Austin · Integrative Oncology
A cancer diagnosis changes everything. At SIE Medical in Austin, Dr. Kimberly Williford, NMD, MS, RD/LD, works alongside your oncology team to address the metabolic terrain, reduce treatment-related symptoms, and support your body's capacity to heal, without replacing the conventional care your oncologist recommends.
This is not alternative care in the sense of replacing proven treatments. It is a whole-person, terrain-based layer of support that focuses on nutrition, immune function, mitochondrial health, inflammation, and the body's environment at the cellular level.
Quick answer: Integrative oncology combines evidence-informed naturopathic and functional medicine approaches with conventional cancer treatment, chemotherapy, radiation, immunotherapy, or surgery. The goal is to reduce side effects, support immune function, improve quality of life, and address the metabolic and terrain factors that influence how cancer develops and progresses. At SIE Medical in Austin, this is guided by Dr. Williford's clinical training in the Metabolic Approach to Cancer.
Most patients come to us while already working with an oncologist. Integrative oncology does not conflict with that relationship, it complements it. We focus on the parts of the picture that conventional oncology does not typically address: nutrition status, gut microbiome health, mitochondrial function, hormone balance, inflammation, detoxification capacity, and stress physiology.
Related reading: Integrative oncology hub · Terrain-based approach to cancer · Systems-based terrain medicine
Quick answer: The metabolic terrain approach recognizes that cancer does not develop in a vacuum, it develops in a body with a specific internal environment. Factors including blood sugar regulation, mitochondrial function, chronic inflammation, hormonal balance, gut health, toxin burden, and immune status all influence that environment. Addressing these factors is the foundation of integrative oncology at SIE Medical.
Dr. Williford completed her Master Class training in the Metabolic Approach to Cancer with Dr. Nasha Winters, ND, FABNO, one of the leading naturopathic oncologists in the country. This framework shapes how she evaluates and supports each patient, not by following a one-size protocol, but by mapping the terrain specific to that person.
The terrain is assessed across ten interconnected areas: genetics and epigenetics, blood sugar and insulin, the microbiome, inflammation and immune function, toxic burden, stress and circadian rhythm, mind-body physiology, mitochondrial function, angiogenesis and metastasis, and the hormonal environment. This is the clinical map that guides the integrative oncology care plan at SIE Medical.
For a deeper look at this framework, see the terrain and metabolic approach to cancer page.
Quick answer: SIE Medical supports patients at any stage of the cancer journey, newly diagnosed, actively in treatment, in remission, or focused on long-term survivorship and prevention. We also support patients navigating hereditary cancer risk who want to address their terrain before a diagnosis occurs.
Hormone receptor status, estrogen metabolism, gut health, and inflammation are all terrain factors relevant to breast cancer. We evaluate and support each of these alongside conventional treatment.
Microbiome function, gut lining integrity, blood sugar, and systemic inflammation are closely tied to colorectal cancer risk and progression. Nutritional and functional support addresses all of these.
Hormonal terrain, insulin signaling, inflammation, and nutrient status are key factors in prostate cancer. Integrative support focuses on the metabolic environment alongside active surveillance or active treatment.
Environmental toxin burden, mitochondrial function, and immune support are central to the integrative care plan for lung cancer patients, both during and after conventional treatment.
Thyroid cancer and other hormonal cancers often involve complex immune and endocrine interactions. We assess the full hormonal terrain and support recovery and monitoring alongside endocrinology care.
Pancreatic cancer has significant metabolic complexity. Blood sugar dysregulation, digestive enzyme function, and nutritional status are areas where integrative support can make a meaningful difference.
Immune terrain, inflammation, gut health, and toxic burden all contribute to the environment in which blood cancers develop. Integrative oncology focuses on restoring terrain balance through and after treatment.
After treatment ends, the work of restoring metabolic function, rebuilding the gut, clearing toxin burden, and reducing recurrence risk begins. Survivorship care is one of the most important and under-supported phases of the cancer journey.
Quick answer: The first visit at SIE Medical is a thorough intake, typically 60 to 90 minutes, where Dr. Williford reviews your complete history, prior labs and imaging, current treatment plan, symptoms, and what matters most to you. From there, functional testing is ordered based on your specific terrain picture, and a care plan is built around those findings.
Depending on your clinical picture, testing may include comprehensive metabolic panels, inflammatory markers, microbiome analysis, nutrient absorption and status labs, hormone panels, genetic and epigenetic assessments, and toxin burden testing. The goal is to build a precise map of what your body needs, not to run every test available, but to run the right ones for you.
From there, the care plan typically includes targeted nutrition protocols, precision supplementation, lifestyle interventions around sleep and stress physiology, and in some cases advanced therapies such as IV nutritional support or hyperbaric oxygen where clinically appropriate.
Telehealth consultations are available for most integrative oncology patients, depending on state licensing and clinical fit. Please reach out through the contact form to discuss which option makes sense for your situation. Read more about what to expect: Integrative oncology in Austin: what happens in a consultation at SIE Medical.
Dr. Kimberly Williford, NMD, MS, RD/LD, is a licensed naturopathic physician and registered dietitian with a fellowship in Environmental Medicine and membership in the American Academy of Environmental Medicine. She is a native Texan, educated at the University of Texas at Austin and Texas Tech University, and completed her Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine at Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine.
Her clinical foundation in integrative oncology comes from her Master Class training in the Metabolic Approach to Cancer with Dr. Nasha Winters, ND, FABNO, combined with over 20 years of clinical practice in metabolic dysfunction, environmental medicine, hormonal health, and cancer support. Her approach is rooted in terrain medicine: understanding each patient's internal environment before reaching for a treatment.
An unexpected cancer diagnosis early in her career shaped the clinical philosophy she brings to every oncology patient, one of deep respect for the complexity of the experience and genuine attention to what the body needs to heal.
3193 Howell Mill Rd NW, Suite 306
Atlanta, GA 30327
Telehealth available depending on state licensing and clinical fit.
Also see: Austin naturopathic doctor · Austin environmental medicine
No. Integrative oncology is designed to work alongside conventional treatment, chemotherapy, radiation, immunotherapy, surgery, not to replace it. Dr. Williford's role is to support your body's terrain during and after those treatments, reduce side effects, and address the metabolic and nutritional factors that conventional oncology does not routinely evaluate.
Any stage. Patients come to SIE Medical at diagnosis, during active treatment, after treatment ends, and during long-term survivorship and monitoring. Earlier support often means fewer side effects and a stronger foundation for the body to respond to treatment. Survivorship care is equally important and often under-supported.
The metabolic terrain approach recognizes that cancer develops within a body with a specific internal environment. Factors like blood sugar regulation, mitochondrial health, gut microbiome, inflammation, hormonal balance, and toxin burden all shape that environment. Addressing these factors is the foundation of naturopathic oncology at SIE Medical, guided by Dr. Williford's training with Dr. Nasha Winters.
Telehealth is available for many integrative oncology patients depending on state licensing and clinical fit. Austin and Atlanta in-person visits are also available. Please reach out through the contact page to discuss which format makes sense for your situation.
SIE Medical supports patients across all cancer types, breast, colorectal, prostate, lung, thyroid, pancreatic, lymphoma, blood cancers, and more. The integrative oncology approach is terrain-based and individualized, so the specific type of cancer informs but does not limit the scope of support.
Conventional oncology targets the tumor directly through surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, or immunotherapy. Naturopathic oncology addresses the terrain, the metabolic, nutritional, and systemic conditions in which cancer exists. Both perspectives are valuable and are most effective when integrated. SIE Medical coordinates with your oncologist and does not work in opposition to your conventional care team.
If you would like to understand how integrative oncology might support your care plan, you are welcome to reach out. No pressure, no obligation, just a conversation.
Educational content only. Not medical advice. Individual results vary. Please consult your healthcare provider before making changes to your health plan.
Prevention • Direct Treatment • Post-treatment Maintenance
Through Integrative Oncology in Austin at SIE Medical, our team is dedicated to walking alongside you through every step of your cancer journey. We understand the importance of comprehensive care, blending the best of allopathic treatments with evidence-based alternative therapies to support your healing and well-being.
Whether you’re navigating chemotherapy, radiation, or other conventional treatments, we are here to provide additional support that enhances your body’s natural defenses, reduce side effects, and improve overall quality of life. Through integrative, naturopathic, and functional medicine, we offer a metabolic approach, that empowers you to face cancer with strength and resilience.
“I never understood how the body’s systems worked together, especially with Hormones. This approach has helped me return to normal and Thrive again.”
– S.I.E.Medical Patient
