Oasis of Hope Hospital

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Oasis of Hope Hospital
Location map Tijuana.png
Red pog.svg
Geography
LocationPaseo Playas #19
Sección Monumental, Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico
Coordinates 32°31′53″N117°07′09″W / 32.531412°N 117.119174°W / 32.531412; -117.119174
Organisation
Funding For-profit hospital
Type Specialist
Services
Emergency department No
Beds60
SpecialityAlternative cancer treatments
Helipad No
History
Opened1963 (1963)
Links
Website www.oasisofhope.com
Lists Hospitals in Mexico

The Oasis of Hope Hospital is a clinic in Tijuana, Mexico providing alternative cancer treatments to its customers. [1] The clinic was founded by the physician Ernesto Contreras. After his death in 2003, the management of the hospital was taken over by his son, Francisco Contreras, and nephew, Daniel Kennedy.

Contents

Since the 1960s, it has administered amygdalin – an ineffective cancer treatment – to its patients. The clinic has been characterized by Quackwatch as "dubious.”

History

The Oasis of Hope hospital is based in Tijuana, Mexico. The city is significant as there is a concentration of more than 60 cancer treatment centres in the city, making it one of the largest concentrations of this type of treatment in the world. The Guardian reported in 2005 that the reason for the concentration is that most methods used by the hospitals are "discouraged by conventional medical science" and because health regulations aren't as strict as the United States, it is a logical place for them to operate.

Tijuana is home to the largest concentration of cancer treatment centres offering unorthodox therapies anywhere in the world. More than 60 hospitals, clinics and semi-clandestine offices offer to cure or help control the disease in ways ranging from the unconventional to the controversial. Most methods are discouraged by conventional medical science, which is why they are based in Tijuana, where health regulators rarely bother them. [2]

After Ernesto's death in 2003, running of the clinic passed to his son Francisco Contreras and Daniel Kennedy, [1] who is Francisco's nephew. [3] In 2005 Ralph Moss, an advocate of alternative cancer treatments, published an article giving something of the clinic's history. He wrote that it was formerly known as the Del Mar Medical Center and Hospital and was run by Ernesto Contreras who oversaw its expansion to accommodate customers from the United States; new English-speaking staff had been hired especially to cater for this client base. According to Moss, despite the fact that the American Cancer Society had put Ernesto Contreras on a list of practitioners of "unproven methods" in 1971, the clinic claimed to have had 40,000 American customers in the 40 years prior to 2005. [1]

In 2014, senior management from The Oasis of Hope hospital visited the United Kingdom to speak about alternative medicine. At the time they were not allowed to publicly advertise alternative cancer treatments in the United Kingdom, so the talk was aimed at raising understanding. It was reported however that many of the attendees had cancer and were considering alternative options. This was following a number of public discussions in the country about how to approach alternative treatments. Prince Charles had suggested that the country should itself pursue alternative treatments and offer them in some way. Members of staff from Oasis of Hope visited the UK around the time the Medical Innovation Bill was being discussed. If the bill had passed, it would have opened the door for Oasis of Hope-like treatments to take place in Britain. [4]

Treatment

The Oasis of Hope Hospital offers a variety of alternative cancer treatments. During an interview, Edzard Ernst spoke about the sort of treatments commonly used by hospitals and treatment centers such as the Oasis of Hope. Many of the therapies focus on the removal of carcinogenic substances. Claims are made by the hospitals that the removal of such substances is able to boost the immune system to then fight off cancer. This treatment is however unproven in traditional medicine. [5]

Since the 1960s, Oasis of Hope has treated its patients with amygdalin, also known as laetrile, an ineffective and dangerously toxic substance. [6] By 1978, more than 70,000 people in the United States had reportedly been treated with Laetrile. [7]

Between 1996 and 1997, sociologist David Hess conducted an interview with Francisco Contreras, in which he discussed many aspects of the Clinic's operations. [8] Contreras said that metabolic therapy was the main offering of the clinic, and was made up of four steps; Detoxification, restrictive low-fat, low-protein, high-carbohydrate diet, the use of megavitamin therapy, shark cartilage, thymus and levamisole and the use of amygdalin extracted from apricot seeds.

Another therapy was called the "Warburg" therapy named (according to Hess's account) after Otto Heinrich Warburg. This consisted of a restrictive high-carbohydrate diet, giving patients insulin and quercetin. [9]

Hess also wrote that Contreras cited a number of non-physical aspects to the clinic's therapy, including religious assistance, psychology and singing and laughter sessions – Contreras claimed that people with strong spiritual beliefs recovered better, and that laughter stimulates the immune system. [9]

In 2005 Ralph Moss reported that the clinic was using amygdalin and the Issels treatment. [1] In 2011 Moss wrote a further report on the Tijuana clinics, and noted that their ability to attract customers had been diminished by the publication of research showing that amygdalin was not effective, by tougher regulation arising from the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement, and from Tijuana itself become a less desirable destination as a result of a decline brought on by the war on drugs. Moss also noted that some American hospitals now have alternative medicine offerings, diminishing the distinctive appeal of the clinics in Tijuana. [10]

In 2005, The Guardian reported the case of a man with cancer who paid US$40,000 for a one-month treatment in which he had high-fevers induced in the belief that the heat would kill his cancer cells. [5] In 2010, the weekly cost of attending Mexican border clinics, such as the Oasis of Hope, was reported to be between US$3,000 and US$5,000. [11]

Evidence

Amygdalin (sometimes called "laetrile") is a toxic glycoside. The major argument against the use of amygdalin is that it is a toxic glycoside, which has been known to provoke cyanide poisoning in patients. [12] Evidence that is frequently used to display this is people that suffered cyanide poisoning after ingesting bitter almonds, which contain amygdalin. [13]

Issels treatment is a regime normally recommended to be used alongside conventional treatment. It requires removal of metal fillings from the patient's mouth and adherence to a restrictive diet, supposedly to aid in cancer treatment. Cancer Research UK have said of it: "There is no scientific or medical evidence to back up the claims made by the Issels website". [14]

Reception

Edzard Ernst, a former professor at The University of Exeter stated that Britons in particular were attracted to Tijuana clinics "because the clinics there are famous." [5] According to Quackwatch, the Oasis of Hope Hospital is a "dubious cancer clinic". [15] Richard Sullivan of Cancer Research UK has said, "the Tijuana clinics are essentially set up to deceive and it's a disgrace." [5]

Barrie R. Cassileth commented on a small longterm follow-up study that had been carried out on patients of Mexican clinics, including those taking the Contreras treatments. She said that most patients did not know what stage their cancer was at, but that the mean survival time – of 7 months – was enough to conclude that "Contreras therapy is ineffective in treating late-stage cancer patients". [16]

The Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center lists "Contreras Therapy" alongside other alternative nutrition-based cancer treatments like the Gerson Therapy which "show no evidence of efficacy". [11]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amygdalin</span> Cyanogenic glycoside present in kernels of fruit

Amygdalin is a naturally occurring chemical compound found in many plants, most notably in the seeds (kernels) of apricots, bitter almonds, apples, peaches, cherries and plums, and in the roots of manioc.

Insulin potentiation therapy (IPT) is an unproven alternative cancer treatment using insulin as an adjunct to low-dose chemotherapy. It was promoted by a paper in the controversial and non-peer reviewed journal Medical Hypotheses. It is not an evidence-based cancer treatment, and the costs of IPT are not covered by health insurance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ozone therapy</span> Unproven alternative medicine

Ozone therapy is an alternative medical treatment that introduces ozone or ozonides to the body. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) prohibits all medical uses of ozone "in any medical condition for which there is no proof of safety and effectiveness", stating "ozone is a toxic gas with no known useful medical application in specific, adjunctive, or preventive therapy. In order for ozone to be effective as a germicide, it must be present in a concentration far greater than that which can be safely tolerated by man and animals."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quackwatch</span> American alternative medicine watchdog website

Quackwatch is a United States-based website, self-described as a "network of people" founded by Stephen Barrett, which aims to "combat health-related frauds, myths, fads, fallacies, and misconduct" and to focus on "quackery-related information that is difficult or impossible to get elsewhere". Since 1996 it has operated the alternative medicine watchdog website quackwatch.org, which advises the public on unproven or ineffective alternative medical remedies. The site contains articles and other information criticizing many forms of alternative medicine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Max Gerson</span> American physician

Max Gerson was a German-born American physician who developed the Gerson Therapy, a dietary-based alternative cancer treatment that he claimed could cure cancer and most chronic, degenerative diseases.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Josef Issels</span> German physician (1907–1998)

Josef Maria Issels was a German physician known for promoting an alternative cancer treatment, the Issels treatment. He claimed to cure cancer patients who had been declared incurable by conventional cancer treatments. During Issels' lifetime, his methods were controversial, and in 1961 he was charged with fraud and manslaughter for allegedly promising fraudulent cancer cures and for the subsequent deaths of patients under his care who refused standard cancer treatment. An initial conviction on the manslaughter charge was overturned in 1964 on the grounds that Issels had genuinely believed that his therapy could cure cancer. Since at least 1972 the Issels treatment is described as unproven, and considered ineffective as a treatment for cancer.

Metabolic typing is considered by some a pseudoscience whose proponents believe that each person has a unique metabolism, and that the proportion of macromolecules which are optimal for one person may not be for a second, and could even be detrimental to them.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ernst T. Krebs</span> Promoter of the quack cancer treatment laetrile

Ernst Theodore Krebs, Jr., known as Ernst T. Krebs, an American promoter of various substances as alternative cures for cancer, including pangamic acid and amygdalin. He also co-patented the semi-synthetic chemical compound closely related to amygdalin called laetrile, which was also promoted as a cancer preventative and cure. His medical claims about these compounds are not supported by scientific evidence and are widely considered quackery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apricot kernel</span> Toxic seed of the apricot

An apricot kernel is the apricot seed located within the fruit endocarp, which forms a hard shell around the seed called the pyrena.

Ernesto Contreras (1915–2003) served as a Mexican medical doctor. He operated the Oasis of Hope Hospital in Tijuana for over 30 years, claiming to "treat" cancer patients with amygdalin (also called "laetrile" or, erroneously, "vitamin B17") which has been found completely ineffective. His practices have been widely condemned.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Donald Kelley</span> American alternative medicine therapist

William Donald Kelley was an American orthodontist who developed "non-specific metabolic therapy," an alternative cancer treatment, now known to be ineffective, which he based on his personal belief that "wrong foods [cause] malignancy to grow, while proper foods [allow] natural body defenses to work."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alternative cancer treatments</span> Alternative or complementary treatments for cancer that have not demonstrated efficacy

Alternative cancer treatment describes any cancer treatment or practice that is not part of the conventional standard of cancer care. These include special diets and exercises, chemicals, herbs, devices, and manual procedures. Most alternative cancer treatments do not have high-quality evidence supporting their use and many have been described as fundamentally pseudoscientific. Concerns have been raised about the safety of some purported treatments and some have been found unsafe in clinical trials. Despite this, many untested and disproven treatments are used around the world.

Poly-MVA is a dietary supplement created by Merrill Garnett (1931–), a former dentist turned biochemist. Poly-MVA is an ineffective alternative cancer treatment.

The National Health Federation (NHF) is a lobbying group which promotes natural medicine. The NHF is based in California and describes its mission as protecting individuals' rights to use dietary supplements and alternative therapies without government restriction. The NHF also opposes mainstream public-health measures such as water fluoridation and compulsory childhood vaccines.

A coffee enema is the injection of coffee into the rectum and colon via the anus, i.e., as an enema. There is no scientific evidence to support any positive health claim for this practice, and medical authorities advise that the procedure may be dangerous.

The Issels treatment, or Issels combination therapy, is an alternative cancer treatment based on the ideas of Josef Issels. The treatment is considered ineffective against cancer by the American Cancer Society, and is listed as a "Dubious Treatment" by the alternative medicine watchdog website Quackwatch.

Kanematsu Sugiura was a cancer researcher who spent his career at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. A pioneer in cancer research", he completed over 250 papers before his death. Sugiura received a number of awards and prizes throughout his life, and retired from the center in 1962.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virginia Livingston</span> American physician

Virginia Livingston (1906–1990) was an American physician and cancer researcher who advocated the unsupported theory that a specific species of bacteria she named Progenitor cryptocides was the primary cause of cancer in humans. Her theories about P. cryptocides have not been duplicated by researchers, and a clinical trial of her therapy did not show any efficacy in the treatment of cancer. The American Cancer Society, which did not support Livingston's treatment protocol for cancer, categorically denied her theory of cancer origins.

Zoetron therapy is an ineffective cancer treatment based on a large doughnut-shaped electromagnetic device.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Moss, R. W. (2005). "Patient Perspectives: Tijuana Cancer Clinics in the Post-NAFTA Era". Integrative Cancer Therapies. 4 (1): 65–86. doi: 10.1177/1534735404273918 . PMID   15695477.
  2. ↑ Walker, Tim (15 April 2016). "Tijuana's Medical Tourism Gets a Facelift Enticing More Americans in For Cheap Luxury Surgery". The Independent .
  3. ↑ Contreras, Francisco (1999). The Hope of Living Cancer Free. Lake Mary, Florida: Siloam Press. p.  136. ISBN   978-0-88419-655-6.
  4. ↑ Howarth, Alice (3 December 2014). "Expect clinics offering 'integrative therapy' for cancer if Saatchi bill passes". The Guardian.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Tuckman, Jo (21 May 2005). "Cancer patients take their hopes to Tijuana". The Guardian.
  6. ↑ Flurer Ph.D., Cheryl L.; Toomey B.S., Valerie M.; Nickum B.S., Elisa A. (7 May 2012). "Cyanide and Amygdalin as Indicators of the Presence of Bitter Almonds in Imported Raw Almonds". Journal of Forensic Sciences . 57 (5): 1313–1317. doi:10.1111/j.1556-4029.2012.02138.x. PMID   22564183. S2CID   20002210.
  7. ↑ "Questions and Answers About Laetrile/Amygdalin". Cancer.gov. 17 April 2017.
  8. ↑ "David Hess". Vanderbilt University College of Arts and Sciences.
  9. 1 2 David J. Hess (1999). Evaluating Alternative Cancer Therapies: A Guide to the Science and Politics of an Emerging Medical Field. Rutgers University Press. p. 97. ISBN   978-0-8135-2594-5 . Retrieved 2 September 2013.
  10. ↑ Moss, Ralph (2011). "A visit to the Tijuana clinics". Townsend Letter (333): 30.
  11. 1 2 "Metabolic Therapies". Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. 14 February 2013. Retrieved 1 September 2013.
  12. ↑ Milazzo, Stefania; Horneber, Markus (28 April 2015). "Laetrile treatment for cancer". The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2018 (4): CD005476. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD005476.pub4. ISSN   1469-493X. PMC   6513327 . PMID   25918920.
  13. ↑ Cipollone, R.; Visca, P.; Imperi, F.; Tomao, P. (28 July 2008). "Enzymatic detoxification of cyanide: clues from Pseudomonas aeruginosa Rhodanese". Journal of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology. 15 (2–3): 199–211. doi:10.1159/000121331. PMID   18685272. S2CID   25431686.
  14. ↑ "Issels Treatment". Cancer Research UK. 30 August 2017. Retrieved 1 September 2013.
  15. ↑ Stephen Barrett, M.D. (May 2003). "Rev. George M. Malkmus and his Hallelujah Diet". Quackwatch . Retrieved 1 September 2012.
  16. ↑ Barrie R. Cassileth; K. Simon Yeung; Jyothirmai Gubili (2010). Herb-drug Interactions in Oncology. PMPH-USA. p. 463. ISBN   978-1-60795-041-7 . Retrieved 4 September 2013.

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