After spending nearly two decades in academic medicine, including completing post-graduate training programs in Internal Medicine, Hematology-Oncology, Cancer Prevention Research, and Clinical Cancer Genetics, Melanie R. Palomares, M.D., M.S., affectionately known as “Dr. Mel”, founded the Cancer Prevention Movement. She uses her unique training experience to practice as a Preventive Oncologist, specializing in cancer prevention, early detection, and risk assessment.
ONE HUNDRED MILLION – that’s how many cells make up a marble-sized tumor. It takes a single cell 5-20 years to grow to that size. Yet cancer is one of the top two disease-related killers in the world! With exponential growth, waiting for a diagnosis is simply too late. The best cure is one that starts while you are still relatively healthy. This is the basis for Preventive Oncology.
Over two decades as a medical oncologist, first at the University of Washington and then at the City of Hope, I witnessed many patient stories. But then my uncle died of leukemia, and my grandmother of lung cancer. It had become personal! So, I changed my strategy, went back to school to study epidemiology and genetics, and focused on cancer prevention, first in families with cancer-associated gene mutations. But, only 5-10% of cancers are hereditary… I wanted more impact!
Then came the day that changed my life: my husband was hospitalized for a drug overdose. His addiction took us on a wild ride of financial ruin that led me to stress-related weight gain, high blood pressure, and… yes, cancer: melanoma—cured with surgery alone, because, fortunately, I knew how to recognize it early.
Everything changed when I took a step back from taking care of everyone else and gave myself permission to take care of myself. I began a long, slow, but deliberate path to “Physician, Heal Thyself.“
