Nicholas Gonzalez (physician)

Nicholas James Gonzalez (1957 – July 21, 2015) was an American alternative medicine practitioner, best known for his controversial use of enzyme therapy as a treatment for cancer. Despite his treatments not being widely accepted or validated by the mainstream medical community, Gonzalez garnered a significant following among patients seeking alternative cancer treatments. His approach, often referred to as the "Gonzalez Protocol," also included dietary changes, supplements, and detoxification procedures.

Early Life and Education

Nicholas Gonzalez was born in 1957. He pursued his undergraduate education at Brown University, where he majored in English Literature but later developed an interest in medicine after experiencing personal health challenges. This led him to attend Cornell University Medical College (now Weill Cornell Medicine), where he graduated with a degree in medicine. During his time at Cornell, Gonzalez's interest in alternative approaches to cancer treatment was sparked by the work of William Donald Kelley, a dentist and orthodontist who had developed an enzyme treatment for cancer.

Career

After completing his medical education, Gonzalez began a private practice in New York City, focusing on alternative cancer treatments. His work was heavily influenced by Kelley's methods, which he sought to investigate and refine. The core of Gonzalez's treatment protocol involved pancreatic enzymes, which he believed could target and kill cancer cells while sparing healthy tissue. In addition to enzyme therapy, his protocol included dietary recommendations tailored to the individual's metabolic type, nutritional supplements, and various detoxification techniques, including coffee enemas.

Despite the lack of mainstream medical acceptance, Gonzalez's protocol attracted attention from both patients and some members of the medical community. His approach was featured in various media outlets, and he authored several books detailing his theories and treatment methods.

Controversy and Research

The Gonzalez Protocol was met with skepticism from the broader medical community, primarily due to the lack of rigorous scientific evidence supporting its efficacy. Critics argued that his treatments were based on anecdotal evidence rather than controlled clinical trials.

In an effort to evaluate the Gonzalez Protocol scientifically, a clinical trial was initiated, comparing his enzyme therapy to standard chemotherapy in patients with pancreatic cancer. The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, found that patients receiving the standard chemotherapy had a better survival rate than those following the Gonzalez Protocol. Gonzalez disputed these findings, criticizing the study's methodology and execution.

Legacy

Nicholas Gonzalez passed away on July 21, 2015. Despite the controversy surrounding his methods, he left behind a legacy of patient advocacy and a belief in the potential of alternative therapies to treat cancer. His work continues to be a topic of interest and debate within both alternative and conventional medical circles.

Selected Works

• The Trophoblast and the Origins of Cancer: One solution to the medical enigma of our time
• What Went Wrong: The Truth Behind the Clinical Trial of the Enzyme Treatment of Cancer

See Also

• Alternative medicine
• Cancer treatment
• Enzyme therapy
• Detoxification (alternative medicine)