Oasis of Hope is a Tijuana-based hospital that combines conventional methods with alternative cancer treatments spanning modalities such as pancreatic enzymes, ozone therapy, and megadoses of IV vitamin C. Speaking with the nonprofit CANCERactive, director Dr. Francisco Contreras described a thorough protocol employed with all Oasis of Hope patients, who come from around the world and are often battling stage four cancers.
At the outset, medical history and lab results are carefully reviewed, with a focus on seeing if anything was missed by past physicians. At this point, lab work is undertaken once again, for comparison. One unique aspect of stays at the hospital is that they are often positioned as part of a broader two-year program, with patients receiving education throughout their stay that enables them to continue the program on their own, and with continuing consultative support, upon returning home.
Practical emphases at Oasis include the use of B-17, “nature’s chemotherapy,” and ozonation programs that utilize equipment similar to a dialysis machine in suffusing the blood system with ozone. Beyond these practical physical regimens, Dr. Contreras spends equal time attending to aspects of well-being that are emotional in nature. As he puts it, laughter “stimulates the immune system better than any drug.”
Emphasizing social activities such as sing-alongs and supportive conversation, Dr. Contreras takes impetus from US medical studies that have found that argumentative people often survive longer. Boiled down into a life-affirming credo, he clearly states this as “people who are more determined, beat it.” With patient stays typically lasting three weeks, foundational principles exercised throughout are those of “Do no harm” and “Treat the patient as yourself.”
