Cancer Clinics in
MEXICO!

This is an article about the alternative medical clinics and hospitals in Mexico.
by Jim Thomas, webmaster

Recent email inquiries as well as a conversation with a fellow prostate cancer patient have prompted me to add this page to my online material. The traffic to these pages just continues to grow which indicates that interest in Complimentary and Alternative Medicine is high, regretedly because disease in our modern times is also high. What a predicament.

I recently had lunch with a fellow patient who has spent over five years since his diagnosis doing what the medical profession calls "Watchful Waiting." Like me he isn't doing much watching or waiting, he is very busy doing research, adjusting this lifestyle and nutrition and seeking support from kindred spirits. He says, "The doctor is doing the watching and waiting, waiting for me to fail so he can claim he's right." This is the case with me as well, I'm sorry to report. It's the price one pays for choosing the independant path, the lonely path.

However, the gist of this exchange over organic food and green tea was about his situation. He has had a kidney bean size tumor on his gland for some time and his PSA has remained in the area of 5 and lower. He has felt safe and been confident in this food and supplement choice. I have been supporting him.

Last week this calm was disrupted by a PSA reading of eleven.

Even though our mutual research has documented the lack of reliability of a PSA blood test, it is still unsettling to see it in writing. It is further unsettling to know how the medical community is going to react, adding more stress to the situation. I've observed many times that we PCa patients have two problems. In addition to having the disease we have the problem of what to do about it in an environment with lots of legal and medical advice, comprising expensive and experimental treatment, but no answers. The number of people dying from treatment is the same as those who don't have it. It's a dead heat.

In this momentary feeling of despair I was surprised to hear my friend ask me to do some research into the cancer clinics south of the border in Mexico. This article is a result of this research and it serves my friend as well as several emails I've got tucked away.

It seems that there are well over 50 clinics in this category. I'm not in a position to provide a review of them per se but I can provide some pointers as far as what treatments you're going for. We go there because we can't get it here.

The fact that we cannot get these various treatments in America is, in and of itself, a remarkable statement. We have a medical system that bans many proven auxiliary and primary solutions for reasons covered by other authors and web pages. That controversy is not the purpose here, except to say that one cannot look into this without having it get stuck in one's mind. I believe that someday today's narrow approach will be an embarrassment to the future medical philosophy, the way we now look back at leeches, etc. Even maggots are enjoying a comeback at present.

My primary care physician admitted to me that it is illegal for him to support my medical choice. Legally he must document that he advised me to follow up with a traditional urologist and/or an oncologist or he will lose his license, even if he personally believes in me and wants me to succeed.

So, here we are. It's still cancer, and there's a lot of money in treatment. There's none in cure.

To continue:

These web sites provide great information on the Mexican Clinics and Hospitals:

http://www.cancure.org/directory_mexican_clinics.htm

Alternative Cancer.Net (click on link to Mexican Clinics)

American Cancer Society (skeptical opinion_you should read everything)

http://www.annieappleseedproject.org/clininmex.html (article by Dr. Moss some recommended links)

http://www.cancerdecisions.com/021206_page.html (reaction to the death of Coretta Scott King)

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Working your way through these pages as well as your own internet searches will place the names of these clinics in your hands, as well as many opinions which are pretty well lined up along dogmatic lines. I will list briefly below the names of some of the therapies and/or treatments that you'll find in many of these clinics. Each clinic has its own specialty. I am doing this because in many cases you'll realize that a great deal of this can be done yourself in concert with local Naturopathic Physicians, etc.

http://www.dr-schulze.com

http://www.prostate90.com

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pH BALANCE: This treatment is a combination of acid-neutralizing minerals like calcium and magnesium to supply proper mineralization and to correct the acid/alkaline balance of the body. Two proponents of this treatment are Carl J. Reich, M.D. and Bob Barefoot. In addition another approach is the use of Potassium, Rubidium and especially Cesium, which are alkaline elements. When taken, it is believed they alkalinize cancer cells (neutralize their acid nature). Cancer cells do not survive in the higher PH ranges and die off.

ADJUNCTIVE THERAPIES:

Deficiencies: Most cancer patients are found to be deficient in selenium, so many doctors add it to their protocol. Therefore, it would be considered an "adjunctive therapy." Other adjunctive therapies would include: detoxification, specific vitamins and supplements like Vitamin C and Co-Q 10, water therapy, and nutrition balancing.

Detoxification, the removal of toxins from the body, is considered by many clinics as a very important part of their treatment. A variety of approaches are used, including colon cleansing, fasting, chelation, water therapy, heat therapy, and nutritional, herbal, and homeopathic methods. Max Gerson introduced coffee into the enema procedure, which causes the liver to release stored up toxins into the digestive system to be eliminated. Increasing your water intake may be one of the best ways to get rid of toxins in the body.

Nutrition: Nutrients used as a targeted cancer therapy, depending on the individual needs of the patient and immune system building.

Mind/Body: Psychological counseling, support groups and even psychotherapy make up a critically important aspect of therapy in the world's most successful cancer treatment centers. Some doctors have reported that a traumatic psychological event in a person's life may trigger the appearance of cancer one to two years later. Music, meditation, relaxation techniques, and stress reduction have proven to significantly enhance the power of the immune system. Some therapists include emotional and even spiritual counseling, not only for the person's regular life, but in dealing with the trauma of cancer. Biofeedback can also be used, where a person visualizes the immune cells of the body attacking the cancer cells.

AMYGDALIN (LAETRILE): When the natural substance called amygdalin is purified and concentrated for use in cancer therapy, it is called Laetrile. Amygdalin is extracted from apricot seeds and prepared in both tablet and injectable form. The injectable is more concentrated and capable of delivering higher doses in a shorter period of time. It is illegal in the U.S.

ELLAGIC ACID: Ellagic Acid is a newly discovered extract derived from various fruits such as red berries and pomegranates. Tests conducted at the Hollings Cancer Institute at the Medical University of South Carolina show that Ellagic Acid has "proven to be effective in preventing cancer, inhibiting the growth of cancer cells." In addition, Ellagic acid acts as a scavenger to bind cancer-causing chemicals, making them inactive.

ELECTRONIC THERAPIES: Rife, Beck, Clark, and others have used electronic therapies to treat cancer. Many have had successes treating cancer using these devices.

Electrotherapy, also known as electrochemical tumor therapy, Galvanotherapie and electro-cancer treatment (ECT), was developed in Europe by the Swedish professor Björn Nordenström and the Austrian doctor Rudolf Pekar. The therapy employs galvanic electrical stimulation to treat tumors and skin cancers. ECT is used most often as an adjunct with other therapies. Using local anesthesia, the physician inserts a positively-charged platinum, gold or silver needle into the tumor and places negatively-charged needles around the tumor. Voltages of 6 to 15 volts are used, dependent upon tumor size. To enhance the cancer-cell-killing power of ECT, sometimes small amounts of chemotherapy agents are applied to the skin and driven into the tumor by a kind of sweating effect of the electric current ("iontophoresis"). ECT works by influencing the acid/alkaline (pH) levels within the tumor and causing electrolysis of its tissue, which is more susceptible to direct current than normal tissue. The pH change depolarizes cancer cell membranes and causes tumors to be gently destroyed. The ECT process also appears to generate heat shock proteins around the cancer cells, inducing cell-specific immunity. This process triggers Natural Killer cells.

Magnetic Resonance or Bio-resonance: A newer technique based on an older technology. All cells have a natural frequency of resonance and cancer cells differ in frequency from normal cells. Radio waves set to resonate with cancer cell frequencies can destroy them similar to the way a high pitched note breaks a glass. It has never been adopted by the conventional medical establishment in the United States, but Bio-resonance devices have been in use in Europe for 23 years.

Radiowaves set to resonate with certain frequencies can harm the cancer cells similar to the way in which a tone set to the proper pitch can shatter glass without harming other adjacent substances.

Rife machines were developed by Royal Rife, one of the originators of this bio-technology. These devices transmit specific electronic signals to deactivate or destroy living pathogens, bacteria, and cancers. Rife also developed special electron microscopes. Rife machines have been outlawed by the FDA, but some clinics like American Metabolics use them in treatment. http://www.rife.org for more information. There is also a Rife Forum at Subscribe: Rife-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

ENZYMATIC THERAPY: Enzyme therapy is generally broken down into two types: food enzymes and Proteolitic enzymes. Several researchers including Dr. John Beard, Dr. Ernst Krebs, Jr., and Dr. Dean Burk found that the cancer cell is coated with a protein lining and that it is this protein lining (or covering) that prevents the body’s normal defenses from getting to the cancer cell. They found that, if you can dissolve the protein lining from around the cancer cell, the body’s normal defenses, the leukocytes (white blood cells), will destroy the cancer cell. Woebenzyme is a product from Germany that appears to do just that. Chapters five and six of the book World Without Cancer describe this process in more detail.

The FDA has approved the Orphan Drug application of Wobe-Mugos as an adjunct therapy for multiple myeloma. Wobe-Mugos is a combination of systemic enzymes, used successfully in Europe in conjunction with chemotherapy since 1977.

DIET: Many centers are using a variety of food therapies to treat cancer. Max Gerson began in the fifties saving lives using a strict diet of fresh vegetables and fruit. Many people have had successes just using a macrobiotic diet, vegetarian diets, and the Budwig diet. Others add products like wheat grass, barley green, and broccoli sprouts to their diet because of special properties they contain. For example, broccoli sprouts (not just broccoli) contains a cancer-fighting agent known as sulforaphane that prompts the body to make an enzyme that prevents tumors from forming.

Budwig diet/flax seed oil: The Flax seed (Linseed) oil diet was originally proposed by Dr. Johanna Budwig, a German biochemist and expert on fats and oils in 1951. Her simple formula of two tablespoons of flaxseed oil to a quarter cup of low fat cottage cheese (or other foods containing sulfur) helps increase metabolism, boosts the immune systems, reduces cholesterol levels, and helps inhibit cancer-cell growth.

Hallelujah Acres Diet developed by Dr. George Malkmus is a vegetarian diet that has helped with a variety of diseases, including cancer. For more information, go to their website at http://www.hacres.com/

Low Sugar Diets seem to starve cancer cells. Cancer cells seem to use sugar as their basic "fuel." In addition, a high sugar intake seems to increase factors in the body responsible for creating conditions that encourage cancer to grow - for example, high acidosis, immune system suppression and prosglandin production.

GERSON: The Gerson therapy consists of detoxification and diet. Detoxification involves the use of coffee enemas. The theory behind this is that caffeine is rapidly absorbed through the lower bowel and travels directly to the liver where it stimulates the production of natural immune factors. Care must be taken not to over-stimulate the liver which could eventually lead to its fatigue and malfunction. The diet is similar to the Laetrile diet, but is more strict. It includes twelve or more glasses daily of freshly pressed fruit and vegetable juices, a daily vegetable soup, and potassium/iodine supplements. The therapy was developed by Dr. Max Gerson, a graduate of the University of Freiburg Medical School in Germany who fled to the U.S. in 1936 as a refugee of fascism.

GREEN TEA: This is a popular cancer preventative and a favorite of the Asians for centuries. Dr. Fujiki, of Japan's National Cancer Center says "Green tea cannot prevent every cancer, but it's the cheapest and most reliable method for cancer prevention available to the general public." The active ingredient is a chemical compound abbreviated to EGCG, which has strong free-radical-scavenging properties.

HERBAL EXTRACTS/PLANT PRODUCTS: There are many herbal extracts and concoctions and plant products used to treat cancer. These include:

* Artemesia, also known as wormwood is being researched as a safe, non-toxic, and inexpensive alternative for cancer patients.

* Essiac Tea is an herbal concoction composed of Burdock, Indian Rhubarb, Sorrel, Slippery Elm and other ingredients. It was developed by a nurse in Canada, Rene Caisse (Essiac is Caisse spelled backward). Caisse gave the formula to a company in Canada who markets the product today. Indian Rhubarb contains benzaldehyde, one of the components of Amygdalin (Laetrile). Many alternative physicians use Essiac to help cleanse the blood, especially if a patient has been on chemotherapy or radiation.

* Graviola is a product from a tree in the Rain Forests of the Amazon. Producers claim it is stronger at killing colon cancer cells than common chemotherapeutic drugs and that it hunts down and destroys prostate, lung, breast, colon, and pancreatic cancers, while leaving healthy cells alone. It is supposed to help one's immune system as well. Go to http://www.graviola.org for information.

* Hoxsey is an herbal concoction composed of poke root, burdock root, barberry root, buckthorn bark, and stillinga root. It is administered in two forms. One is taken orally and the other is a salve (containing blood root) which, if the tumor is on or close to the surface of the skin, is applied topically. The formula was first used in 1924 by Harry M. Hoxsey, a controversial and colorful figure who said he obtained it from his grandfather. The elder Hoxsey was a farmer who observed one of his horses apparently cure itself of cancer by instinctively eating certain plants. Many plants which animals seek when they are ill contain nitrilosides. Amygdalin (Laetrile) is classified as a nitriloside.

* Pau D'Arco is an extract from the inner bark of a certain South American tree. Lapachol, the active ingredient, can produce strong biological responses against cancer. It is said that the pau d'arco tree yields lapachol and 20 other compounds that may be useful in treating cancer, lupus, diabetes and Hodgkin's Disease.

* Red Clover - Used for centuries. The National Cancer Institute researched the herb and found 4 anti-tumor compounds in red clover.

* Saw Palmetto is often used in the treatment of prostate cancer.

* Tian Xian (pronounced "Dianne Sean") is a Chinese herbal supplement with ingredients that help control, inhibit and destroy cancer cells. Go to http://www.tianxian.com/english/index.shtml or http://www.cancer-herbs.com/contact/index.html for information.

HYPERTHERMIA: The theory behind hyperthermia (heat therapy) is that raising the temperature of the body increases circulation and also increases the supply of oxygen to the cancer site. Cancer cells do not thrive in the presence of oxygen. Tumors and cells located near the surface of the body are more vulnerable to heat treatments than those protected deep inside. Although the prolonged high temperatures can be uncomfortable to the patient, this treatment has produced excellent results.

IMMUNE-SYSTEM BOOSTERS: Also called Biological Response Modifier Therapy. A biological response modifier is a substance that stimulates the body's response to infection and disease. Products like Colostrum, MGN3, IP6 (Inostal), Iscador (Mistletoe), and mushroom extracts help rebuild the immune system and have been successful in fighting and in many cases reversing cancers. Many centers use some form of immuno therapy. Some use herbs, such as Echinacea, Pau D'arco, and Mistletoe, while others use those factors found in a healthy immune system already such as interferon, interleukin, gamma globulin, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF).

* Agaricus mushrooms from Brazil have been found to be very potent.
* Aloe Vera helps the body fight infections and malignant cells. It is also a detoxifier and an immunomodulator, meaning it will balance your immune system.
* Alpha lipoic acid has been found to have a number of positive impacts in relation to cancer. In its antioxidant capacity, it protects a complex called NF kappa B. NF Kappa B is involved in controlling cell division and is often damaged in cancer cells (by free radicals). When this damage happens NF Kappa B is activated and oncogenes can take over the cell cycle leading to uncontrolled cell division and cancer. ALA in conjunction with N-Acetyl Cysteine has been found to repair functional defects in the immune systems of cancer patients as well.
* Beta Glucan helps build up ones immunity and can have anti-tumor effects.
* Carnivora is an extract of the Venus Fly Trap plant. Carnivora externally applied has helped with skin cancers and when taken in capsules, may stop the halt or reduce tumor growth. The active component of carnivora is plumbagin, a powerful immunological booster.
* Chlorella, a single cell algae, also helps build the immune system.
* Colostrum is the fluid given by the mother's breast within 24 hours after giving birth. It is a nutrient loaded with immune-system boosters. Colostrum collected from calves are a good source and can be found at many health food stores.
* Ganoderma is a unique product containing vitamins, minerals, and different mushroom species. It helps build the immune system and helps with detoxification, especially of the liver. It also helps with the side effects of chemo and radiation.
* Graviola - see Herbal/Plant Products above
* Inositol is a natural phytochemical (plant chemical) found in rice bran. Several studies since the mid-1980s have shown it to increase Natural Killer (NK) cell activity and exhibit anti-tumor activity.
* Interferon, or the Koch serum which is supposed to force the body to create interferon, stimulate the growth of certain disease-fighting blood cells in the immune system, and to help slow tumor growth. These substances are normally produced by the body, but some are produced in the laboratory.
* Interleukin-2 is a synthetic version of a naturally-occurring cytokine found in the human immune system. In conventional treatment, larger doses of this are used vs. smaller amounts used by alternative clinics. Also, recent studies seem to indicate that melatonin combined with IL-2 may be more effective than chemotherapy in treating lung cancer.
* Iscador is an extract of Mistletoe.
* MGN3 was developed by Dr. Mamdooh Ghoneum from extracts of rice bran and mushrooms. In published studies, MGN-3 was shown to greatly increase NK cell activity. One source is Lane Labs.
* Shark Liver Oil (below) is another good immune system builder.

METABOLIC THERAPY: The dictionary definition of the word metabolic is that which pertains to the physical and chemical processes involved in the maintenance of life. There are two kinds of metabolism: anabolism, the process by which simple substances are synthesized into complex ones; and catabolism, the process by which complex structures are broken down into simple ones. Anabolism is associated with the growth and repair of healthy tissue. Catabolism is associated with the disease state and the breakdown of tissue. When the term metabolic therapy is used by doctors of alternative medicine, it denotes, not a specific therapy, but a category of treatments which are non-toxic, non-invasive, and which support the anabolic process. Diet and enzymes are key in this type of therapy.

OXYGEN AND OZONE TREATMENT: The key to this therapy is getting elevated concentrations of oxygen into the body or tumor using various means. Nobel Prize winner Dr. Otto Warburg showed that cancer cells do not occur in a healthy, oxygenated environment. Many think lack of oxygen is the prime cause of all cancers. An impressive variety of new ways to introduce oxygen into the body are emerging including pressure chambers, liquid oxygen, peroxide, chemical compounds, acid/alkaline balancing, injections, and ozone treatments. Flooding cells with oxygen may retard the growth of cancer cells or even help to return them to normal.

* Hydrogen Peroxide is a form of ozone treatment. Administered intra-veneously, this therapy supplies an abundance of oxygen to the cancer site. Since cancer thrives in a fermentive state and does not do well in the presence of oxygen, the effect is to inhibit or destroy the cancer. As with hydrazine sulphate, this is not a mechanism found in nature, but many patients claim to have had their cancers put into remission with this treatment.

* Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is generally used for strokes and brain damage, but has been used by some clinics for treating cancer. For more information contact the American College of Hyperbaric Medicine in Florida at (305) 771-4000.

* Ozone therapy has been widely used in Europe for many years. Ozone (O3) is a highly active form of oxygen. Because it has powerful antiviral properties, it is also used in treating AIDS. In the body, ozone gives off O which kills viruses and bacteria. It also creates an oxygen-rich environment that may force cancer cells to shift from an anaerobic metabolism to an aerobic, or oxygen-based, metabolism. Ozone also produces molecular oxygen (O2), in the same way that hydrogen peroxide does.

SHARK CARTILAGE: Much attention has been focused on shark cartilage as a treatment for cancer. It is believed that it inhibits a tumor's ability to create new blood vessels thereby starving it away. Questions have arisen about the statement that "Shark's don't get cancer." New studies may show that sharks do get cancer, but even if they don't, it is has been theorized that this may be because of the mineral rich environment sharks live in and not due to the "shark cartilage." More information is needed on this type of therapy. One of the most popular sources of shark cartilage is BeneFin by Lane Labs.

Shark Liver Oil contains Alkylglycerols, chemicals that are found in mother's milk, the immune system organs: liver, spleen, bone marrow, lymphatic tissues, and in the blood. One chemical found in Shark Liver Oil is squalamine, which appears to shut down a tumor's ability to connect to and develop its own blood supply, and may be helpful in brain cancer. It is another good immune system builder. Go to Lane Labs for more information.

WHEAT GRASS: This therapy consists primarily of detoxification and consuming a wheat-grass drink several times each day. Fresh wheat grass in this form is a potent source of many vitamins, minerals and plant enzymes. Thus, it is said to be nature's own nutritional program. Wheat grass also contains Amygdalin/Laetrile, although other sources, such as apricot seeds are more potent.

ZAPPERS AND ANTI-PARASITIC HERBALS: The thesis behind this theory is that all diseases are caused by parasites (including flukes) and that all one has to do to eliminate the disease state is to eliminate the parasites. The two methods normally advocated are (1) passing a low-amperage electrical current through the body via a small, battery-powered device called a "zapper" and/or (2) consuming a combination of anti-parasitic herbals. There is strong evidence to support this theory, and we at The Cancer Cure Foundation know that positive results are often obtained. However, we question the explanations of why this works. It is our view that the parasites are not the cause of diseases but the result of them. It is possible that the disease state is caused by a low electrical charge at the sub-cellular level which leads to an acidic environment. It is this environment that, not only causes the cells to malfunction (thus, the diseases), but which also reduces the cell's defenses against parasites. Anything which raises the electrical potential of the cells (the zapper?) or which moves the body toward an alkaline state (the herbs?) will produce the desired healing effect. It is possible that the herbs also have a genuine anti-parasitic effect in their own right by being selectively toxic to the parasites. However, if the electrical concept is valid, then the long-term healing effect is attributable, not to the herbal therapy, but the electrical therapy.

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Well, this gives you an idea of what alternative medicine is and is available under medical supervision from these clinics. I recommend taking some of the clinic tours and interviewing surviving patients if you can find them. I'll list them here if I hear from any. For myself, I'm resolved to apply as many of these disciplines as I can and have faith that my natural life is whatever it is going to be.

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Follow up

A week after this conversation a doctor's visit discovered that the previously documented tumor (DRE) is now completely gone! The present medical opinion is that the PSA spike is probably an indicator of an infection. This is an example of the minefield we patients walk in, with insecurity and opinions that cause us anxiety while we look for truth. This may be a testimony to self healing in the absence of a known tumor. Again, relying on one PSA test is not a good idea. The journey continues.