Protocols for Alternative Treatments for Cancer

Cancer is a disease that causes mutations in cellular growth. These mutations cause damage to surrounding tissue and the human body in general. Cancer can affect almost any part of the human body and is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. The global epidemic of cancer and the limitations of mainstream medical science in treating cancer have helped to foster a growing interest in alternative protocols for cancer treatment. Several remedies, each based on natural substances and different theoretical approaches, have emerged as popular alternative treatments for cancer.

History

• According to the American Cancer Society, evidence of cancer can be found as far back as ancient Egypt, on the mummified remains of the dead. While modern medical science has developed many high-tech ways of fighting cancer -- radiation, laser therapy, and strong pharmaceutical chemotherapy -- cancer remains a scourge of the modern age. In the 20th century, several alternative protocols for treating cancer have emerged and became popular. These include the Hoxsey protocol, Essiac, and the Clark protocol.

The Hoxsey Protocol

• Harry Hoxsey was a larger than life figure who opened cancer clinics across America during the mid 20th century. He treated cancer with herbal formulas. Hoxsey used a topical paste based on the herb bloodroot and zinc oxide for external cancer, and an internal formula containing barberry, cascara sagrada, red clover, buckthorn, licorice and other herbs for most other cancers. Hoxsey was eventually banned in the U.S., but his clinic still operates in Tijuana, Mexico, and his herbal formulations are widely available online.

Essiac

• Essiac is an herbal formula that was promoted by a Canadian nurse named Rene Caisse (she labeled the formula her last name, spelled backward), who claimed to have received it from Native Americans. Essiac contains burdock, slippery elm, turkey rhubarb and sheep sorrell. Essiac tea is widely available on the Internet and most health food stores.

The Clark Protocol

• The Clark protocol is based on the work of Hulda Clark and her book "The Cure for all Cancers". Clark maintains that all diseases, including cancer, are caused by parasites and the toxins that they produce within the human body. The Clark protocol utilizes anti-parasite herbs such as black walnut and cloves, as well as a machine called the "zapper" that is supposed to emit electrical frequencies that drive out and kill parasites.

Potential

• Most of the alternative treatment protocols for cancer mentioned here are not recognized as valid by the mainstream medical community. Still, some of the herbal ingredients in the formulas have shown to be active against cancer in studies. In a review of clinical studies done on herbal remedies used in cancer treatments, including both the Hoxsey formula and Essiac, and published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association in October 1997, the author states that "it appears feasible that the chemical compounds from herbs also could be helpful in prevention or treatment of cancer and other diseases."