Oasis of Hope--great place!!

2bhealed

hello Semi-colons!

I received this this morning and am passing it on per her request:


Hi again!

I have been trying over and over again to post a reply concerning Oasis, and I don't know if it's my computer, or the Mexican server, or a problem with CSN. I tried to even email it to the two people that asked about Oasis, and also tried to do a new topic and put it there, but to no avail. Just wondered if there is any way you could post it for me? Here it is:



Here is the link to the website:
http://www.oasisofhope.com/
You can download the free ebook written by Dr. Contreras titled "Dismantling Cancer." I have read it many times, and also other books he has written.
Donald Factor, son of cosmetic giant, Max Factor, is now cancer-free for over 20 years after going to Oasis. Here is the link to his story:
http://cancerresourcecenter.com/articles/donaldfactor.html
Oasis is one of many hospitals and clinics in Tijuana, Mexico that offer alternative cancer treatments, and after hundreds of hours of research, we had narrowed it down to five, and Oasis was always at the top of the list. People come to Oasis from all over the world, in fact, one patient I spoke with said she met people from nine different countries on her first day at Oasis. We were very impressed with the professionalism, the cleanliness, and the warmth and kindness from the doctors, nurses, and other staff members at Oasis.
My son received laetrile, ozone, high-dose Vitamin C treatments and more, however, each patient gets a treatment plan designed specifically for him/her. Diet and vitamins are a large part of the treatment plan, and in many cases conventional methods are also part of a patient's treatment plan. Everything is very individualized at Oasis.
Please email me if you have any questions. I am away from home right now where I have most of my information and resources stored, but will be glad to send you more when I return in a few days.
Jane

moniquebar

Some would argue that the Oasis of Hope is not such a great place, but rather an elaborate scam run by con artists who are willing to bilk desperate people out of their last resources.

While I have no problem with many alternative treatments, whenever I read about miracle cures I perform a quick Google search, listing the so-called miracle cure and the word "scam".

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2005/may/21/cancercare.internationalnews

http://www.cancerforums.net/post-17567.html

http://www.skepticfriends.org/forum/showquestion.asp?faq=7&fldAuto=221

2bhealed

moniquebar said:

Some would argue that the Oasis of Hope is not such a great place, but rather an elaborate scam run by con artists who are willing to bilk desperate people out of their last resources.

While I have no problem with many alternative treatments, whenever I read about miracle cures I perform a quick Google search, listing the so-called miracle cure and the word "scam".

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2005/may/21/cancercare.internationalnews

http://www.cancerforums.net/post-17567.html

http://www.skepticfriends.org/forum/showquestion.asp?faq=7&fldAuto=221

Well of course I have never been--was just passing along the info from one who has gone.....but funny--your description sounds just like a medical establishment I went to for an oncology consult where they served their cancer patients donuts to eat during their chemo!

So I totally understand the argument!

peace, emily

HowardJ

Hi Emily,

I'm afraid I smell snake oil on this one.

Laetrile?

Howard

moniquebar

HowardJ said:

Hi Emily,

I'm afraid I smell snake oil on this one.

Laetrile?

Howard

Yes, laetrile is one of their lauded treatment options.

"In July 1980, the NCI undertook clinical trials of 178 cancer patients who received Laetrile, vitamins and enzymes at the Mayo Clinic and three other prominent cancer centers. The study included patients for whom no other treatment had been effective or for whom no proven treatment was known. All patients had tumor masses that could easily be measured, but most of the patients were in good physical condition. Since Laetrile proponents were unable to agree on the formula or testing protocol for Laetrile, NCI decided to use a preparation that corresponded to the substance distributed by the major Mexican supplier, American Biologics. The preparation was supplied by the NCI Pharmaceutical Resources Branch and verified by a variety of tests. The dosage of Laetrile was based on the published recommendations of Krebs, Jr., and the Bradford Foundation.

The results of the trial were clear-cut. Not one patient was cured or even stabilized. The median survival rate was 4.8 months from the start of therapy, and in those still alive after seven months, tumor size had increased. This was the expected result for patients receiving no treatment at all. In addition, several patients experienced symptoms of cyanide toxicity or had blood levels of cyanide approaching the lethal range [7]. An accompanying editorial concluded:

Laetrile has had its day in court. The evidence, beyond reasonable doubt, is that it doesn’t benefit patients with advanced cancer, and there is no reason to believe that it would be any more effective in the earlier stages of the disease . . . The time has come to close the books. [8]"

Refs:
7. Moertel C and others. A clinical trial of amygdalin (Laetrile) in the treatment of human cancer. New England Journal of Medicine 306:201-206, 1982.
8. Relman A. Closing the books on Laetrile. New England Journal of Medicine 306:236, 1982.

moniquebar

2bhealed said:

Well of course I have never been--was just passing along the info from one who has gone.....but funny--your description sounds just like a medical establishment I went to for an oncology consult where they served their cancer patients donuts to eat during their chemo!

So I totally understand the argument!

peace, emily

Funny. How does my description sound just like a medical establishment that served donuts?

I don't eat donuts.

Best,
Monique

jenhopesprays

I can't say they are all scams but I sure can tell you about the father of laetrile "Dr" Krebs. He was a complete scammer.

Read all about it:

http://www.quackwatch.com/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/Cancer/laetrile.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/03/international/americas/03mexico.html

I for one am disgusted by the idea that there are folks out there who think American researchers and doctors are holding out on treatments for nefarious reasons. The thinking is that they have cures that are proven to work but hide them to profit their business.

Many doctors I know have mothers and fathers who have died of cancer. That is what has motivated them to pursue the profession. They are normal folks just like you and me. They go into the profession to make a difference. I particularly honor the unsung heros, research scientists. They found a cure for testicular cancer and have made childhood leukemia survival rates go way, way up to name just a few.

Three cheers for them!!

Jennifer

2bhealed

moniquebar said:

Funny. How does my description sound just like a medical establishment that served donuts?

I don't eat donuts.

Best,
Monique

"but rather an elaborate scam run by con artists who are willing to bilk desperate people out of their last resources."

That description sounds just like the chemo clinic I walked into and saw that they were serving sugar-laden, transfatty acid full junky donuts to cancer folks there for their chemo. You may not eat donuts but plenty of these folks were......looked like a scam to me!

peace, emily

moniquebar

2bhealed said:

"but rather an elaborate scam run by con artists who are willing to bilk desperate people out of their last resources."

That description sounds just like the chemo clinic I walked into and saw that they were serving sugar-laden, transfatty acid full junky donuts to cancer folks there for their chemo. You may not eat donuts but plenty of these folks were......looked like a scam to me!

peace, emily

Okay. So your cancer clinic provided its patients with sugary donuts? This doesn't mean that chemotherapy doesn't work, only that the clinic's dietitians (if they indeed had any) were ill informed regarding the benefits of healthy food choices. Further, patients could choose whether or not to consume the donut. And yes, what we choose to put into our bodies is a vital consideration when considering cancer. For instance, many would argue that Laetrile (an alternative treatment for cancer, is dangerous, much more dangerous than a donut, as it promises results that have not been scientifically proven). In my mind, Laetrile is a donut dressed up as an organic bran muffin.

Best,
Monique