Is it Safe to Travel to Mexico for Cancer Treatment?

As cancer research continues to explode, scientists are coming up with new and innovative ways to treat the debilitating disease. Unfortunately, many of those treatments are not yet approved by the FDA for use in the United States. The process of approval takes quite a long time, sometimes up to 10 years, and terminal patients don’t have the time to wait. That’s why many are traveling outside of the U.S. to gain access to treatments that could help them.

One of these places is Mexico, which is home to a few integrative medical facilities, including CHIPSA Hospital in Tijuana. But there’s a lot of hype about whether or not Mexico is a safe place to get medical treatment. The media coverage about issues at the border leave people wondering whether it’s even safe to travel there. Other people have concerns about the experimental nature of the treatments and wonder whether these places are qualified to administer treatments. These issues leave people hesitating about whether they should travel to Mexico to get treatment, even when not going could cost them their life.

But Pere Briggs, Intake Specialist at CHIPSA, says that most of the talk surrounding Mexico and alternative treatments is propaganda. Of course, not everything is one size fits all, and it’s important to do proper research before you commit to a hospital. Briggs says that he himself even did some of the protocols for a full week before he committed to his job there. “I wanted to see how they would affect me, ” he said. “I wanted to see how the treatments would help our patients.”

That’s the general attitude at CHIPSA. Everyone who works there, from the people at the front desk to the doctors who administer treatments, are completely focused on what’s best for the patient. The genuine love and care that radiates throughout the hospital is part of what makes it so unique.

But the most remarkable thing about CHIPSA is that many patients who do end up traveling there see great results. Briggs doesn’t want anyone to miss out on the chance to fight their disease — especially if it’s terminal — because of fear that’s most likely unfounded. He understands the legitimate concerns people have about traveling to a foreign place for treatment, especially when friends and family members are likely discouraging the idea. But he can’t help but see another side.

“We see people whose lives we are saving,” he said. “People who took that step. Fear is a little evil that will disintegrate you from the inside out. You must choose to face it and control it. That is what I hope to transfer to the patients I come into contact with. Once they begin to control their fear, positive things tend to happen.”

Fear can be a positive — and oftentimes necessary — emotion, as it allows you to exercise caution and use good judgment when you need to. Choosing the hospital that will help you fight for your life, whether inside or outside of the U.S., is certainly one of those times. But Briggs believes that when you’ve done your due diligence, it’s best to let go of that fear and follow your gut.

Although some cancer treatment centers offer false hope, CHIPSA is very transparent about what they can and can’t do for patients. Their website clearly states that they “strongly believe in their protocols and their system, but they are not aware of an all-out cure for cancer.” In fact, they warn that any institution making that claim is highly questionable. “Cancer, especially stage 4 cancer, is a very complicated disease,” they write, “and there are no easy answers for it. What we can assure you is that we have more experience combining the most powerful natural therapies with cutting edge immunotherapies and modern therapies than anyone in North America.”

Perhaps what distinguishes the hospital the most is its commitment to integrative — rather than just alternative — medicine. As Briggs said, “Conventional chemotherapy breaks down everything in your body, both healthy and cancerous cells. And that’s the problem. It weakens the immune system. But we’re not just throwing out conventional medicine. We’re doing what’s best for the patient. We’re using the best of both worlds. The best of conventional and the best of alternative.”

When you choose CHIPSA Hospital to help you fight your cancer, you’re choosing what Briggs calls an “army of soldiers who are fighting this great evil.” As an intake specialist, part of his job in fighting for patients is to reassure the public that much of the fear surrounding cancer treatment in Mexico, at least at CHIPSA, is groundless. “I have full confidence in the hospital, I have full confidence in the staff. I think we offer a positive experience with the systems, the treatments, and most of all, the love.”

If you or someone you love has a cancer diagnosis and would like to learn more about the CHIPSA protocols, please call 1(888) 667-3640.