Oasis of Hope is a Tijuana hospital and clinic that attracts patients from around the world through integrative cancer treatments. Combining immunostimulating approaches and nutraceuticals, the Oasis of Hope protocol has been designed by Dr. Francisco Contreras to boost the body’s responsiveness to chemotherapy and effectively fight cancer.
One major control agent that is often neglected when addressing cancer is the immune system. In many cases, an optimally-functioning immune response will prevent cancer from spreading and emerging as a tumor. This reflects the efforts of anti-tumor effectors such as natural killer (NK) cells, which work to eliminate cancer cells even before they are detectable using tumor markers.
Unfortunately, long term chronic anxiety and stress dampens NK activity and opens the door for cancer to take hold. This has to do with how the body allocates finite resources and redistributes them for specific situations it faces. A simple example is how, when mounting a defense to an infection through fever, the body takes energy stores from other parts of the body. The result is that one feels weak and in need of rest.
An example of chronic stress is that which arises when the “fight or flight” mechanism, designed for short term bursts of energy, is prolonged and drains energetic capacity over an unsustainable length of time. Lacking a chance to rest and recuperate, the body’s immune response suffers. Managing stress response is thus a vital pathway toward reenergizing the immune system and focusing the body on its battle against cancer.
