At St. George Hospital, we believe chemotherapy can be made more intelligent — and less harmful. Insulin Potentiated Chemotherapy (IPT) uses the body’s own biology to selectively enhance drug delivery into cancer cells, allowing much lower doses of chemotherapy with superior targeting and fewer side effects. With over 40 years of experience in integrative oncology, we apply IPT in combination with hyperthermia, mistletoe, and immunotherapy for a comprehensive, patient-centered cancer strategy.
What is IPT?
IPT stands for Insulin Potentiated Therapy, a technique that leverages the metabolic vulnerability of cancer cells. Unlike healthy cells, tumors depend heavily on glucose for energy and express upregulated insulin and IGF-1 receptors. By briefly lowering blood sugar with a controlled insulin dose, we create a state where cancer cells aggressively open their membranes — becoming hyper-receptive to incoming drugs.During this window, a fractional dose of chemotherapy is administered, which enters malignant cells far more efficiently than in conventional delivery.
Unlike conventional chemotherapy, which floods the body and harms rapidly dividing cells indiscriminately, IPT targets the tumor's metabolic profile:
Lower incidence of fatigue, mucositis, neuropathy, and cytopeniaPatients report improved resilience, mental clarity, and ability to maintain strength during treatment cycles.
IPT is used in cancers where traditional chemotherapy has failed, or where patients cannot tolerate full-dose protocols:
Late-stage patients needing gentle cytoreductionWe combine IPT with hyperthermia, PDT, and immune infusions for synergistic anti-tumor effects and better systemic control.
IPT is based on over 70 years of clinical application and modern molecular insights. Studies have demonstrated that insulin acts as a biological transporter, enhancing uptake of chemotherapeutic agents such as 5-FU, cyclophosphamide, and methotrexate by cancer cells while leaving healthy cells less affected. Pilot studies and case series have shown tumor regression with minimal toxicity, particularly when IPT is paired with adjunctive metabolic and oxidative therapies. In vitro and animal studies support that glucose deprivation combined with insulin and low-dose chemo results in greater apoptosis and cell cycle arrest than chemo alone. More recent functional imaging suggests better tumor absorption and clearance rates under insulin modulation.
