At this time, no well-designed clinical trials have produced evidence that chelation therapy works as a treatment for these conditions. There is no evidence that chelation therapy is an effective or safe treatment for any type of cancer. As is true of any medical treatment, chelation therapy poses a risk of adverse effects. These include damage to the kidneys, inflammation of the veins, and pain at the site of injection. Removing too much calcium from the body can also be dangerous.
Chelation removes zinc, a mineral essential for proper function of the body's cells.
If chelation therapy continues for long periods of time, loss of zinc can reduce the ability of the immune system to fight off infection and can cause changes in the way the body produces insulin, an important hormone for metabolizing sugar. Importantly, loss of zinc can also lead to mutations in cells. Thus a treatment that some people claim can work against cancer may actually increase the risk of cancer. The group sponsors a publication, the American Journal of Advancement in Medicine, and administers a certification program for practitioners who administer chelation treatments. However, neither the group nor its publication is recognized by the scientific community.