Integrative Support for Bowel, Stomach & Digestive Cancers
If you've been diagnosed with bowel (colorectal), stomach, esophageal, pancreatic or liver cancer, integrative oncology support can help you feel stronger through treatment and recover more fully after.
I work alongside your oncology plan, using safe complimentary medicine, including nutrition, lifestyle techniques, botanical medicine, targeted supplementation and testing to optimize treatment, reduce treatment side effects and build resilience
Digestive Cancers I Work With
Bowel cancer (colorectal cancer, colon cancer, rectal cancer, including Lynch syndrome and FAP)
Appendix cancer (appendiceal cancer, pseudomyxoma peritonei)
Stomach cancer (gastric cancer, gastric adenocarcinoma)
Oesophageal cancer (esophageal cancer, oesophageal adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, gastro-oesophageal junction cancer)
Pancreatic cancer (pancreatic adenocarcinoma, pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours)
Liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma, HCC, fibrolamellar carcinoma)
Bile duct cancer (cholangiocarcinoma, Klatskin tumour)
Gallbladder cancer
Ampullary cancer (ampulla of Vater cancer)
Small bowel cancer (small intestine cancer, small bowel adenocarcinoma)
Anal cancer (anal squamous cell carcinoma)
Neuroendocrine tumours (NETs, carcinoid tumours, GEP-NETs)
Gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GIST)
Peritoneal cancers (peritoneal mesothelioma, peritoneal metastases)
How Digestive Cancers Affect the Whole Body
Your digestive system is where nutrition happens, so digestive cancers and their treatment often hit it hardest. Unintended weight loss, low appetite, changes in bowel function after surgery, and nerve symptoms from chemotherapy agents such as oxaliplatin are all common. Each of these can make treatment harder to tolerate.
My role is to look at the whole picture: your nutrient status, your gut, your energy and your treatment plan. From there we build a protocol that keeps you as well-nourished and resilient as possible.
"The earlier integrative support begins, the more useful it tends to be. But there's no wrong time to start."
— Camille Hoffman, Integrative oncology naturopath
Support at Every Stage
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The weeks before surgery or chemotherapy are an opportunity. Targeted nutritional and physical preparation (known as prehabilitation) has been associated with better recovery after digestive cancer surgery. We use this window to build your reserves so you meet treatment from a stronger starting point.
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The focus here is tolerance: managing nausea, diarrhea, mouth sores, fatigue and neuropathy, and protecting your nutrition. Every herb and supplement is checked against your specific chemotherapy, immunotherapy or targeted therapy. Most get paused during treatment, and what we do use is timed carefully around treatment cycles.
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Recovery after digestive cancer is often about rebuilding. That can mean restoring nutrients lost after surgery (for example B12 and iron after stomach surgery), supporting bowel function, and helping your gut microbiome recover. Movement matters too: a large 2025 trial found that a structured exercise program after chemotherapy for colon cancer improved disease-free survival (Courneya et al., NEJM).
Testing That Guides Your Plan
Your oncology team monitors your cancer. I look at the rest of you: the markers that shape how you feel, cope and recover, that often aren't checked.
During treatment, or living with active cancer, testing is matched to how you're feeling. If treatment is intensive, or you're feeling unwell, I keep it light: I review the bloodwork your oncology team already orders and fill only the gaps that matter most. If you're feeling well, we can look further.
On watch and wait, we start with a full blood chemistry panel, plus functional testing where useful. In my experience, most people with a diagnosis have underlying imbalances, such as inflammation, infection, or gut or hormonal issues, that are worth addressing.
After treatment, functional testing and comprehensive bloods help us correct what treatment left behind, ease lingering symptoms, rebuild strength and lower recurrence risk.
For digestive cancers, I pay particular attention to nutrient absorption and gut health, alongside the effects of surgery and treatment on digestion. Functional Testing & Monitoring explains what's involved.
How We Work Together
Ready to begin? Start by either booking a clarity call with me, or complete the new patient enquiry. If you already know you're ready, or want to get started sooner, book your first appointment HERE.
Our first full session is an hour, and I'll have reviewed your history and oncology reports beforehand. You receive your health plan the next day, followed by a 20-minute call to walk through it together. If you're in active treatment, COMPASS Care provides ongoing monthly support. You can see all options on this booking page.
My job is to help your body tolerate treatment better, and come through the other side stronger. Nothing I do is meant to talk you out of chemo, radiation, surgery, or any medication your oncologist recommends.
Learn more about my approach HERE
Questions About Digestive Cancer Support
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Yes. Nutrition and digestion change after surgery, and supporting that adjustment is a core part of this work. We tailor food, fluids and supplements to how your gut works now.
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Some are, and many aren't. Certain supplements interact with chemotherapy drugs or affect how they're metabolized. That's why support during treatment needs clinical oversight.
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No. I see patients across the full spectrum: those in active treatment, those between treatments, those in watchful waiting, those in survivorship rebuilding their health, and those focused on proactive risk reduction who have never had a cancer diagnosis. The approach and priorities shift depending on where you are, but integrative oncology is relevant at every stage.
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It depends on your clinical picture, and what we're trying to find out.
But broadly, we might look at your hormone metabolism, nutrient status, inflammatory markers, or gut microbiome composition.
Sometimes it's as simple as blood tests you haven't had run before, or functional testing might include urine, hair, or stool testing you can do from home, no extra appointment required. Testing & Monitoring covers this in detail.
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Yes. I work entirely online and see patients across New Zealand and the United States.
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Oncologists vary. Many are increasingly familiar with integrative oncology and supportive of patients working with a practitioner who understands both the evidence and the interactions.
Some are neutral and some are skeptical, which is reasonable considering the volume of unsubstantiated claims in this space.
What I can tell you is that I work collaboratively, stay within my scope, and communicate clearly. If your oncologist has concerns, I'm happy to be part of that conversation.
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Integrative oncology naturopathy is a specialized clinical focus. It requires detailed knowledge of cancer biology, oncology treatment protocols, drug-nutrient and drug-botanical interactions, and the evidence base specific to cancer care. A general naturopath may be excellent within their scope, but cancer care has specific considerations that require specific training and experience. This is my sole clinical focus.
This information is educational only and does not replace advice from your oncology or medical team. | Last reviewed by Camille Hoffman, September 2026
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