An internationally respected author, lecturer, professional and consultant in the field of nutrition, Patrick Quillin is a highly skilled innovator, a talented man who is dedicated to finding solutions to better health care for people with cancer.

He has committed much of his life to the advancement of cancer research and treatment from a nutritional standpoint. From 1990 to 2000 he served as Vice President of Nutrition for the Cancer Treatment Centers of America.

Through 27 plus years of experiences as a clinical nutritionist, he has helped change the lives of many cancer patients. When it comes to achieving optimal health and fighting cancer, Quillin is considered a hero to many people.

As a young child Patrick always had an interest in what made things tick. From taking apart watches to dissecting worms, Patrick had a mind for science. Much to his parent’s regret, they bought him five inexpensive watches for five birthdays in a row and he took them all apart and couldn’t put them back together. At age ten or eleven he began dissecting worms to see what was inside of them.

It seemed that he was destined to follow a path that lead to science. He attended Notre Dame to study pre-medicine for two years, but it didn’t quite satisfy him. He believed that drugs and medicine were not components of an organism and they do not necessarily fix all health problems. So, he attended San Diego State and began studying nutrition. He continued his education and earned a Masters and Doctorate, and became a Registered Dietician and Certified Nutrition Specialist.

Quillin believes that nutrition plays an important role in health but we are a lot more complicated than what we eat. Attitude, exercise, toxins and other factors also influence health.

After graduating from college, Quillin taught nutrition, worked with clinics and spas and with plastic surgeons, using nutrients to improve recovery after plastic surgery.

What inspired him to focus on nutrition for cancer patients were his findings that the second leading cause of death at that time, in 1989, was cancer. According to studies, forty percent of cancer patients actually died of malnutrition. As a nutritionist he believed he had something to offer – his knowledge, expertise and a holistic approach.

Exceptional Magazine had the opportunity to speak with Quillin in-depth about his career as a nutritionist and his passion for helping cancer patients live full lives.

As vice president of Nutrition for the Cancer Treatment Center of America, he helped organized three international conferences on nutrition and cancer called Adjuvant Nutrition in Cancer Treatment.

His contributions to the field of nutrition have had a major impact on the lives of many cancer patients.

Quillin says, “A well-nourished cancer patient can better manage the disease.” His view is that as a cancer patient you should be adding nutrition to all cancer treatments rather than solely depending on radiation, chemotherapy and surgery as the only solutions.

According to Quillin, nutrition such as intravenous Vitamin C and high-dozes of fish oil can possibly aid in reversing cancer without damaging any healthy cells.

His research and studies have had a major impact on the way many view cancer and the overall approach to recovery.

His contributions to the cancer health and nutrition industry has garnered him the utmost respect from many of his peers and over 1 million people who have purchased his books. Quillin has worked with the Department of Agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration, National Institutes of Health Office of Alternative Medicine, US Army Breast Cancer Research Project, other government agencies, the media and many physicians.

Quillin took time to answer a few questions for Exceptional People Magazine.

EPM: You wrote a pamphlet called “Why Cancer Will Soon Be the Number One Killer”. Why do you think it will be the number one killer and is there a way to prevent it?

Quillin: We’re not genetically defective. We haven’t changed genetically in the past 30 or 40 years but it’s our lifestyle — poor diet, a lack of exercise, exposure to toxins, obesity, and the business of electromagnetic fields. Toxins, poor diets, stress, and lack of exercise are the main factors that are creating the cancer epidemic in the country.

EPM: You focus on nutritional health. There are so many people who are overweight. What is your position on the nutrition today and what approach would you recommend for overall improved health?

Quillin: It’s going to have to start with personal accountability. In my humble opinion, what we are doing is trying to take people who are like a barn on fire and trying to save the barn (or person) while the arsonist keeps adding gasoline to the burning barn. We need some level of education. The school system should be teaching the basics of nutrition education and body maintenance.

EPM: Most people are looking for a quick fix to good health and weight loss. What is your opinion on diet pills, even those that claim to contain natural ingredients?

Quillin: That is a good question. Obesity leads to insulin resistance and diabetes which often times leads to cancer. We find a domino effect happening. The first fall of the domino for many people is hurried eating which leads to the consumption of fast foods which are rarely nourishing. These foods are usually high in sugar and fat. Compounding the problem, many of these people who live on fast food also get no exercise. Somewhere between the wrong diet and no exercise, two out of three American adults are now overweight and actually the percentage is getting close to that for children. I believe it is one out of three American children that is overweight. When I was a kid, very few children were fat. If kids are overweight, they are more likely to become overweight adults, which increase the risks for diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, cancer.

I’m not a big fan of the quick-fix remedies. People have to start realizing there’s a personal accountability. I was shocked when I saw people suing the fast food industry because they were fat. One of the biggest problems is lack of education.

EPM: In addition to being a successful nutritionist for cancer patients you also are an accomplished musician and inventor. What instruments do you play?

Quillin: Guitar and piano. I play at a local restaurant every Wednesday. I never took formal lessons but I had a natural knack for music. I have about 300 songs memorized that I can play well on guitar and about 20 songs that I can play well on the piano.

To me it is a sense of emotional uplifting. Playing an instrument helps with the development of the brain. I play music as a form of relaxation.

EPM: The work you do is so intense and involved. What do you do to relax and how do you find the time to do it?

Quillin: I enjoy the outdoors, the beach, snorkeling, biking, hiking, camping and more.

EPM: You have invented a couple of products: The sinus cleanser and the low splash steady state waterfall. Can you explain them a little?

I have two patents. The waterfall was invented because there is a great deal of peace involved in falling waters. When you go into a nice hotel oftentimes there’s a waterfall. I invented a waterfall that you can use indoors and it doesn’t splash. It doesn’t have anything to do with nutrition but it’s a part of my inventive nature.

As far as the sinus cleanser, I was raised in Illinois and I had a lot of sinus problems. Any place where you have warm humid climate you oftentimes have people with sinus problems. So I moved from Illinois to California where I had fewer sinus problems but they still existed, then I moved to Oklahoma for 11 years, where the sinus problem became unavoidable. I tried various over-the-counter drugs that didn’t work so I developed what I call Sinus Cleanser, a collection of homeopathic and other natural ingredients that basically cleanse the sinuses. I have been selling it now for five years. I have tens of thousands of people who believe that it has literally changed their lives by allowing them to breathe better.

EPM: What are some of the proudest achievements and moments in your professional life?

Quillin: Professionally I was very proud to put together the three international symposiums where we brought together 400 doctors from around the world at each symposium to discuss the notion of nutrition and cancer. My book “Beating Cancer with Nutrition” has done well. In 1999 it was a best seller in it’s category on Amazon.com.

I received a great deal of feedback from people who said that this book has change their lives or the lives of their brother, sister, father, mother. So that has been professionally very rewarding.

EPM: What do you believe to be the motivating factor(s) in your life that help you achieve success in what you do?

Quillin: A very good question. I think there are too many people who throw their hands up in frustration and say what difference can I make? Well if enough of those people put their hands together instead of throwing their hands up in frustration, we can make a difference. I look at life as sort of a pay it forward. I do believe there is some type of karmic event when you make a difference in the lives of other people.

Quillin’s model for cancer treatment in the 21st century is, there is a harmonious teamwork between the oncologist and the nutritionist where the oncologist uses restraint, not maximum sub-legal chemo. He believes that when oncologists and nutritionists work together, it would result in a better outcome for the patient.

In his book Beating Cancer with Nutrition, Quillin outlines 21 days to a healthier cancer patient. Below are a few of them.

DAY 1: HOPE, OPTIMISM, AND A FIGHTING SPIRIT
Focus on the parts of your body that are working properly, not on the cancer. Since you are alive enough to read this book, then something and perhaps quite a bit are working in your body. Give thanks for everything that you can think of. Thanksgiving is a healing balm on the body and soul.

What are your priorities in life? Have they changed since finding out about your cancer diagnosis? Have they changed for the better? Is it possible that cancer has become a life-threatening, yet valuable wakeup call for you?

We are all going to die. The question is not “if”, but rather “when”. For cancer patients, sometimes this “when” becomes a more immediate issue. But our finite lives should be an issue for all of us, all of the time. Life is precious. Not to be wasted. Many of us cram our days with minutia, trivial details. We spend too much time worrying about insignificant events and lose sight of the real issues in life:

be here now
value your mission
cherish your friends and family
savor sunsets and sunrises
soak up the beauty and music and laughter and play that is all around you, but drowned out by the cacophony of crass commercialism
be at peace with your Creator, however you conceive that Higher Power

People beat cancer all the time. But fear of death is not a reason to live. What do you want them to say at your funeral? “Look, I think she’s moving!!” Not going to happen. Begin today with a renewed sense of purpose and proper perspective for the truly memorable things in life. Build a fighting “can-do” spirit that will serve you well for the coming journey of treating your cancer. Find a “co-patient”, a loved one, or family member who is so supportive that they will keep you motivated when you have run out of steam.
Be enthusiastic. The word “enthusiasm” comes from the Greek words meaning “God within”. With joy, enthusiasm, appreciation, and altruism, we literally become a conduit for God’s life itself.

DAY 2: KNOWLEDGE, OPTIONS, DATA GATHERING
While your doctor who made the cancer diagnosis may have a plan for you, it is probably not the only therapy that is appropriate for your cancer and may not even be the best therapy. You need to explore your options. In today’s society, getting information is easier than ever before. Get on the Internet and spend a few hours gathering data and phone numbers on who can help you with your particular cancer. The more knowledge that you have on the treatment and curing of your cancer, the more likely you are to make the right decision on which “wagon master” to choose for your vital treatment ahead.

Consider hyperthermia as primary or adjunctive therapy for your cancer. The following can provide a detailed report on doctors around the world who have a successful track record in treating your cancer:

Janice Guthrie, Health Resource, ph.800-949-0090
Greg Anderson, CancerRecovery.org, ph.800-238-6479
Frank Wiewel, People Against Cancer, ph.515-972-4444
Susan Silberstein, PhD, Cancer Education, ph.610-642-4810
Steven Ross, PhD, World Research Foundation ph.520-284-3300

DAY 3: THE POWER OF NUTRITIONAL SYNERGISM
Synergism means that 1 + 1 = 3 or 500, but a whole lot more than 2. Synergism tells us that the combined efforts of certain factors yield more than what would have been expected. Do not rely on any “magic bullet” nutrient to beat your cancer. There are no such things. Your body needs the 50 recognized essential nutrients plus a couple of hundred other valuable nutrients that can only be found in a wholesome diet that is supplemented with the right nutrients.

“What is the most important part of a car?” Some people answer: “The engine.” Fine. Then I will give you an engine and let’s see you drive it home. A car, like a healthy human body, is composed of many essential parts. The most important part of the car is the one that is not working. In building a house, all of the raw materials must arrive in the proper ratio at the proper time, otherwise you cannot build a sturdy home. Same thing with the human body. Nutritional synergism says that when you gather the right nutrients together at the right time in the right ratio, the body becomes a lean, mean, disease-fighting machine. Nothing less will do in your quest to beat cancer.

DAY 4: STARVE THE CANCER
Cancer is a sugar-feeder. The scientists call it an “obligate glucose metabolizer”. You can slow cancer growth by lowering the amount of fuel available to the tumor cells. Americans have become humming birds in our constant consumption of sweet fluids and foods. The resulting constant high blood glucose levels yield many diseases, including cancer, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and yeast infections. Trying to beat cancer while eating a diet that constantly raises blood glucose is like trying to put out a forest fire while someone nearby is throwing gasoline on the trees.

Stop eating sugar. Eat very few sweet foods, including high glycemic fruits. Begin an exercise program to burn blood glucose down to a manageable level. Your cancer is not going to be happy as you begin to starve it. You will develop sugar cravings worse than you currently have. Ignore them and push through the discomfort.

Make fish and colorful vegetables the staples in your diet. Eat small amounts of fresh fruits at a mixed meal, which will blunt the rises in blood glucose. Use cinnamon liberally, since it helps to stabilize blood glucose. Take supplements of chromium and magnesium. I have yet to see a cancer patient beat the disease who continued to load up on the average amounts of sugar in our diet, which is 140 pounds per year per person.

While achieving success himself, Quillin’s career in the field of nutrition and overall health has also contributed to better health of thousands of people through his studies, knowledge and inventions.

Dr. Quillin is committed to improving the health of people with cancer and his accomplishments are truly exceptional.

Article originally published in Exceptional People Magazine November 2008