Hope4Cancer
Against allopathy Alternative medicine |
Clinically unproven |
Woo-meisters |
Hope4Cancer is an alt-med clinic in Mexico where naive individuals have received a variety of quack treatments, including Laetrile, Iscador, BX Protocol, CRONaxal, Poly-MVA, GcMAF, shark cartilage, sono photo dynamic therapy, and ozone therapy, reportedly at a cost of at least $15,000 per week.[1][2] Hope4Cancer clinic does provide hope for its cancer patients, but it's the false variety—notice that its name studiously avoids saying HopeForCancer, similarly to how Froot Loops is spelled that way because it doesn't contain any fruit.
The founder and his fellows
Dr Antonio “Tony” Jimenez is the founder and proprietor of the Hope4Cancer “Institute”.[3] When reviewing the behavior of Dr Tony it's difficult not to think of The Simpsons' cartoon character Dr. Nick, but unfortunately Dr Tony is real.
According to Dr Tony's biography on his Hope4Cancer website, he was taught ozone therapy by a Nobel laureate called “Basil Wainwright PhD”,[4]. To date, no one called Wainwright has won a Nobel prize.[5] Tony's mentor, Basil Earle Wainwright, a/k/a "Dr Roderick Edward Stone", a/k/a "King Con", has been jailed in the UK & US: found guilty of theft, fraud and practicing medicine without a license[6] (Basil would have been jailed in a third continent if he hadn't fled from Kenya).[7]
The Hope4Cancer website says Dr Tony Jimenez has "trained with Ireland's Dr. Tom Cleary, who was internationally known for his work with SonoPhoto Dynamic Therapy [ SPDT ]".[8] In Ireland that Dr. Tom Cleary used SPDT, a/k/a CLT, alongside an American ex-surgeon called Dr. William Howard Porter. Dr. Porter lost his license to practice medicine in 1994 for gross negligence.[9] In order to avoid a similar fate, "Ireland's Dr. Tom Cleary" promised "not to engage in the practice of CLT" in 2004.[10]
A more recent associate of Hope4Cancer's Dr Tony is Dewayne Lee Smith "PhD", purportedly the inventor of the BX Protocol cure-all (which is just water costing US$16,995). Dr Tony Jimenez is on the board of the company that makes BX Protocol[11] (as are Rashid Buttar and Sherri Tenpenny). In June 2019 the company behind BX Protocol stated they were closed down by the FDA's office of criminal investigations.[12]
Dr Tony's résumé says he is a member of the "American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M)".[13] The founders of "A4M", Dr Ronald M. Klatz D.O. & Robert M. Goldman D.O., were both fined $5000 in the year 2000 by their state medical board for incorrectly adding the title "M.D." to their names.[14] On the Hope4Cancer website Dr Tony is described as "Dr. Antonio Jimenez, M.D., N.D., C.N.C."[15] His résumé also states that he is a practitioner of iridology: a diagnostic technique whose validity is comparable with phrenology and rumpology).
Dr Tony's missus is in on the act: she's the president of a company called "Pacific Medical Solutions Inc,"[16] which makes a nutritional supplement called "Liquid Oxygen" (sounds very cool), which is used at Hope4Cancer.[17]
Quackery and pseudoscience
Dr Tony claims metal fillings in teeth can cause cancer (predominantly ipsilaterally) and the removal of the fillings/teeth can slow the progression of the aforementioned cancer.[18] Dr Tony is a follower of Ryke Geerd Hamer, claiming that cancerous tumors can shrink if the sufferer talks about the worst emotional traumas they have ever experienced.[19]
"Hair analysis" is used at Hope4Cancer[20]. Quack-Buster Stephen Barrett describes hair analysis as "a cardinal sign of quackery".[21]
"Double Helix Water®"[22] is offered at Hope4Cancer.[23] Ingredients: pure water, but with an extortionate price tag (>$4K per liter), because the water is allegedly structured. Evidence offered as to the efficacy of "Double Helix Water®" is in the form of before-after images of live blood analysis[24] (with a quack Miranda warning in small print[25]).
Photographs used in a Hope4Cancer slideshow, allegedly illustrating the effectiveness of their "SPDT",[26] were lifted from elsewhere. The images actually show two different PDT protocols: each using different photosensitisers & different wavelengths of laser light.[27] Also the photos are of tumor cells grown in animals (in vivo), not "Tissue Culture" (in vitro), as stated on the Hope4Cancer slideshow on SPDT.
A Burzynski-esque procedure is performed in the Hope4Cancer clinic: cancer sufferers are injected with something derived from their own urine. Allegedly this is a form of immunotherapy, called AARSOTA[28] (as used by Rashid Buttar[29]).
Dr Tony recommends cancer sufferers carry a CyberScan card[30] (indistinguishable from a bank card), suggesting it can monitor their health if its magnetic strip is placed against their body (the manufacturers of CyberScan say otherwise).[31]
On the Hope4Cancer website Dr Tony has reproduced an article which claims intestinal parasites can be a cause of breast cancer (the article includes a reference to Hulda Clark). You can read that "old fecal matter" here.[32]
Claims of cure
The disclaimer on the Hope4Cancer webpages says “testimonials are not intended to make claims that our treatments, products and/or services can be used to … cure … any disease”. However the metadata keywords (a.k.a. tags) on their YouTube testimonial videos repeatedly include the phrase "cancer cures" …
So anyone (unwisely) searching YouTube for a cure for cancer is unduly likely to be shown Hope4Cancer's videos tagged with the "cancer cures" keywords.
Begging to enter
If you're now thinking no one would buy Dr Tony's baloney, think again: some of his prospective customers can be seen cyberbegging for donations to pay for treatment at his Hope4Cancer clinic, e.g. here and here.
External links
- The main Hope4Cancer websites : www.hope4cancer.com, www.hope4cancerbaja.com, www.hope4cancercancun.com.
- An aborted Hope4Cancer website which claims they have "Cancer Therapies That Work", contradicting the quack Miranda warning on their current website.
- Since 2007, Hope4Cancer have had a website dedicated to their faux treatment "SPDT" : www.sonophotodynamictherapy.com, (2016 testimonial page is empty).
- There is a second Hope4Cancer clinic in Cancun, Mexico, it offers German New Medicine, alkaline diet, Gerson therapy, & Ultra-Violet Blood Irradiation.
- Hope4Cancer clinic in Colombia created in 2016, (Plans for branch of Hope4Cancer in Samoa).
- A comprehensive (96 page) brochure issued to Hope4Cancer patients.
- The above brochure mentions "pnc27.com", in 2017 the FDA warn that PNC-27 bought from that website was found to be contaminated.
- Rigvir® virotherapy is offered at Hope4Cancer, but in its country of origin, oncologists doubt Rigvir is effective.
- Hope4Cancer patients come from across the globe, and include young children.
- Secret-filming of Dr Tony Jimenez in-action in his 'Hope4Cancer Institute' in Tijuana, Mexico .
- An official-tour of the Hope4Cancer clinic in Tijuana clinic by Dr Tony himself.
- The Hope4Cancer YouTube channel : www.youtube.com/user/Hope4Cancer.
- A current Hope4Cancer testimonial-video from Carla "CW" Reed,who died 4 months later in December 2013.
- Some of Hope4Cancer's staff do not want to appear on-camera when applying (SPDT) treatment.
- An account of the "biological" dentistry recommended by Hope4Cancer †, (see Biological medicine).
- An unsatisfied Hope4Cancer customer claims his critical comments are being censored.
- The mother of a Hope4Cancer patient documents the various treatments on Facebook.
- Another unsatisfied customer warns others about the "phony" Hope4Cancer clinic.
- The estates of deceased-customers of Hope4Cancer have attempted to sue for a refund.
- A 2017 review by a Hope4Cancer customer says Dr Tony is "unprofessional" & "negligent".
- A highly critical 2017 account of Hope4Cancer by a patient's companion.
- Hope4Cancer's "Dr Tony" is featured in this 2017 article from CSICOP.
- For a mere $900 you can attend a lecture by Dr Tony and Dr William Lee Cowden.
- Hope4Cancer sideshows on SPDT, and AARSOTA.
- Hope4Cancer's in-house training-videos on PMEF / PNC-27 / SPDT / IR Lamp / LED / INDIBA & AARSOTA.
- Allegedly Hope4Cancer's Dr Tony has treated over thirty-five-thousand customers, if true he's grossed about a billion dollars.
- Video of Dr Tony recommending these websites: Cancer Tutor, Natural News, Mercola & Jonathan Otto.
- This is not a advertisement for Dr Tony targeted at those who believe without evidence, honest.
- A sycophantic two-hour video interview with Dr Tony, & one hour of his Missus. (Here's their credulous interviewer in 2012).
- The CyberScan website : www.cyberscanusa.com, (site contains quantum woo).
- A Hope4Cancer patient's wife's account of CyberScan technology.
References
- ↑ GoFundMe fundraiser for Brett Folkedahl †.
- ↑ 2016 Complaint by ElizabethD about Hope4Cancer.
- ↑ http://www.hope4cancer.com/about-us/message-from-dr-tony-j.html
- ↑ Dr Tony's biography states he got a diploma from "Basil Wainwright PhD".
- ↑ https://www.nobelprize.org/search/?query=Wainwright
- ↑ Basil Wainwright by Steven Almond (Wednesday, April 1, 1992) Miami New Times.
- ↑ Quack doctor faces jail for discredited Aids 'cure' by Declan Walsh (Wednesday 25 October 2000) The Independent.
- ↑ Archived Hope4Cancer webpage where Dr. Tom Cleary is mentioned.
- ↑ Medical board of California revokes license of William Howard Porter MD in 1994
- ↑ http://www.irishtimes.com/news/doctor-linked-to-controversial-cancer-clinic-withdraws-1.1142467
- ↑ Tony on the board of "Delta Institute International Ltd" who make BX-Protocol.
- ↑ "BX Protocol" shut down by the FDA.
- ↑ Dr Tony's Hope4Cancer webpage states he's member of A4M.
- ↑ https://wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Academy_of_Anti-Aging_Medicine#Credential_dispute
- ↑ According to QuackBuster Stephen Barrett, the CNC credential is "bogus".
- ↑ Companies for Marcy Jimenez
- ↑ "stabilized liquid oxygen" supplement at Hope4Cancer
- ↑ YouTube where Dr Tony claims dental work is relevant to cancer.
- ↑ YouTube where Dr Tony claims discussing historic sexual abuse is relevant to cancer.
- ↑ Part of Hope4Cancer treatment program which shows "Hair analysis".
- ↑ https://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/hair.html
- ↑ archived copy of "doublehelixwater.com".
- ↑ "Double Helix Water" at Hope4Cancer.
- ↑ Before-after comparison
- ↑ You'll need a magnifying-glass.
- ↑ A slide from a SPDT slideshow by Hope4Cancer's Dr Subrata Chakravarty..
- ↑ The true source of the cancer-cell images: an in-vivo PDT study ≤ 1998.
- ↑ A slide from a Hope4Cancer slideshow explaining AARSOTA. .
- ↑ AARSOTA mentioned in the 2010 reprimand of Dr Rashid A Buttar DO.
- ↑ YouTube video where Dr Tony promotes CyberScan technology.
- ↑ CyberScan state "CyberScan is not a diagnostic tool".
- ↑ Hope4Cancer prints a scatological story written by Pam Pinney †, (a customer).