Book Review: How to Starve Cancer, by Jane McLelland

How To Starve Cancer: A Critical Review of Jane McLelland's Metabolic Approach

Examining the Promise and Controversies of Multi-Target Cancer Treatment

Jane McLelland

Jane McLelland's journey from Stage 1b cervical cancer to lung metastasis led her to develop a multi-pathway approach combining conventional therapies with repurposed drugs, supplements, and lifestyle changes. While her metabolic "starvation" strategy offers intriguing insights into cancer treatment, significant questions remain about her claimed leukemia diagnosis and the actual role of her drug cocktail in her recovery.

Book Overview

Published: September 25, 2018
Pages: 404
ISBN: 9780951951736
Website: www.howtostarvecancer.com

Jane McLelland's book chronicles her 25-year battle with cancer, beginning with a Stage 1b cervical cancer diagnosis at age 30. What sets her story apart is her systematic approach to combining conventional treatments with repurposed drugs and targeted supplements, based on her understanding of cancer's metabolic vulnerabilities.

The Cancer Journey Timeline

1994: Diagnosed with Stage 1b cervical cancer at age 30. Underwent surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. Began dietary changes: eliminated sugar, wheat, and dairy; supplemented with vitamins C and E, plus glucosamine sulfate for knee pain.

1999: Cancer metastasized to lungs with a golf ball-sized tumor. Before surgery, she strategically took ginger, curcumin, and omega-3 to reduce inflammation. Her supplement regimen expanded to include green tea, ellagic acid, resveratrol, milk thistle, pycnogenol, B12, folate, glucosamine sulfate, and CLA.

2000: Underwent chemotherapy with Gemcitabine, Cisplatin, and 5-FU. Her SCC (squamous cell carcinoma) marker dropped dramatically from nearly 600 to 130 (normal range). Started intravenous vitamin C and began taking berberine before chemotherapy sessions.

2003: A controversial blood analysis revealed rouleaux formations, leading to concerns about blood abnormalities. Began her famous drug cocktail: metformin, statins, dipyridamole, aspirin, and etodolac. Continued intravenous vitamin C treatments.

2004: When SCC markers increased, she resumed her drug cocktail and restarted berberine. Within two months, markers normalized, and CT scans showed no disease progression.

The Leukemia Controversy

Critical Analysis: McLelland claims to have developed therapy-related leukemia but never presents an official oncologist diagnosis. Her conclusion is based solely on blood analysis from Dr. Kenyon, a practitioner barred from medicine in the UK. This ambiguity is crucial because she credits her drug cocktail with stopping "incurable" leukemia progression—a claim that requires rigorous medical verification.

The book's most controversial claim centers on McLelland's assertion that she developed and conquered therapy-related leukemia using her metabolic approach. When questioned directly in podcasts, she provides evasive answers about this diagnosis. This ambiguity raises important questions: Was her cancer potentially cured by conventional chemotherapy in 2000? The timeline certainly suggests this possibility.

The Metabolic "Metro Map"

McLelland's signature contribution is her metabolic pathway visualization—an isosceles triangle representing cancer stem cell nutrition:

• Triangle Base: Fatty acid pathway
• Left Side: Glutamine pathway
• Right Side: Glucose pathway
• Center: Acetyl-CoA (the metabolic hub)

This map guides readers toward specific drugs and supplements that theoretically block multiple cancer fuel sources simultaneously—the essence of her "starvation" strategy.

The Intravenous Vitamin C Misattribution

McLelland incorrectly claims that Linus Pauling advocated intravenous vitamin C administration. Historical evidence shows Pauling consistently favored oral vitamin C, taking 12-18 grams daily in crystal form. This misattribution undermines the credibility of her vitamin C recommendations.

Repurposed Drug Insights

The book's most valuable contribution may be its comprehensive coverage of repurposed drugs for cancer treatment. McLelland was pioneering in using medications like metformin, statins, and dipyridamole for cancer—approaches that have since gained scientific interest and clinical investigation.

Her drug combinations target multiple pathways:

• Metformin: Metabolic disruption, mTOR pathway inhibition
• Statins: Cholesterol synthesis blockade
• Dipyridamole: Adenosine pathway interference
• Aspirin: Anti-inflammatory and anti-platelet effects
• Berberine: AMPK activation, glucose metabolism disruption

Critical Assessment

Strengths: Pioneering work in metabolic cancer treatment, comprehensive drug repurposing information, systematic multi-pathway approach, early adoption of now-validated concepts like cancer metabolism targeting.

Weaknesses: Unverified leukemia diagnosis, historical inaccuracies about vitamin C research, overly dramatic portrayal of medical system, harsh judgment of oncologists whose treatments likely contributed significantly to her recovery.

Bottom Line

McLelland's book offers valuable insights into metabolic approaches to cancer treatment and drug repurposing strategies. However, readers should approach her claims critically, particularly regarding her leukemia diagnosis and the relative contributions of conventional versus alternative treatments to her survival.

The book's true value lies not in its personal narrative but in its systematic approach to multi-pathway cancer treatment—an concept increasingly supported by current cancer research. For patients with advanced cancer, this book should be read alongside professional medical guidance, not as a substitute for evidence-based care.

⚠️ If you're exploring IV Vitamin C therapy, this article details critical factors to consider.

Last updated: March 24, 2025