Treatment FAQ

woman who went to cuba for cancer treatment

by Fredy Crooks Jr. Published 3 years ago Updated 3 years ago
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Now, for the first time, a unique drug developed on the communist island is being tested in New York state. But some American cancer patients are already taking it - by defying the embargo and flying to Havana for treatment. Judy Ingels and her family are in Cuba for just six days.Apr 20, 2017

Why are some US cancer patients flying to Cuba for treatment?

Apr 19, 2017 · Cuba has faced more than 50 years of US sanctions. Now, for the first time, a unique drug developed on the communist island is being tested in New York state. But some American cancer patients are ...

What kind of cancer treatment is available in Cuba?

Cuba has faced more than 50 years of US sanctions. Now, for the first time, a unique drug developed on the communist island is being tested in New York state. But some American …

Does Cuba's Cancer Hope really work?

Mar 13, 2018 · A Regina woman wants to spread the word about a vaccine she received in Cuba that she says has kept her alive. Judy Bryden was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2016, after …

Who are the female Cuban doctors who have been attacked?

Mar 27, 2020 · The truth is that it barely works at all. As Cuba's Cancer Hope admits in a single throw-away line, "Cuban clinical trials show that it extends life three to five months on average." …

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Why do people go to Cuba for medical treatment?

Thousands of people from other countries go to Cuba each year for what is known as medical tourism: travel abroad for surgery or other medical care, often because the treatment is less expensive there or is not available where patients live.Feb 17, 2015

How much does CIMAvax cost?

The total cost of the CIMAvax treatment isn't cheap. A trip to Havana, plus a year's worth of injections, costs about $14,500. Bryden said the money she and her husband paid for her treatment is “worth it.” Lorne Bryden plans to travel to Cuba again in a few days to pick up more doses of the vaccine for his wife.Mar 14, 2018

Can you go to Cuba for medical treatment?

Today, Cuba offers access to over 20 hospital centers specially set up for international patients. Most hospitals are certified with ISO 14001, which means an international standard for hygiene, security and environment and, with ISO 9001 ensuring quality control.

Is CIMAvax available in the US?

NCI-supported clinical trials are offered at locations across the United States and Canada for both common and rare cancers. If you aren't eligible for the CIMAvax clinical trial, there may be a clinical trial better suited to your type of cancer.

Does CimaVax work on other cancers?

It has been suggested that CimaVax may also be effective in other types of cancer that are dependent on EGF/EGFR, including many cases of prostate cancer.

Where is Vaxira available?

Cimavax is currently available in Cuba, Colombia, Peru, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Paraguay. Vaxira, which one Cuban clinical trial indicates can extend life by up to two months, is currently undergoing more testing in Argentina. It is available in that country and in Cuba.Jan 9, 2018

How much are doctors paid in Cuba?

Healthcare and education in Cuba are provided by the communist state, making teachers and doctors government employees. Since they are subject to government wages, they are paid in the Cuban peso. This means that Cuba's doctors make around $50 a month.Jun 6, 2020

Can foreigners get free healthcare in Cuba?

In 1959, the Cuban government began to overhaul the “for-profit” healthcare system which led to free health services for all citizens over the course of 30 years. Anything from a simple check-up to a complex surgery is free of charge. Even prescriptions and at-home visits are covered.

Can Americans get healthcare in Cuba?

You will need it to obtain medical care. Travelers to the Havana area should be aware that U.S. and other foreign visitors seeking medical care are generally referred to the Clínica Central Cira Garcia Hospital, which provides medical services for foreign residents in Havana.

Is CIMAVax approved by the FDA?

Today, CIMAVax was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for clinical trials at Roswell Park and the first trial is scheduled to begin in 30 days.

Who makes CIMAVax?

A Vaccine (CIMAvax-EGF) for the Prevention of Lung Cancer Development or Recurrence
Responsible Party:Roswell Park Cancer Institute
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:NCT04298606 History of Changes
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Mar 6, 2020

What cancers can be prevented by vaccines?

There are vaccines that can prevent healthy people from getting certain cancers caused by viruses. Like vaccines for the chicken pox or the flu, these vaccines protect the body from these viruses.
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The FDA has approved HPV vaccines to prevent:
  • Cervical, vaginal, and vulvar cancers.
  • Anal cancer.
  • Genital warts.

Is health care free in Cuba?

For Cuba's residents, all health care is free. One beneficiary is Lucrecia de Jesus Rubillo, 65, who lives on the fifth floor of a block of flats in the east of Havana. Last September she was given two or three months to live. What began as pain in Lucrecia's leg, was diagnosed as stage-four lung cancer that had spread.

Is Cuba under US sanctions?

Cuba has faced more than 50 years of US sanctions. Now, for the first time, a unique drug developed on the communist island is being tested in New York state. But some American cancer patients are already taking it - by defying the embargo and flying to Havana for treatment. Judy Ingels and her family are in Cuba for just six days.

How old is Ingels?

And while she is in the country, Ingels, 74, will have her first injections of Cimavax, a drug shown in Cuban trials to extend the lives of lung cancer patients by months, and sometimes years. By travelling to Havana from her home in California, she is breaking the law.

Can Americans travel to Cuba?

Americans can continue to travel on their own to Cuba for the purpose of professional research or to provide “support for the Cuban people.”. But given that travelers in those categories are required to maintain a full schedule of activities, it’s likely that neither will be a good option for cancer patients.

Is Cuba known for its beaches?

While Cuba is often recognized for its pristine beaches and throbbing rumbas, it is also home to a burgeoning biotechnology industry. Prompted by the country’s high rate of lung cancer, researchers began work on a lung cancer vaccine back in the mid-1990s.

Who is Robert Doebele?

Robert Doebele, associate professor of medical oncology at the University of Colorado Denver and a senior editor of the American Association for Cancer Research’s journal Clinical Cancer Research, recalls sitting in a meeting with a dozen other oncologists discussing the best way to market a drug.

Is George Keays a rogue?

George Keays is not a rogue kind of a man. A Colorado realtor and grandfather of three, the 65-year-old practices yoga and meditates regularly. But the US government, he says, has left him no choice but to break the law. If, that is, he intends to stay alive.

Is Cuba a medical country?

Cuba has long been renowned for its medical diplomacy - thousands of its doctors work in healthcare missions around the world, earning the country billions of dollars in cash. But according to a new report, some of the doctors themselves say conditions can be nightmarish - controlled by minders, subject to a curfew and posted to extremely dangerous places, James Badcock reports.

Is Cuba under US sanctions?

Cuba has faced more than 50 years of US sanctions. Now, for the first time, a unique drug developed on the communist island is being tested in New York state. But some American cancer patients are already taking it - by defying the embargo and flying to Havana for treatment.

First to Eliminate HIV Transmission From Mother to Child

In 2015, the World Health Organization recognized Cuba as the first country to eliminate HIV transmission from mother to child.

Low Infant Mortality Rates

Cuba's infant mortality rate has dramatically lowered to less than 5 per 1,000 births, according to the 2012 study. That is just under the 2014 rate in the U.S. of 5.82 deaths per 1,000 live births, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Devleopment of a Lung Cancer Vaccine

One byproduct of the improved relations between the U.S. and Cuba is the exchange of needed medications. Last year, the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, New York, started work to bring an innovative lung cancer vaccine called "Cimavax" to the U.S.

Is Cuba a poor country?

Cuba is very poor, and yet the country has some of the healthiest, most long-lived residents in the world -- as well as a medical invention or two that could run circles around U.S. therapies, thanks to government investment in scientific research and a preventive public health approach that views medical care as a birthright. Advertisement.

What is nimotuzumab used for?

Nimotuzumab, patented in the U.S. in 1999 by CIM scientists, is a treatment for various head and neck cancers, including squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (tumors that form on the mucosal surfaces of the mouth, throat and nose), glioma (brain tumors) and nasopharyngeal cancer.

Is cancer a one disease?

Cancer is not one disease, but a collection of hundreds of different illnesses. This makes finding one "cure" difficult, if not impossible. But over the years, scientists have developed a variety of different treatments that can transform cancer into a chronic, survivable condition.

How long does it take for epidermal growth factor to heal?

Invented by scientists at the Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology in Havana, the treatment, which its creators describe as an “epidermal growth factor,” is injected near the affected area and can accelerate the skin's healing process, closing a wound safely over the course of about three months.

What happens when you have diabetes in your foot?

When uncontrolled diabetes causes nerve and blood vessel damage in a person’s foot, it can lead to one of the most debilitating complications of the disease: the development of foot ulcers -- deep, red sores that can penetrate to the bone.

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