We discovered Jane McLelland and her book *How to Starve Cancer* quite early in Stu's journey. Our copy of the first edition ended up absolutely covered in highlighter pen.

It introduced us to a completely different way of thinking about cancer and led us further into the worlds of cancer metabolism, repurposed medications, supplements and integrative oncology. More than anything, it gave us more questions to ask, more things to research and more avenues to explore.

WHO IS JANE MCLELLAND?

Jane McLelland is a former chartered physiotherapist and cancer survivor who has spent many years researching cancer metabolism and the potential use of existing off-label drugs, supplements, diet and other interventions alongside conventional cancer treatment.

Jane was originally diagnosed with cervical cancer in the 1990s, which later spread to her lungs. She subsequently developed treatment-related leukaemia. She has written extensively about the combination of conventional treatment, diet, exercise, supplements and repurposed medications she used during her own cancer treatment.

Her book, *How to Starve Cancer*, sets out what she calls the **Metro Map**, a way of looking at the different fuel sources and pathways cancer cells may use and considering multiple ways of targeting them. The basic principle that stayed with us was that cancer is incredibly adaptable. Block one route and it may find another, so rather than looking for one magic bullet, Jane's approach looks at multiple pathways simultaneously.

REPURPOSED DRUGS

A huge part of Jane's work involves **repurposed or off-label medications**. These are established drugs originally licensed for other conditions which are being investigated for potential effects on cancer biology.

Drugs such as metformin, statins, mebendazole and doxycycline are examples we encountered during Stu's treatment and we eventually used all four through the Care Oncology protocol. There are many other medications discussed within Jane's work.

It's important to understand that a biological rationale or promising laboratory study isn't the same thing as clinical evidence that a drug improves outcomes for people with a particular cancer. The evidence varies enormously between different drugs and cancer types. For us, Jane's work was therefore never a replacement for oncology. It was a starting point for research and conversations with people who understood the medicine considerably better than we did.

OUR EXPERIENCE

We read the first edition of Jane's book quite early in Stu's journey. It led us to Jane's online community and eventually to people working in integrative oncology.

One of those people was **Dr Etienne Callebout**, who Jane had worked with herself. We consulted with Dr Callebout and he became an important part of the wider team we built around Stu. He carried out extensive testing and helped us create a personalised protocol of supplements and additional treatments alongside Stu's conventional and other cancer treatments. Very sadly, Dr Callebout died in early 2022 and Jane later wrote a tribute to him.

We also worked with **Patrice Surley** and **Dr Michael Castro**, who helped us navigate repurposed medications, supplements, Stu's molecular information and the increasingly enormous treatment plan we were building.

One of the things we found particularly useful about Jane's work was the concept of the **Metro Map**. The easiest way I can describe it is to imagine cancer's metabolic pathways as a transport network. If you close one line, there may be another route available. The aim is therefore to understand the different routes a cancer may be using and consider whether there are safe and appropriate ways of blocking several of them.

We built our own personalised version for Stu, and I use the word *personalised* deliberately. We didn't simply copy Jane's protocol. Stu had glioblastoma, his own molecular tumour profile, other treatments, prescription medications, blood results, symptoms and medical history. All of those things mattered.

We put together a spreadsheet containing the recommendations we'd received from CeGaT, Alacris, Cellworks and Care Oncology alongside information from Jane's work and advice from Patrice, Dr Callebout and Dr Castro. We then tried to make sure the people involved in Stu's care knew what else he was taking, which became increasingly important as the list grew.

SUPPLEMENTS AND INTERACTIONS

Something I feel much more strongly about now is that **supplements aren't automatically harmless because they're natural**. Neither are repurposed medications harmless simply because they've been safely used for another condition for decades.

They can interact with prescription medications, affect blood results and cause side effects. Something theoretically helpful in one context could potentially be unhelpful in another.

I therefore wouldn't recommend somebody reading Jane's book, building a huge protocol and starting it alone. Use the information to learn and ask questions. If you want to investigate an integrative or metabolic approach, work with appropriately qualified medical professionals who can look at the whole picture.

2026 UPDATE

Jane continues to write and speak about cancer metabolism, repurposed medications and the approach she describes in *How to Starve Cancer*. The broader scientific interest in cancer metabolism and drug repurposing has also continued to develop.

That isn't the same as saying that the complete *How to Starve Cancer* approach has been clinically proven as a treatment for glioblastoma or cancer generally. There is research behind many of the individual biological mechanisms, medications and metabolic pathways discussed within this area, but the strength of evidence varies considerably.

For anyone exploring it now, I'd approach Jane's work in the same way I would any of the additional avenues on this site: **learn, research, ask questions and discuss what you find with qualified people who understand your individual cancer and the treatments you're already receiving.**

HINDSIGHT

WHAT WE KNOW NOW THAT WE WISH WE'D KNOWN THEN

When Stu was diagnosed, we didn't know what an integrative oncologist was. We didn't know what a repurposed cancer drug was, what cancer metabolism meant or that people were sequencing tumours, looking at molecular pathways and building personalised treatment protocols.

We knew absolutely fuck all about any of it. Why would we? Until someone you love gets cancer, most people don't spend their evenings reading research papers about metabolic pathways and molecular oncology.

We initially did what I suspect most people do and trusted that we'd be told about the things we needed to know. Then we gradually discovered this enormous world of information ourselves. Jane's book was one of the things that opened that door, and I wish we'd found that world sooner.

The bigger lesson, though, is that **I wouldn't try to do so much of it ourselves again**. Finding more options was empowering. Trying to research and coordinate all of them ourselves was exhausting. I was reading books and studies, sitting in Facebook groups, making spreadsheets, researching drugs and supplements, checking interactions, talking to patients, caregivers and doctors and trying to understand Stu's molecular reports, while simultaneously trying to be Stu's wife.

If I could go back, I'd still read Jane's book. I'd still want to understand the Metro Map and investigate repurposed medications, cancer metabolism and integrative oncology. But I'd build the qualified team around us much earlier.

I'd want a neuro-oncologist and someone experienced in molecular and precision oncology. If we were going to explore supplements, metabolic approaches and repurposed medications, I'd also want an appropriately qualified clinician who understood those areas. Then I'd use what I was learning to participate in those conversations rather than feeling responsible for working everything out myself.

And yes, I'd use AI now too, but as a research and understanding tool rather than a doctor. I'd use it to help explain studies and terminology, organise information, investigate potential interactions and formulate questions to take back to the people treating Stu. It could have taken some of the sheer cognitive load out of what we were trying to do.

For me, that's probably the biggest lesson from Jane's work. **More information can be incredibly empowering, but you shouldn't have to become an oncologist yourself to use it.**

CURRENT INFORMATION

Jane McLelland continues to publish information about cancer metabolism and repurposed medications through *How to Starve Cancer* and her online platforms.

If you're interested in her work, I'd start with her current information rather than relying solely on what we were reading and doing in 2021. Find her website here.

jane mclelland -
how to starve cancer