight. It came from nights reading clinical studies, survivor stories, and pages of biochemical research — all to find out how we could stack the odds in our favor. I learned early on that doing one thing, once in a while, just isn’t enough. Cancer loves gaps. It loves to adapt. It finds your weak spots and your bad days and waits for the moment when you’re not looking. So I wanted a plan that closed those gaps — and forced cancer to fight for its life every single day.
The power of Protocol 2 is that it has two distinct attack phases, not just one. Let me break that down for you in normal words.
The first attack phase is built around B17 (Apricot Seeds) — and if your tumor is anywhere in the digestive tract, this is extra powerful because B17 works right at the site of contact. The cyanogenic compounds in B17 are metabolized by enzymes that are more active in cancer cells than healthy cells. When those compounds hit the tumor area, they produce a small but potent amount of cyanide — enough to damage cancer’s weak spots but not enough to harm healthy tissue. I know it sounds shocking, but that “on contact kill” is exactly why so many people around the world keep using B17.
But that’s just the first hit. Protocol 2 uses other supplements with their own “on contact” kill factors too — especially in the digestive tract. Compounds like Curcumin (from turmeric), high-dose Green Tea Extract (EGCG), Artemisinin (Sweet Wormwood), and Berberine have been shown to damage or destabilize cancer cells right where they’re exposed. These natural agents hit cancer’s fuel lines, damage its mitochondria, and break down its glutathione shield — which is basically the armor cancer uses to block immune cells and oxidative stress.
Then there’s the second attack phase — this is where Protocol 2 brings in radiation for those who choose it. When you time it right, adding oxidative therapies like radiation while the supplements are stripping away glutathione makes each blast of radiation up to 1.5 to 3 times more effective, depending on your specific situation. Why? Because the pathways that normally help cancer resist that damage are weakened or blocked entirely. If you have blockages or necrotic (dead) tumor tissue in the way, the effect can be even stronger — because more oxidative stress builds up exactly where you want it.
Think about it like this: imagine you’re attacking a fortress. Cancer has walls, towers, secret tunnels, and soldiers hiding underground. Protocol 2 is like sending in two waves of battering rams. The first one smashes the gates wide open — B17 and other “on contact” killers create holes in the armor. The second wave — radiation plus oxidative supplements — storms in when the walls are down and the cancer cells are exposed, confused, and low on reinforcements.
On top of that, the daily cycle repeats itself. You don’t just throw everything at cancer once and hope for the best. Each day, you have a planned kill window where you starve cancer, attack it, and lower its defenses. Then you have a rebuild window — the part most people ignore — where you feed your healthy cells, repair your immune system, and get ready to do it all over again. It’s a discipline — but it’s doable. It’s science meeting stubborn determination.
Some people ask me, “Isn’t all this overkill? Can’t I just take one thing and be done?” I wish I could tell you yes. I really do. But I’d rather give you the truth. Cancer fights to survive — and it will find any open door. Protocol 2 closes every door I could find: it blocks glucose metabolism, protein pathways, iron scavenging, DNA repair loopholes, and the glutathione antioxidant armor. It feeds your healthy cells good fats while starving the tumor’s favorite fuel. It uses redundancy, so even if one compound slips through the cracks, another one is waiting.
If you’re fighting digestive tract cancer, the “on contact” effect is your secret weapon. That direct exposure means every apricot seed, every gram of curcumin, every milligram of berberine is working exactly where you need it. For cancers outside the gut, the stack still works — you’re hitting circulating cells, lymph nodes, and any rogue cells hiding where scans can’t see them.
I’m not here to say this is a cure. Nothing in life is guaranteed. But if you want a strategy that takes away cancer’s excuses and escape routes, you need a plan that’s more stubborn than the disease itself. That’s why Protocol 2 exists. It’s not a magic bullet — it’s an entire daily battle plan you can actually follow.
There’s now a new downloadable daily schedule for Protocol 2 that shows you exactly how to time your fasts, attack phases, supplements, and rebuild windows. It’s been optimized for the supplements used — so you’re not just guessing, you’re fighting smart.
So whether you’re just starting your fight or looking to make your plan stronger, remember this: redundancy is your friend. Timing is your friend. Daily discipline is your friend. No matter how bad it gets, don’t let cancer rest — because you don’t have to do it alone, and you’re not powerless.
Stay sharp. Stay hungry for knowledge. And never forget: the war is won by showing up for yourself every single day.
Fight the good fight,
Michael Duffy
Why Protocol 2 Lite Might Be the Better Way to Start
Dear Fighter,
I want to be real with you — Protocol 2 was built with one idea in mind: maximum redundancy. That means stacking multiple supplements and strategies to hit cancer from every possible angle, every single day. It works. But it’s a lot. It’s a lot of pills, a lot of cost, and a lot of moving parts to keep track of — and for some people, that can get overwhelming fast.
That’s why I now recommend Protocol 2 Lite for most people starting out. It still hits the major pathways, still blocks cancer’s fuel lines, and still delivers nearly the same “kill power” — but it does it with fewer supplements, less redundancy, and a much lighter load on your wallet. It’s a lot easier to stay disciplined when you don’t feel buried under pills and costs.
If down the road you want to add more layers — more supplements, more phases, more redundancy — that door is always open. You can always build back up to full Protocol 2 if your situation calls for it. But for most fighters, starting with Protocol 2 Lite means you can stick with it day after day — and that’s what counts most.
Remember, it’s not about doing more. It’s about doing what works — every day, with discipline.
Fight the good fight,
Michael Duffy
