Homeopathic remedies are regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and do not require a prescription. Homeopathy is based on the “principle of similars,” whereby substances in very low doses are used to treat symptoms similar to those caused by the same substances at a high dose. Many scientists do not think the method is scientific and are skeptical that extremely low doses work. The scientific studies of Homeopathy give variable results.
Homeopathy has been used for the treatment of cancer. A National Cancer Institute (NCI) study in India in 2008 reported that “Homeopathy might have effects on cancer care.” The NCI studied the “Banerji Protocol” for cancer care on a total of 941 breast cancer patients. In 19% of the patients, the tumors completely regressed. In 21%, the tumors were stable or improved. The patients received no radiation, chemotherapy or surgery.
The limited laboratory homeopathic cancer research has been promising. In a model of prostate cancer in mice, tumor size was significantly reduced in those treated with Sabal serrulata. The same remedy has reduced prostate cancer in humans. A compound remedy for immunity used by Brazilian doctors worked on sarcoma in mice. Chelidonium reduces liver cancer in mice.
Ruta 200C and Phosphorus 1M (1000C) reduced chemically induced sarcoma in mice. Thuja occidentalis reduced melanoma lung metastasis in mice. A very low dose of Ruta graveolens caused cell death in glioblastoma multiforme brain cancer. Ruta is part of the Banerji protocol for brain cancer.
Four ultradilute remedies, Carcinosin, Phytolacca, Conium and Thuja, showed toxic effects against two breast cancer cell lines. The first two were as strong as commonly used drug, paclitaxel.
Studies show, consistently, that homeopathic remedies are safe. There are preliminary results of testing that show benefit of Homeopathy in radiation and chemotherapy caused dermatitis. One group studied a series of 15 patients with intracranial tumors treated with homeopathic remedies Ruta 6C and Calcarea phosphorica 3X. Seven of the glioma patients had complete regression tumors.
CONCLUSION: “… there may be a role for homeopathy in improving quality of life in some cancer patients.”
NOTE: Read about the use of homeopathic Arnica montana in pain.
Samuel Hahnemann was the founder of Homeopathy. Read about his book, “Organon der Heilkunst,” that has been downloaded onto the internet by the University of California in San Francisco.
To read the author’s abstract of the article click on the link to the author’s title of the article above.
PMID: 20486620.
Summary #429.
