Contreras Metabolic Therapy

After almost four decades since President Nixon declared the war on cancer, the establishment is beginning to accept that it does not have all the pieces to the puzzle. There is greater recognition now that hte alternative movement has some elemental kes to the solution of the riddle of malignancies. These decades of research have confronted the science of orthodox cancer therapy with two basic truths that now are being reluctantly considered, 1) The idea of a magic bullet was and is utopian; 2) Natural chemical agents (nutrients) can indeed play an important role in disrupting the metabolic signaling pathways of cancer.

Taking this into account, the possibilities for therapeutic design and response evaluation broaden considerably. First, therapies targeting signaling pathway disruption have been successfully developed, for instance our Integrative Regulatory Therapies. Secondly, these therapies can be combined with orthodox ones, resulting in the reduction of side effects and increased effectiveness. THirdly, the aim of the therapies is not necessarily or solely to cure but to control cancer's growth and threat so that it may be convereted from a "terminal" disease into a chronic one.

Nevertheless, pure alternative therapies have been proven to help cancer patients, from complete disappearance of their tumors, to significantly prolong pain-free and fruitful lives. My father designed the first comprehensive anti-cancer therapy in the world in 1963 based on the most advantage of his discoveries - especially when orthodox practicioners have sent them home to die. Most patients arrived at the Oasis of Hope undernourished, full of toxins, with critical tumor activity, immunologically challenged, in pain, hopeless, and full of fear after grueling and devastating orthodox therapies had failed them. It was obvious that patients in these conditions needed an approach that addressed not only their tumors but all of their troubling issues. My father was sensitive to the patients' emotional and spiritual needs and began a body, mind and spirit therapeutic approach which he called holistic; in fact, I believe he coined that word for this manner of treating patients with cancer.
Most patients had received all the chemo and radiation therapies possible and were told that there was nothing more that possibly could be done, but my father was a man with indefatigable love and believed that there was always something that could be done, even if it was just offering a caring hand to hold. When he became aware of natural and quite effective, non-toxic anti-tumor agents such as vitamin C and amygdalin, commercially known as Laterille, he was empowered to help tens of thousands of people find victory over cancer. To increase the possibility of positive results, he developed a detoxifying program to rid the patient from chemotherapy remnants and other pollutants from bad lifestyle habits, so as to improve the patient's condition and capability to respond to alternative, natural, therapies.

It was already established that cancer patients with positive attitudes fared better and improved their immune systems, so he established the famous "sing-a-long" sessions where he came with his guitar and an unending arsenal of jokes to build up good cheer in his patients. He also established bible studies because he was convinced that a patient with strong spiritual beliefs, with an assurance of eternal life ahead of him/her, was able to face the future, no matter what the results, with confidence.

Though he did not have the profundity of present molecular biology, there was sufficient scientific data to support the fact that cancer thrived on sugar, white flour, and animal protein and fat - in contrast to the complex carbohydrates the normal cells use to generate energy. This was why he developed a diet that would ensure normal cell metabolism and impede malignant cell functions. He called this comprehensive and holistic approach "Metabolic Therapy."

The Oasis of Hope is the only cancer institute in the world that offers the original "Contreras Metabolic Therapy," a proven and effective modality given to tens of thousands of patients over a span of almost five decades. Though there have been many advancements in alternative/complementary/integrative therapies, all of which are available at the Oasis of Hope, the Contreras Metabolic Therapy (CMT) continues to be the best alternative for many patients to date. The CMT is proof that not all new things are better and not all old things are obsolete.

Though our CTM stands firm on almost 50 years of proven fundamentals, it has been continuously updated to 21st Century scientific standards to enhance its potential while maintining my father's essential philosophy - natural measures that will do no harm.

Here are some of the innovations that make our CMT state-of-the-art. We now know that cancer cells are very sensitive to oxidizing agents - especially when these can be generated in or around the tumor, as achieved by high-dose vitamin C. This had been difficult because you need oxygen for this to happen and tumors are often hypoxic (low in oxygen). To overcome this obstacle, we now employ ozone autohemoteraphy (amplified with UV light treatment of the blood), proven to increase tumor blood flow, and also added pentoxifylline, a time-tested and very safe oxygen enhancing element; we also co-administer menadione, a form of vitaming K that has been shown to boost the ability of vitamin C to generate the above-mentioned radicals that kill the tumor from within.

And our at-home therapy for Contreras Metabolic Therapy, while retaining classic agents such as oral and parenteral (IV or IM) amygdalin, wobezyme proteolytic enzymes, and additional nutraceuticals such as high (but safe) doses of vitamin D and selenium, melatonin, enriched fish oil, silibinin, soy isoflavones, sodium bicarbonate and a unique product, GPG, that provides ample amounts of modified citrus pectrin and t he amino acids glycine and glutamine. All of these nutraceuticals have shown cancer retardant potential in recent biomedical studies, without toxicity. If my father were here today, I am sure he would have applauded this efforts to potentiate the efficiancy of his original time-tested strategies.