Essiac

[[File:Enniac.jpg|thumb|right|165px|The 4 herbal ingredients found in essiac]]
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'''Essiac''', also marketed as '''flor essence''' and pitched as "the medicine man's cure for [[cancer]]", is an [[cancer woo|alternative cancer therapy]] [[PIDOOMA|invented from whole cloth]] by Rene Caisse around 1920 (the name is her surname reversed), [[Native American woo|claimed to have been a recipe derived from an Ojibwa medicine man]].

As Cancer Research UK succinctly puts it: "There is no scientific evidence to show that Essiac can treat, prevent or cure cancer or any other serious illness in humans."<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20121115135853/http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/cancer-help/about-cancer/treatment/complementary-alternative/therapies/essiac Essiac]  at Cancer Research UK</ref>

In 1977, Caisse gave the formula to a [[Canadian]] company, which attempted to commercialize the product but was unable to show any efficacy against cancer. Repeated laboratory tests showed that essiac failed to slow tumor growth and, in large enough doses, killed test animals. In a number of studies, essiac actually ''increased'' the rate of cancer growth. As a result, both the U.S. and Canadian governments refused to approve essiac as a medical treatment. Essiac was instead marketed as a dietary supplement, which avoided the tedious necessity of showing any proof of effectiveness.<ref name="nci">[[National Cancer Institute]] [http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/cam/essiac/patient/page1 Patient Information: Essiac/Flor Essence]</ref>

Essiac was investigated by Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and [[National Cancer Institute|NCI]] from the 1950s to the 1980s in animal models, and was found to have no real effect.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20100712112257/http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/HerbsVitaminsandMinerals/essiac-tea Essiac tea], [[American Cancer Society]]</ref> While it showed some antioxidant and even cytotoxic properties ''in vitro'', it stimulated growth of human breast cancer cells both via estrogen receptor (ER)-dependent and ER-independent pathways. [[Testimonial|Individual case reports]] claim benefit, but larger studies (e.g., in breast cancer patients) show no benefit, making it more likely that the individual reports are merely [[coincidence]] based on the [[Regression to the mean|natural variability]] of cancer.<ref>[http://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/herb/essiac Essiac] at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center</ref>

The [[FDA]] describes Essiac as a [[187 Fake Cancer "Cures" Consumers Should Avoid|fake cancer 'cure' consumers should avoid]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20090710041221/http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/EnforcementActivitiesbyFDA/ucm171057.htm  187 Fake Cancer "Cures" Consumers Should Avoid], FDA</ref>

Essiac consists of parts of 4 herbs that grow wild in Ontario, Canada:<ref>[http://www.essiacinfo.org/essiac.html What is Essiac?]</ref>
#Greater burdock (''Arctium lappa'') &mdash; root
#Slippery elm (''Ulmus rubra'', a.k.a, ''U. fulva'') &mdash; inner bark
#Sheep sorrel (''Rumex acetosella')
#Indian rhubarb (''Rheum officinale'') &mdash; root

==References==
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[[Category:Cancer woo]]

Categories: Cancer woo