About Keith R. Holden, M.D.
I am a physician, published author, and Udemy instructor on the power of the mind in health and healing. In 2018, I was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer—an “incurable” disease by conventional standards. Yet my experience as a physician has shown me that “incurable” can be a misnomer: some individuals experience what’s often called radical remission—or, in some cases, a complete cure—despite grim prognoses.
We don’t fully understand how these remissions occur, but their existence testifies to the remarkable resilience of the human body and spirit. My Udemy course, Power of the Mind in Health and Healing, explores these phenomena in depth, including a section entitled “Curing the Incurable.”
I’ve always been fascinated by what science cannot yet explain. While science is indispensable in advancing medicine, it doesn’t have all the answers. Recognizing this encourages me to explore the full range of possibilities for healing.
Why subscribe to my newsletter?
Real Expertise, Real Experience
As both a physician and a prostate cancer survivor, I offer knowledge you won’t find in textbooks alone. Each newsletter blends medical insights with practical lessons from living with this disease.
Straightforward, Science-Backed Information
I cut through the noise and deliver up-to-date research on diagnosis, treatments, lifestyle approaches, and emerging therapies so you can make informed decisions in conjunction with your healthcare team about your health.
A Guide to Navigating the System
Healthcare can feel overwhelming. I share tips on talking to your medical team, understanding test results, and advocating for the care you need.
A Supportive Community
Beyond facts and figures, you’ll connect with people who understand what you’re going through. Subscribers share stories, questions, and support, fostering genuine connections. Join Prostate Cancer Secrets for reliable information and encouragement. My goal is to help you face prostate cancer with confidence, knowledge, and peace of mind.
I’ve chosen not to offer paid subscriptions on Substack anymore because its platform and payment processor do not handle U.S. state tax or foreign VAT tax payments, creating unnecessary complications.
As a result, every subscriber gets full access to all posts.
A few important things before you read further
I’m a physician living with advanced prostate cancer. That combination of personal experience and medical training shapes everything I write. But it also means I need to be straight with you about what this Substack is and what it isn’t.
This is not medical advice
Reading this Substack does not make me your doctor. I don’t know your medical history, current medications, pathology report, or imaging results.
Prostate cancer is not a one-size-fits-all disease. What’s right for one man may be wrong, or even harmful, for another. Please do not use anything in this Substack to self-diagnose or self-treat, and don’t let it delay you from getting proper medical care.
Integrative medicine works alongside standard treatment, not instead of it
Surgery, radiation, and hormonal therapy are the foundation of prostate cancer care. The dietary, repurposed medications, supplements, exercise, and mind-body approaches I discuss here are meant to complement those treatments, not replace them.
Natural does not mean safe
This is one of the most important things I can tell you. Supplements are not regulated by the FDA the same way prescription drugs are. They don’t have to prove they’re safe or effective before they’re sold. Some supplements interact with cancer medications. Some can alter your lab results. Some, like high-dose vitamin E, have actually been shown to worsen prostate cancer outcomes.
Before you start any supplement discussed in this Substack, tell your oncologist, your primary care doctor, and your pharmacist. Ask specifically about interactions with everything you’re currently taking. Get clearance first.
The science keeps moving
The research I cite reflects what was known at the time I wrote this. Medicine evolves. New studies come out that confirm, refine, or sometimes contradict older findings. Talk to your doctors about the most current evidence, and check PubMed (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) if you want to dig into the primary literature yourself.
My personal choices are not prescriptions for you
I make my own medical decisions in close consultation with my treating physicians. I share those decisions transparently because I think you deserve to know what I’m actually doing. But what I choose for myself, based on my specific cancer biology, treatment history, and circumstances, may not be appropriate for you. Please don’t copy my regimen.
No guarantees
I won’t promise you that anything in this Substack will stop your cancer from progressing, lower your PSA, or extend your life. I wish I could. Cancer is complicated, and no traditional or integrative approach offers certainty. What I can offer is honest information, clinical context, and the perspective of someone who is living this alongside you.
If you’re in crisis
If you’re having a medical emergency, call 911. If you’re struggling with thoughts of suicide or self-harm, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. This Substack is not a crisis resource.
One last thing
By reading my Substack, you acknowledge that it’s for educational purposes only, that you take responsibility for your own decisions, and that you’ll discuss any changes to your diet, medications, supplements, or lifestyle with your healthcare team before making them. That’s the agreement between us.
My career
I graduated from the LSU School of Medicine in New Orleans in 1992 as a junior-year Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society member, reserved for the academic top ten percent.
I completed LSU's Internal Medicine residency program in 1995. I attained board certification through the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) in 1995 and recertified through ABIM in June 2008.
I left ABIM and did not recertify through that program due to its perceived monopoly and questionable business practices. Since December 2017, I have been certified through the National Board of Physicians and Surgeons.
I completed additional postgraduate training in Functional Medicine through The Institute for Functional Medicine. Functional Medicine tends to work best for chronic diseases and conditions. It guides patients and their practitioners in finding the root cause of disease and correcting it to allow for healing and resolution of the illness.
My training in Functional Medicine filled in many of the blanks that medical school and residency left out.
On January 10, 2017, I was honored to present Grand Rounds for the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Florida College of Medicine—Jacksonville. This lecture, titled "Power of the Mind in Health and Healing," detailed the latest science in mind-body medicine.
I also lectured 4th-year psychiatry residents in this program about the placebo effect in January 2017 and October 2018. Thankfully, academic medicine is starting to embrace many of the concepts presented in my book and course.
In May 2014, I presented a lecture at the Accordo Health Institute's Spring Symposium in Longwood, FL, titled Power of the Mind in Health and Healing. This lecture inspired the creation of my book and Udemy course, which have the same name.
In August 2013, I lectured on how food sensitivities and gut dysfunction contribute to systemic illness and autoimmunity at the International Association of Comprehensive Aesthetics (IACA) annual conference in Calgary, Canada.
I participated in a wellness panel at IACA's 2012 annual conference in Hollywood, FL. IACA is an international group of neuromuscular dentists dedicated to advancing innovative oral health and practice management education.
My article “Functional Medicine: Innovating Chronic Disease Care” was published in the Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies' Fall 2012 Visions magazine.
I've lectured four times at conferences for the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M) on the biological effects of pulsed electromagnetic field therapy. A4M is a global organization of 26,000 physicians and scientists from 110 countries devoted to detecting, preventing, and treating aging-related diseases while advancing research into methods that slow and optimize the human aging process
I wrote a scientific article titled “Biological Effects of Pulsed Electromagnetic Field (PEMF) Therapy,” published in A4M’s May 2012 Issue of Anti-Aging Medical News magazine.
In 2012, I presented to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Innovation Center in Baltimore, MD, about the scientific evidence for the beneficial effects of pulsed electromagnetic fields on osteoporosis.
In 2012, I presented a webinar on gut health and systemic disease for Cell Science Systems (CSS), a life sciences company that is a leader in food intolerance and sensitivity testing.
I consulted for the Social Security Administration's Disability Determination Services in Florida and Georgia. I garnered awards for consulting, advising, and teaching in this field, including:
2002 Georgia Disability Adjudication Services Medical Consultant of the Year Award
2001-2002 Georgia Disability Adjudication Services People’s Choice Trainer of the Year Award
2004 Florida Disability Determination Services Medical Consultant of the Year Award
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Thank you for being here!
I’m glad to share this journey with you.
— Keith
