OUR FOUNDER  | YOUR PHYSICIAN-COACH

"Dr. Mel" - Melanie R. Palomares, M.D., M.S.

Hi! ’m Dr. Mel,  Preventive Oncologist and
Physician Founder of the Cancer Prevention Movement.

Our vision is a Cancer-Free World.

What is Preventive Oncology?

ONE HUNDRED MILLION – that’s how many cells make up a marble-sized tumor. It takes a single cell 5-20 years to grow to that size. Yet cancer is one of the top two disease-related killers in the world! With exponential growth, waiting for a diagnosis is simply too late. The best cure is one that starts while you are still relatively healthy. This is the basis for Preventive Oncology.
 

Why Preventive Oncology

Over two decades as a medical oncologist, first at the University of Washington and then at the City of Hope, I witnessed many patient stories. But then my uncle died of leukemia, and my grandmother of lung cancer. It had become personal! So I changed my strategy, went back to school to study epidemiology and genetics, and focused on cancer prevention, first in families with cancer-associated gene mutations. But, only 5-10% of cancers are hereditary… I wanted more impact! Then came the day that changed my life: my husband was hospitalized for a drug overdose. His addiction took us on a wild ride of financial ruin that led me to stress-related weight gain, high blood pressure, and… yes, cancer: melanoma—cured with surgery alone, because, fortunately, I knew how to recognize it early.
Everything changed when I took a step back from taking care of everyone else and gave myself permission to take care of myself. I began a long, slow, but deliberate path to “Physician, Heal Thyself.
Along the way I became affiliated with the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, through which I found other like-minded healthcare professionals who prioritize proactivity over reactivity. And then my concept of 360-Wellness was born.

The 360-Wellness Model

On my own voyage back to health, I dug in deep, examined my own personal triggers, and realized that focusing solely on physical health behaviors is not a long-term solution. Ultimately, stress or limiting beliefs lead to self-sabotage. And a major cause of stress is a scarcity mindset. Indeed, this is exactly what led to my own downfall.
 
Based on this personal experience, combined with my professional knowledge, I created a model of true whole health that incorporates physical wellbeing, emotional wellbeing, and financial wellbeing. When all of these domains are in harmony, then we succeed, and we maintain life-long optimal health, with relatively little effort.
 
I now bridge the divide between the practice of medicine and coaching to guide health-forward individuals to outsmart cancer, and other chronic diseases, through a comprehensive and highly personalized set of health coaching programs centered around Longevity, Serenity, and Prosperity — what I call “360-Wellness.”
I learned from my own journey that —
when we heal ourselves, everything else falls in place,
when we start with ourselves, the world follows, and
together we achieve so much more!
I invite you to join our 360-Wellness Community. We will welcome you with open arms! You’ll be so glad you did.
To your health,

Dr. Mel

Affiliations

Dr. Mel’s 360-WellCheck

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