I am a medical oncology specialist at IPO in Lisbon, certified by the European Society of Medical Oncologists (ESMO). My experience in oncology goes beyond conventional medicine, having been trained in integrative oncology and functional medicine at the University of Minnesota.

I believe that cancer patients deserve more than just conventional treatments. I recognise a lot of value in chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery, as well as whatever is in the patient’s best interests. However, it is imperative that the patient is not limited to conventional medicine, which still doesn’t focus enough on getting to the root of the problem.

The vast majority of chronic diseases are reversible, as I have observed through the results achieved with patients under my care as the director of the Pêro Clinic in Lisbon. This demonstrates how our assumptions about nutrition and health can and should be consistently questioned. My priority is to offer science-based complementary tools to cancer patients. This commitment led me to establish Pessoa Integrative Cancer Care, which is dedicated exclusively to treating cancer and optimising health through lifestyle changes, including diet, exercise, psychotherapy, fasting, stress reduction techniques, supplements, and more.

In my view, the impact of emotions on cancer is undeniable. Throughout my specialisation in oncology, I followed several hundred patients and began to recognise the influence of trauma and unprocessed emotions on the development of cancer. Virtually all of my patients had experienced trauma (divorce, loss of a family member, marital or familial relationships with a relational impasse where they couldn’t live with the person but also couldn’t leave the relationship, retirement, and loss of purpose) up to five years before their diagnosis. The human being is a system; it is not a body isolated from the mind, and our emotions manifest in various ways in our body. Cancer comes as a cry for help: “I can’t live like this any more.” The patients I have seen achieve the best results are those who have drastically changed their lifestyle and started to recognise the impact of their emotions, their close relationships, and their daily decisions regarding their lifestyle.

My main focus is to optimise your health and maximise your results during treatment based on the latest scientific evidence. This is achieved through lifestyle changes, specific laboratory tests, and DNA analysis. The ultimate goal is to create personalised plans, providing you with the tools to take charge of your health.