EP 133: Navigating Post-Cancer Health: 4 Essential Tests for Optimal Wellness

TL;DR

A few weeks ago someone asked me on Instagram: if I could only choose four tests to check whether the terrain — the internal environment — is still safe for cancer to return, which four would I pick? This episode is the answer.

The four are a metabolic panel (glucose, insulin, HbA1c, triglyceride/HDL ratio, hsCRP, vitamin D, homocysteine), deuterium levels, the omega-3 index, and 8-Oxo-guanine (a marker of oxidative DNA damage).

I also cover four bonus markers — LDH, NK cell activity, ferritin, and GlycoMark — and where to get several of these run yourself if your doctor won’t order them.

* Book a Metabolic Blueprint Session with me: calendly.com/tripleplaydoc/complimentary-consult

* Order your own omega-3 index test: OmegaQuant

* The core idea: the right question isn’t “did it come back” — it’s “is my body still a place cancer could thrive.” That’s the terrain, and it’s what conventional follow-up rarely checks.

* Test 1 — Metabolic Terrain Panel: glucose, insulin, HbA1c, triglyceride/HDL ratio, hs-CRP, vitamin D, and homocysteine. Insulin resistance and chronic inflammation are consistently linked to cancer recurrence,¹ and “normal” lab ranges are far looser than the optimal ranges Dr. Mike targets post-cancer.

* Case story: “Sandra” had a clean oncology bill of health, but her metabolic panel told a different story — every marker inside “normal,” every one outside optimal. Six months of correcting it, and she felt like herself again.

* Test 2 — Deuterium levels: an overlooked marker of mitochondrial function. Excess deuterium gums up ATP production, and cancer cells’ metabolism may get a competitive edge in a high-deuterium environment.³

* Test 3 — Omega-3 Index: a ~3-month tissue-level reading of EPA/DHA in red blood cells — a better marker than diet recall, with direct ties to inflammation and immune surveillance.⁵ Order it yourself through OmegaQuant.

* Test 4 — 8-Oxo-guanine: a direct, real-time biomarker of oxidative DNA damage — not theoretical risk.⁶

* Bonus markers: LDH, NK cell activity, ferritin, and GlycoMark round out the picture when standard labs won’t order the core four.

* Bottom line: these aren’t one-and-done tests — they’re a dashboard. Ask for them by name, and track trends over 3/6/12 months.

References

* Obesity, metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, and chronic inflammation as drivers of cancer risk and recurrence — Klinická onkologie: 10.48095/ccko2026S36

* Vitamin D’s role in immune function, anti-tumor effect, and patient prognosis — Nutrients: 10.3390/nu15112592

* Blocking intracellular deuterium accumulation prevents cancer-related gene expression, tumor development, and tumor recurrence — 10.1177/10732748211068963

* Deuterium-depleted water inhibits proliferation and migration of cancer cells in vitro — Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy: 10.1016/j.biopha.2013.02.001

* Omega-3 index / red blood cell EPA+DHA methodology — Journal of Clinical Lipidology: 10.1016/j.jacl.2019.07.001

* OGG1 and repair of 8-oxoguanine oxidative DNA lesions, linking oxidative damage to cancer and inflammation — DNA Repair: 10.1016/j.dnarep.2025.103827

* Natural killer cell activity and tumor immune surveillance — International Immunopharmacology: 10.1016/j.intimp.2026.117160

Links mentioned:

* Book a Metabolic Blueprint Session: calendly.com/tripleplaydoc/complimentary-consult

* Order an omega-3 index test: OmegaQuant

Disclaimer: This article is educational, not medical advice. Please talk to your doctor or a qualified functional medicine practitioner before ordering or acting on any of the labs discussed below, especially if you’re currently in treatment, pregnant, nursing, or managing another chronic condition. Optimal ranges cited here reflect my own clinical approach and are not a replacement for guidance from your own care team.