Located in Tijuana and serving patients from around the world, Oasis of Hope is led by Francisco Contreras, MD. As an oncologist, Dr. Contreras is known for his success in developing integrative and alternative cancer treatments. One unique modality offered at Oasis of Hope is oral sodium bicarbonate therapy, which is effective in decreasing cancer metastases rates by boosting blood pH levels and making the patient’s system more alkaline.
In general, tumors thrive in an acidic or low-pH environment, with malignant cells converting large amounts of blood sugar into lactic acid in a process of aerobic glycolysis. This makes tumors’ extracellular environment acidic, which may be amplified by poor blood flow in regions where certain tumors thrive.
This acidity increases the aggressiveness of cancer cells, makes them more likely to spread, and provides protection from the immune system. Oral bicarbonate therapy, pioneered at Florida’s Moffitt Cancer Center, effectively raises alkalinity in the body and increases the potential effectiveness of ozone and vitamin C therapy.
