Leigh Erin Connealy, M.D.

Leigh Erin Connealy, M.D. Leigh Erin Connealy, M.D. is a prominent leader in the field of Integrative Medicine. Dr. Connealy began practicing medicine in 1986.

She is the Medical Director of Cancer Center for Healing and Center for New Medicine, and the author of The Cancer Revolution. Leigh Erin Connealy, MD attended the University of Texas School of Public Health, and then attended the University of Health Sciences Chicago Medical School. She completed her post-graduate training at the Harbor/UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. Dr. Connealy soon realized that conventional medicine had very limited returns and did not always improve the health of her patients. Her patients were hungry for alternative approaches for improving their health. This led her to study integrative and complementary therapies, and since then she has revolutionized the landscape of medicine. Dr. Connealy feels that we must treat the patient with the disease and not the disease of the patient. She has discovered that many factors contribute to the disease process; therefore, many modalities must be used to reverse it. Dr. Connealy treats the WHOLE person, and is open to all potential treatment possibilities. She has over twenty years of experience in finding the ‘root cause of an illness’, and has taken numerous advanced courses, including homeopathic, nutritional and lifestyle approaches, while studying disease, chronic illness, and cancer treatments. She has a true passion to change her patients’ lives, and give them their life back. In 1992, she founded the Center for New Medicine in Irvine, California, where she serves as Medical Director. Her practice is firmly based in the belief that strictly treating the health problems with medications does not find the root cause of the illness. The Center offers a vast array of services for men, women and children, including detoxification, holistic dentistry, nutrition, fitness and weight loss, cosmetic/laser treatment, pain management, allergy therapy, acupuncture, massage therapy, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, sleep disorders, and much more. We also provide specialized services in gynecology, natural fertility, menopause, hormone imbalances for all ages, healthy sexuality, healthy aging, and personalized preventive medicine. Some of the chronic conditions treated at the clinic include cancer, heart disease, diabetes, neurological and auto-immune disorders. Dr. Connealy writes and has been published in monthly health columns for "Coast" and "OC Health", Orange County based magazines and is published in "The Journal of the American Nutraceutical Association" (JANA), along with Healthy Aging Magazine. She is a frequent writer for Natural News. She is also a weekly co-host on Frank Jordan’s national radio show "Healthy, Wealthy and Wise" on Sirius/XM Channel 131 digital cable, KSPA 1510 AM, and WAVA 780. Dr. Connealy is a frequent guest speaker at professional organizations and on local cable television shows when highlighting health topics like KTBN or Know the Cause with Doug Kaufman airing across the country periodically. She has a weekly publication newsletter with Newport Natural Health and Eagle Publishing. To learn more about Leigh Erin Connealy, M.D. we invite you to visit www.centerfornewmedicine.com or www.perfectlyhealthy.com or www.connealymd.com or www.newportnaturalhealth.com.

6 Hughes • Suite 100 • Irvine • California • 92618 949.680.1880 • 949.680.1881 fax www.centerfornewmedicine.com • info@cfnmedicine.com

11/21/2025

A few things to know about cancer! 👩‍⚕️🩺⬇️

⁃ Cancer cells can revert to healthy cells when placed in a normal tissue environment. Researchers have found that restoring specific external signals, like contact with a structured matrix or healthy tissue, can cause cancer cells to stop dividing, reorganize, and behave like normal cells, despite having cancer-associated mutations. So, even heavily mutated cells can potentially be guided back to a non-malignant state under the right conditions. Cancer is not autonomous. It depends on a supportive surrounding environment (Kenny and Bissell, 2003).

⁃ Some tumors function like mini endocrine organs, producing and secreting hormones: cortisol, estrogen, prolactin, growth hormone, etc. This allows them to influence their surroundings, promote blood vessel growth to nourish the tumor, suppress immune responses, and stimulate cell division. Over time, the tumor establishes a self-sustaining environment with its own rules, largely independent from the body’s normal regulatory systems (Egeblad et al., 2011).

⁃ Tumors can regress following pregnancy. During pregnancy, progesterone levels rise dramatically — up to 100 times higher than in a normal menstrual cycle. This is highly protective. Progesterone slows cell proliferation, promotes cell differentiation, and balances the effects of estrogen, which can otherwise stimulate tumor growth. Many case studies have demonstrated full tumor regression during and following pregnancy (Daley et al., 2022)

Continued in the comments…🤍

11/20/2025

After practicing medicine for 39+ years I’ve seen that the brain is so powerful. If someone has fight left in them, it can change the situation. After all, the mind is the body and the body is the mind.

The body is always responding to new environments. You are an ever changing organism—never the same as a second before. Your cells do as they are allowed. Everything that makes up the state of your life is altering you. You have the power to make it for the better. ❤️🌞

11/19/2025

Symptoms are information. A doctor’s job shouldn’t be to just prescribe and hide symptoms, but rather get to the root cause. Emotionally, physically, nutritionally, we must understand what the body is communicating. 💪❤️☀️

11/19/2025

9 habits linked to a lower risk of cancer! Some data: ⬇️⬇️⬇️

⁃ Consistent sun exposure: Ecological and cohort studies find higher vitamin D / UVB exposure is associated with lower risk internal cancers, especially colorectal, breast, and prostate cancer. Some estimates suggest ~30–50% lower risk for these cancers in people with higher vitamin D status or UVB exposure compared to lower levels. (PMID: 18550652) 

⁃ Regular coffee consumption: A large meta-analysis of prospective studies found coffee intake was associated with reduced risk of several cancers (oral, pharynx, liver, colon, prostate, endometrial, melanoma), with liver cancer risk ~27% lower per +2 cups/day (PMID: 27665923). A 2022 analysis found ~26% lower endometrial cancer risk in higher coffee consumers. (PMID: 29120352).

⁃ High intake of calcium: For colorectal cancer, the evidence is strong. A 2025 JAMA Network Open cohort (NIH-AARP style) showed higher total calcium intake was consistently associated with lower colorectal cancer (CRC) risk across tumor locations and sources (PMID: 39960668). Another large Nature Communications analysis (including Mendelian randomization) concluded that dairy products protect against colorectal cancer, largely via calcium (PMID: 39779669).

⁃ Aspirin, when needed: “A total of 218 studies with 309 reports were eligible for this meta-analysis. Aspirin use was associated with a significant decrease in the risk of overall cancer, and gastric, esophageal, colorectal, pancreatic, ovarian, endometrial, breast, and prostate cancers, as well as small intestine neuroendocrine tumors” (Qiao, et al., 2018) (PMID: 29534696).

Continued in the comments…

11/18/2025

Sometimes, when we’re treating cancer, it becomes necessary to remove part of the tumor burden. Tumor burden simply refers to the amount of cancer present in the body. When that burden becomes too large, it can physically interfere with normal function. Cancer cells produce high amounts of lactic acid, which can acidify the surrounding tissue and make the environment more favorable for further growth. Tumors can also press on arteries, block lymphatic flow, compress nerves, or grow around organs like the intestines—disrupting digestion, nutrient absorption, and overall quality of life.

In situations like these, we need to move quickly. Reducing the tumor burden—through surgery, targeted therapies, or even strategic rounds of chemotherapy—can stabilize the patient and restore basic function. Sometimes it’s the only way to prevent obstruction, restore circulation, or relieve life-threatening pressure on vital structures.

But removing the tumor is not the same thing as healing the terrain. Chemotherapy, while helpful in certain cases, is difficult on the body. It suppresses immunity, disrupts the gut, damages mitochondria, and adds stress to a system already overwhelmed. That’s why it can’t be our only approach.

Real healing requires us to address the reason the cancer developed in the first place. We have to support mitochondrial function, correct nutrient deficiencies, balance hormones, lower toxin burden, improve detox pathways, strengthen immunity, and restore the metabolic environment of the cell. This is where supportive therapies become essential—nutrition, IV vitamin C, oxygen therapies, metabolic treatments, microbiome repair, emotional work, and everything that rebuilds the internal terrain.

💪Reducing tumor burden helps buy time and stability.
💪Rebuilding the terrain is what helps prevent cancer from coming back.

11/17/2025

Uncovering the causes of cancer requires an objective look at the way we are living. If cancer were purely a genetic disease, we wouldn’t see rates skyrocketing in young people. Our genes haven’t changed dramatically in the last 50 years.

However, there have been major changes to our environment and lifestyles.

Over the past 50 years, more than 75,000 synthetic chemicals have been introduced into the environment, many without long-term safety testing. Our food system has shifted dramatically. Hormone imbalances are increasingly common.
We’re also becoming more and more disconnected from nature, getting less sunlight, sleeping poorly, and living under constant stress and artificial light.

Some of these changes include:

Consumption of ultra-processed foods (high in seed oils, additives, and chemicals)
Use of polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs) in nearly all packaged and restaurant foods
Earlier puberty and widespread estrogen dominance
Increased exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (from plastics, pesticides, cosmetics, and cleaning products)
Decrease in daily sunlight exposure
Increase in sedentary lifestyles
Increase in blue light exposure
Environmental toxins (heavy metals, microplastics, industrial pollutants)
Widespread sleep deprivation
Increased C-section births and formula feeding

I believe that in colon cancer, diet plays one of the biggest roles. Everything we eat passes through the colon, so the cells lining it are directly exposed to our food, additives, chemicals, and byproducts of digestion every single day.

Our cells respond to the conditions we create. Cancer is not simply the result of genetic misfortune; it is often the body’s reaction to prolonged, unresolved stress: biological, emotional, or environmental.

11/14/2025

A few things to note about osteoprosis!

Estrogen is commonly described as “bone-protective,” but it is only one part of a much larger picture. Bone health is not dictated by a single hormone—it reflects the state of the entire physiological terrain, including nutrition, metabolic health, mechanical load, and the broader endocrine environment.

- Nutrition: Bones are metabolically active tissue that remodel continuously, and they require adequate raw materials to maintain strength. Calcium is essential, and when dietary intake is insufficient, the body will draw calcium out of the skeletal system and deposit it into soft tissues such as arteries, joints, and kidneys. Vitamin K2 and D3 and magnesium are also essential.

- Mechanical loading: Bones respond to resistance; without adequate load, the cells responsible for building bone (osteoblasts) have no stimulus to increase density, regardless of hormonal intervention.

- Cortisol: Cortisol naturally rises with age and chronically elevated cortisol breaks down tissue, including bone,by disrupting collagen structure, increasing mineral loss, and impairing bone formation. Progesterone, pregnenolone, and DHEA naturally counterbalance cortisol’s catabolic effects and are often equally important to evaluate when addressing bone health.

It is also important to note that estrogen’s influence on bone can be misleading. Estrogen increases water retention in tissues, which can make bones appear denser on DEXA scans without necessarily improving true structural integrity. Apparent density does not always equate to stronger, healthier bone.
Osteoporosis management requires a comprehensive strategy. The body is an integrated system, and bone health reflects the state of that entire system—not a single hormone. 🦴🦴

11/14/2025

It’s always good to remember that healing requires nourishment, it’s not about deprivation. I personally eat for nutrient-density, and I never force myself to eat something I don’t like just because it’s labeled “healthy.” Our bodies have an innate wisdom, and sometimes we just need to listen to its cues. 🥕🍊🥛

11/13/2025

A few more things I avoid!

1. High-quality water is free of fluoride, heavy metals, and any other chemical contamination like BPA or pharmaceuticals. According to a NRDC report, nearly 77 million Americans got drinking water from systems that violated federal protections in 2015, and more than a third of this number relied on systems that did not comply with standards put in place to protect health (MacMillan, 2017).
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2. I avoid drinking out of plastic water bottles. Instead, I drink filtered water out of a glass bottle! When I’m on the road, I buy Mountain Valley or Gerolsteiner. ⠀
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3. Sometimes we just have to turn off the news and realize that we can only control so much in life. I choose to focus on my work and my family. The reality is we weren’t meant to know what’s going in every part of the world all at once. It’s too much for the human brain. ⠀

4. We know that the skin is the largest organ of the body and readily absorbs much of what is applied to it, good and bad. That is why so many drugs can be administered through the use of transdermal patches. Therefore, it is a wise precaution not to apply substances to our skin that we would not readily take internally.
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5. Aluminium can be neurotoxic. Researchers measured the concentration of aluminum in human brain tissue from over two hundred donors and found that aluminum content of brain tissue in neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental disease is significantly higher than is found in brain tissue in individuals without neurological impairment or associated neuropathology (Exley and Clarkson, 2020).
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The body is resilient. Small amounts of the above usually don’t pose a problem. It’s when the bio-accumulation of these becomes overwhelming to the body that we often have an issue. I like to choose things that are closer to the Earth, that have been around for a long time, that utilize ancient wisdom, that are beneficial for the environment, that are beautiful, and that make me feel great. 🌞🌱🌎

11/12/2025

Hormones are one of the most powerful forces in the pathology of cancer. At the clinic, one of the first steps is to evaluate each patient’s hormonal profile, because imbalances are a major driver of carcinogenesis. Estrogen, in particular, has been shown in countless studies to act as a growth signal for many cancers, especially breast, ovarian, and endometrial. When estrogen is elevated or unopposed by progesterone, it creates a biological environment that favors inflammation, DNA damage, and uncontrolled cell growth.

It has be shown to:
⁃Increase reactive oxygen species (ROS). This leading to oxidative stress and cellular damage. (PMID: 37858609)
⁃Mutate DNA. Estrogen metabolites can interact with DNA and cause genotoxicity. (PMID: 10963621)
⁃Raise intracellular calcium which is a major stress on cells and can lead to mitochondrial dysfunction. (PMID: 10200323)
⁃Stimulate fat cell production, leading to greater estrogen storage and inflammation. (PMID: 36979669)
⁃Inhibit thyroid function. (PMID: 21687614)
⁃Disrupt mitochondrial function via cytochrome C oxidase which reduces efficient energy production and cellular repair. (PMID: 33003582)

By contrast, progesterone has profoundly protective effects against these same mechanisms. It supports mitochondrial energy production, stabilizes cell membranes, and promotes proper cell differentiation—the opposite of estrogen’s growth-stimulating effects. Progesterone helps regulate calcium balance inside the cell, reduces oxidative stress, and counteracts estrogen-induced inflammation.

One of the most protective things we can do, both in prevention and during treatment, is to optimize progesterone levels. When progesterone is balanced, it acts as a natural safeguard against estrogen-driven growth and restores a healthier cellular environment.

11/12/2025

I believe estrogen should only be used when truly needed. I’m 68 years old and have been using hormones since my 30s, and one thing I’ve learned is that you have to understand what each hormone does and why you’re using it, otherwise, you end up going into it blindly. A few common HRT myths I see all the time 👇

—“Low estrogen is the cause of all menopausal symptoms.” Most menopausal symptoms actually stem from low progesterone and shifting thyroid and cortisol levels, not just falling estrogen. Estrogen levels can actually remain high and may fluctuate, but it’s the loss of progesterone that destabilizes the system first.

—“Progesterone and progestins are the same thing.” Progesterone is the body’s natural, calming hormone, it supports sleep, brain health, and thyroid function. Progestins are synthetic versions that don’t have the same protective, anti-inflammatory, or anti-estrogenic effects.

—“Vaginal estrogen cannot be absorbed into the blood.” Even small doses of topical or vaginal estrogen can raise systemic levels. The skin and mucosal membranes are highly absorptive which is why these products should always be used with awareness and balanced with progesterone.

— “Estrogen is always low in menopause.” Many women have normal or even high tissue estrogen because the body produces it in fat cells and adrenal glands. They often have poor estrogen clearance due to sluggish liver function or low thyroid which can keep levels elevated.

Continued in comments… 💕

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