Cancer Self-Advocacy in the North State: Supervisor Kevin Crye’s Journey and the Push for Personalized Care
- Elisa Ballard
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
Shasta County Supervisor Kevin Crye is fighting colon cancer the only way he knows how — with eyes wide open, a growing integrative toolkit, and a refusal to sit quietly in the passenger seat.
Diagnosed by Redding gastroenterologist Dr. Paul Dhanuka after Crye noticed increasing rectal bleeding (symptoms he had first seen roughly two years earlier but delayed addressing), Crye has undergone conventional chemotherapy while simultaneously pursuing an intensive daily regimen of complementary therapies. That regimen — often three to four hours long — has included ivermectin, fenbendazole, hyperbaric oxygen, red light therapy, cryotherapy, lymphatic massage, and other modalities. He successfully advocated for his oncologist to reduce and then eliminate oxaliplatin from his chemo cocktail because of worsening neuropathy.
Early scans showed the tumor shrinking, leading Crye to hope he might avoid radiation and more aggressive chemotherapy. The latest imaging, however, revealed the tumor had grown back approximately 50%. A heart attack roughly five months ago has delayed surgery; doctors want him to reach the six-month mark post-heart attack (around August 27) before operating. He is currently coordinating clearance from his cardiologist, surgeon, and oncologist and will need to stop blood thinners beforehand. His surgeon is a world-renowned colorectal specialist at UCSF (Dr. Madhulika Varma).
Despite the setback, Crye says his new eating regimen has him feeling “in the best shape of my life.” He remains skeptical of a purely conventional path and recently attended a cancer treatment conference in La Jolla, where he met Will Brassel — the guest on his latest radio program.
“You Need to Have Your Hands on the Wheel”
Brassel, a Fortune 50 healthcare executive from Florida, was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer at age 43. Conventional treatment left him with lasting neuropathy. He has since spent an estimated $100,000 on integrative approaches, including care overseas, and is now co-authoring a book with his wife Tana (an ER physician) possibly scheduled for release in December to help people navigate their own cancer treatment journey.
In a wide-ranging conversation with Crye, Brassel delivered a clear message: every cancer — and every patient — is radically individualized. “One million percent individualized,” he said, comparing tumors and patients to snowflakes. Standardized protocols treat the tumor efficiently but often ignore the unique metabolic, genetic, and environmental terrain in which it grows. Brassel noted that 90–95% of cancers are driven by lifestyle and environmental factors, yet conventional care frequently stops at the tumor itself.
He urged newly diagnosed patients to move quickly from shock into education and self-advocacy. Key steps he and Crye discussed include:
Demanding specialized testing (chemosensitivity, full metabolic panels, genetic variants such as MTHFR, DPYD/DPD toxicity markers) that are rarely part of standard oncology workups and often not covered by insurance.
Building an integrated team that may include functional medicine or naturopathic practitioners alongside the conventional oncologist.
Creating contingency plans (Plan B, C, D) early.
Understanding that “No Evidence of Disease” is not the finish line — microscopic disease and circulating tumor cells can drive recurrence, making post-remission immune and metabolic support critical.
Brassel recommended several resources for patients ready to take the wheel:
Chris Beat Cancer by Chris Wark, a stage 3 colon cancer survivor.
How to Starve Cancer by Jane McLelland (first published 2018; second edition 2021). McLelland, a stage 4 cervical cancer survivor now more than 25 years cancer-free, popularized a metabolic “Metro Map” approach using off-label drugs, diet, and supplements to block cancer’s fuel pathways. She remains active, healthy, and educating through her website, course, and podcast.
Radical Remission: Surviving Cancer Against All Odds by Kelly A. Turner, PhD (2014). Turner’s research into more than 1,500 cases of statistically unexpected remissions identified nine recurring factors: radical diet change, taking control of one’s health, following intuition, using herbs and supplements, releasing suppressed emotions, increasing positive emotions, embracing social support, deepening spiritual connection, and having strong reasons for living.
Both men also pointed patients toward nonprofit navigation help such as Cancer Commons (cancercommons.org) and peer communities on Reddit and cancer-specific Facebook groups.
A Rising Tide and a Call for Early Action
Crye and Brassel noted the sobering statistics: lifetime cancer risk now stands at roughly 1 in 2 for men and 1 in 3 for women. They attributed part of the rise to the highly industrialized American food supply (contrasting it with cleaner European standards — the Swedish soccer team famously flew in its own food for a World Cup). Specialized testing and integrative options, they said, are most accessible through functional and naturopathic physicians, though cost and insurance gaps remain major barriers.
Crye’s blunt advice to listeners: get tested early and often. Blood in the stool is never normal. Delaying care, as he did for nearly two years, can turn a more manageable situation into a complex, multi-front battle. Look at your lifestyle and eating habits. Crye said he was unable to get a timely appointment with a nutritionist through his healthcare network, so he is now working with someone in Australia.
Looking Ahead
Crye continues preparing for possible surgery at UCSF while maintaining his intensive supportive regimen and advocating for himself at every appointment. Crye has been working towards establishing a medical school in Shasta County to address the dangerous shortage of healthcare professionals and doctors in the North State. He constantly discusses the plight of many people who are not able to get needed scans, diagnostics, and treatment due to long waits or lack of insurance coverage. Brassel is racing toward a December launch of Two Voices, One Cancer Journey, which will include nine “Day One Guides” with questions for oncologists, surgeons, and radiologists, plus practical sections on diet, exercise, and fasting.
For North State residents facing a cancer diagnosis, the message from both men is consistent with the themes that keep surfacing in local conversations — from Jane McLelland’s metabolic starvation strategies to Kelly Turner’s research on radical remission: knowledge is power, passivity is risky, and the most effective care plan is the one built around the unique human being sitting in the exam room.
Supervisor Crye has invited Brassel back onto the show closer to the book’s release. In the meantime, he continues his own fight — one appointment, one scan, and one self-advocated decision at a time. We, at Shasta Unfiltered, are grateful for Kevin Crye's openness with his own cancer treatment journey and pray for his complete healing.
To listen to the archived episodes of "The Kevin Crye Show", go to KQMS.com/podcasts/ or TheKevinCryeShow.com
The show airs Sunday mornings at 8 a.m. on 1670 AM, 105.7FM or 104.9FM and streams online at KQMS.com
