The Oasis of Hope cancer treatment Difference

Intergrative Cancer Treatments IRT-Q

IRT-Q

The IRT-Q protocol is an integrative cancer treatment where we combine effective conventional treatments with complementary cancer therapies. The IRT-Q protocol is intended for patients whose cancers are likely to be responsive to certain well documented chemotherapy regimens. (The name "IRT-Q" reflects the fact that the Spanish for "chemotherapy" is "Quimioterapia".) What differentiates chemotherapy at Oasis from that practiced at most medical centers in the U.S. is that numerous adjuvant measures are included that are intended either to boost the responsiveness of cancer cells to chemotherapy drugs, or to protect normal tissues from these drugs and thereby minimize distressing or dangerous side effects. Many patients who come to Oasis have had previous negative experiences with chemotherapy, and are hardly eager to try it again. But a number of these patients, after talking with our doctors and other Oasis of Hope patients who are enrolled in the IRT-Q protocol and tolerating it well, elect to try the IRT-Q route and get superior results.

In the IRT-Q regimen, the adjuvant strategies employed for rendering the cancer more sensitive to cytotoxic drugs include measures for boosting tumor oxygenation, subjecting the tumor to increased oxidative stress (using high-dose intravenous vitamin C), and blocking signaling pathways in cancer cells that help them survive chemotherapeutic assault. Concurrently, measures such as oxidative pre-conditioning, nocturnal melatonin administration, and supplemental glutamine are used to protect healthy tissues and minimize side effects.

The IRT-Q regimen also includes a comprehensive at-home treatment program, using a range of nutraceuticals and well-tolerated drugs, that is intended to slow the multiplication of cancer cells, block the development of new blood vessels (angiogenesis) required for tumor growth, decrease their capacity of cancer cells to form new metastases, and boost the ability of the immune system to control cancer spread. And, as will all therapy regimens at Oasis, psychological and spiritual counseling play a key role in helping patients cope with the emotional challenges that cancer presents.