A man diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer sought treatment at Envita Medical Center, a clinic outside the traditional U.S. healthcare system, but ultimately faced serious health declines and mounting medical costs during the course of his therapy.
Initially, the patient experienced some symptomatic improvements, including reduced shortness of breath and increased energy attributed to high-dose steroids administered at Envita. The clinic's environment offered a more supportive and personable experience compared to previous care at Memorial Sloan Kettering, where appointments had been described as agonizing. Patients and staff at Envita provided a sense of community and hope, and the patient expressed growing optimism about his prognosis.
In late 2023, about one month after starting treatment at Envita’s Arizona facility, the patient was flown to Hermosillo, Mexico, for an experimental “proprietary” cell therapy. This treatment, which involves extracting and training cells to attack cancer, was not authorized for use in the United States. Envita coordinated travel and lodging for this phase of care. However, upon returning to Arizona, the patient’s condition deteriorated rapidly. He suffered from worsening respiratory symptoms, severe fatigue, frequent nosebleeds, significant weight loss, and hair loss. Despite these setbacks, he continued to undergo treatments at Envita, maintaining hope in the therapy.
The financial burden was substantial, with costs totaling approximately $200,000 since relocating to Arizona, predominantly paid to Envita. Additional recommended therapies included unconventional procedures such as colon hydrotherapy, which lack robust scientific validation. The patient’s records from Envita documented his progressive weight loss, lethargy, and respiratory decline, with some referrals to emergency care and outside specialists during acute episodes. Occasionally, doctors noted minor improvements in lung lesions and brain metastases treated externally, which the patient held onto amid his overall decline.
As his health worsened, suggestions from fellow patients led him to try fenbendazole, an antiparasitic drug used in animals that had recently gained attention online as an unproven cancer treatment. Shortly afterward, he faced dangerously low oxygen levels and required emergency hospitalization. Medical staff at the intensive care unit, familiar with patients referred from facilities like Envita, expressed skepticism about the clinic’s approach, describing similar cases that often result in poor outcomes.
Envita Medical Center was founded in 2001 by Santo Dino Prato, who holds naturopathic licenses in some states but not in Arizona. The clinic has a history of regulatory scrutiny. In 2006, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a warning regarding unapproved cell therapies administered there. Rather than seeking FDA approval for its treatments, Envita relocated some procedures to Mexico. An FDA Office of Criminal Investigations report in 2015 detailed various concerns, including high costs charged to vulnerable patients and unapproved drug use. The clinic has been the subject of patient and family complaints citing experimental, expensive treatments and poor outcomes.
Despite investigations, federal authorities closed the case due to lack of prosecutorial interest. Subsequent years saw disciplinary actions against an Envita-affiliated doctor for gross negligence and a civil lawsuit alleging the clinic misrepresented the quality of its cancer care. Envita denied wrongdoing and settled the lawsuit out of court last year. The controversies highlight the ongoing challenges faced by patients seeking alternative cancer treatments outside conventional medical frameworks.