Essiac: Difference between revisions
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==Background== |
==Background== |
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Some Essiac formulations may also contain [[burdock root]], [[indian rhubarb]] root, [[sheep sorrel]] and [[slippery elm]].<ref name="nci">{{cite web | publisher = [[National Cancer Institute]] | title = Patient Information: Essiac/Flor Essence | url = http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/cam/essiac/patient/page1 | date = July 21, 2010 | accessdate = July 5, 2011}}</ref> From the 1920s through the 1970s, Essiac was promoted as a cancer treatment by Rene Caisse, a Canadian nurse, who claimed that it had been given to her by an [[Ojibwe people|Ontario Ojibwa]] patient she treated.<ref name=ACS/><ref name="nci"/> The name "Essiac" is Caisse's name spelled backwards. Today, Essiac is often sold with apparatus (such as bottles and infusers) for making the tea, and is sometimes promoted with untrue claims that scientific studies have shown it to be effective.<ref name=cruk/> |
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In 1977, Caisse sold |
In 1977, Caisse sold the Essiac formula and trademark rights to Respirin Corporation (a Canadian company and predecessor in title to Essiac Products Inc.), which attempted to commercialize the product. However, the company was unable to show any efficacy of Essiac against cancer. Repeated laboratory tests showed that Essiac failed to slow tumor growth and, in large doses, killed test animals. In a number of studies, Essiac actually ''increased'' the rate of cancer growth.<ref name="nci-pdq">{{cite web | publisher = [[National Cancer Institute]] | url = http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/cam/essiac/patient/Page2 | title = Questions and Answers About Essiac and Flor Essence | date = February 19, 2013 | accessdate = May 6, 2013}}</ref> As a result, both the U.S. and Canadian governments refused to approve Essiac as a medical treatment. Essiac was instead marketed by Essiac Products Inc. and others as a [[dietary supplement]], subject to much looser regulation and not required to show any proof of effectiveness.<ref name="nci"/> |
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==Effectiveness== |
==Effectiveness== |
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Revision as of 19:57, 16 February 2019
| Alternative medicine | |
|---|---|
| Claims | Treatment of cancer and other illnesses. |
| Related fields | Alternative medicine |
| Year proposed | approx 1920 |
| Original proponents | Rene Caisse |
| Subsequent proponents | Essiac Products Inc. |
| MeSH | C111756 |
| See also | List of questionable cancer treatments |
Essiac is an herbal tea promoted as an alternative treatment for cancer and other illnesses.[1] There is no evidence it is beneficial to health, and it may be harmful.[2]
Background
Some Essiac formulations may also contain burdock root, indian rhubarb root, sheep sorrel and slippery elm.[3] From the 1920s through the 1970s, Essiac was promoted as a cancer treatment by Rene Caisse, a Canadian nurse, who claimed that it had been given to her by an Ontario Ojibwa patient she treated.[2][3] The name "Essiac" is Caisse's name spelled backwards. Today, Essiac is often sold with apparatus (such as bottles and infusers) for making the tea, and is sometimes promoted with untrue claims that scientific studies have shown it to be effective.[4]
In 1977, Caisse sold the Essiac formula and trademark rights to Respirin Corporation (a Canadian company and predecessor in title to Essiac Products Inc.), which attempted to commercialize the product. However, the company was unable to show any efficacy of Essiac against cancer. Repeated laboratory tests showed that Essiac failed to slow tumor growth and, in large doses, killed test animals. In a number of studies, Essiac actually increased the rate of cancer growth.[5] As a result, both the U.S. and Canadian governments refused to approve Essiac as a medical treatment. Essiac was instead marketed by Essiac Products Inc. and others as a dietary supplement, subject to much looser regulation and not required to show any proof of effectiveness.[3]
Effectiveness
Essiac's purported effect on cancer has been reviewed by several major medical and scientific bodies, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA),[6] the National Cancer Institute,[3] and the American Cancer Society.[2] The American Cancer Society states that "Reviews of medical records of people who have been treated with Essiac do not support claims that this product helps people with cancer live longer or that it relieves their symptoms."[2] The NCI states "Essiac and Flor Essence have not reported clear evidence of an anticancer effect",[3] and the FDA described Essiac as a "Fake Cancer 'Cure' Consumers Should Avoid".[6] Researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center have written that Essiac continues to be a popular cancer therapy despite unsubstantiated claims of its effectiveness.[7]
Cancer Research UK also notes that there is "no scientific evidence that Essiac can help to treat cancer or control its symptoms" and cautions "Always ask your doctors and nurses about whether any complementary or alternative cancer therapy you are thinking of using might interact with your other treatments."[4]
See also
References
- ^ Barrett, Stephen (July 27, 2010). "Questionable Cancer Therapies: Essiac". Quackwatch. Retrieved July 5, 2011.
- ^ a b c d Russell J, Rovere A, eds. (2009). "Essiac Tea". American Cancer Society Complete Guide to Complementary and Alternative Cancer Therapies (2nd ed.). American Cancer Society. pp. 342–345. ISBN 9780944235713.
There have been no published clinical trials in conventional medical journals showing that either Essiac tea or Flor Essence helps in the treatment of cancer ... most laboratory studies of Essiac have found it didn't work against cancer cells, and one reported that Flor Essence increased the growth of breast cancer cells. Available scientific evidence does not support its use for the treatment of cancer in humans. ... Serious side effects are uncommon. Essiac may cause headache, nausea, diarrhea or constipation, vomiting, low blood sugar, liver damage, and kidney damage. Allergic rashes are possible. Rarely, serious allergic reactions have been reported."
- ^ a b c d e "Patient Information: Essiac/Flor Essence". National Cancer Institute. July 21, 2010. Retrieved July 5, 2011.
- ^ a b "Essiac". Cancer Research UK. 30 January 2015.
- ^ "Questions and Answers About Essiac and Flor Essence". National Cancer Institute. February 19, 2013. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
- ^ a b "187 Fake Cancer "Cures" Consumers Should Avoid". Guidance, Compliance & Regulatory Information. USFDA. Archived from the original on 22 March 2017.
- ^ "Essiac". Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. March 10, 2011. Retrieved December 15, 2012.
Further reading
- Clinic of Hope: The Story of Rene Caisse and Essiac, by Donna Ivey, 2004, ISBN 1550025201