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{{short description|Herbal tea and ineffective cancer treatment}}
⚫ '''Essiac''' is a ] promoted as an ] for ] and other illnesses.<ref name="quackwatch">{{cite web | url = http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/cancer.html#Essiac | title = Questionable Cancer Therapies: Essiac | publisher = ] | first = Stephen | last = Barrett | authorlink = Stephen Barrett | date = July 27, 2010 | accessdate = July 5, 2011}}</ref>
{{pp-vandalism|small=yes}}

{{infobox alternative medicine
There is no evidence it is beneficial to health, and it may be harmful.<ref name=ACS/>
| name = Essiac
| image =
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption =
| claims = Treatment of ] and other illnesses.
| topics = ]
| origyear = approx 1920
| origprop = Rene Caisse
| laterprop = Essiac Products Inc.
| seealso = ]
| MeshID = C111756
}}
⚫ '''Essiac''' is a ] promoted as an ] for ] and other illnesses.<ref name="quackwatch">{{cite web | url = http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/cancer.html#Essiac | title = Questionable Cancer Therapies: Essiac | publisher = ] | first = Stephen | last = Barrett | author-link = Stephen Barrett | date = July 27, 2010 | access-date = July 5, 2011}}</ref> There is no evidence it is beneficial to health. In a number of studies Essiac either showed no action against cancer cells,<ref name=ACS/><ref name=nci/><ref name=cruk/> or actually increased the rate of cancer growth.<ref name="nci-pdq"/>


==Background== ==Background==
As with many alternative remedies, the exact composition of essiac is unclear, but it reportedly contains ] ('']''), ] ('']''), ] bark ('']''<!--note: Ulmus fulva is an old synonym of Ulmus rubra-->), and ] or ].<ref name=hfi>" Turkey Rhubarb v. Indian Rhubarb" - HealthFreedom.info. Retrieved 29 August 2014.</ref> Some formulations may also contain ], ], ], and ].<ref name="nci">{{cite web | publisher = ] | 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 ] patient she treated.<ref name=ACS>American Cancer Society, </ref><ref name="nci"/> However, this has never been substantiated. There is no evidence that Essiac is a ] or ] remedy, and there are multiple factors that indicate the formula is not from any Native American culture. Several of the plants in the mixture (], ], ] and ]) are not indigenous to the Americas, and were not growing in the wilds of Northern Ontario during the time Caisse began prescribing this tea.<ref name=hfi/> The name "Essiac" is Caisse's surname spelled backwards. Today, Essiac is often sold with apparatus (such as bottles as infusers) for making the tea, and is sometimes promoted with untrue claims that scientific studies have shown it to be effective.<ref name=cruk/> While the formulations can vary, most Essiac formulations contain ], ] root, ] and ].<ref name="nci">{{cite web | publisher = ] | title = Patient Information: Essiac/Flor Essence | url = http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/cam/essiac/patient/page1 | date = July 21, 2010 | access-date = July 5, 2011}}</ref> From the 1920s through the 1970s, Essiac was promoted as a cancer treatment by Rene Caisse, a Canadian nurse who invented the formula. Caisse claimed at some times that the formula had been given to her by an ] patient she treated,<ref name=ACS/><ref name="nci"/> and at other times that she had learned the formula from an unnamed "medicine man".<ref name=NotOjibwe/> Neither story has ever been substantiated. There is no evidence that Essiac is a ] or ] remedy.<ref name=OjibweEthnobotany>Smith, Huron H. 1932. ''Ethnobotany of the Ojibwe Indians''. Bulletin of the Public Museum of Milwaukee 4:327-525 (p. 361). Slippery Elm is listed; Burdock is mentioned as a plant that is in use "among white men." No mention of the other ingredients in Essiac, Essiac itself, or an Essiac-like formula.</ref> However, there are multiple factors that indicate the formula is not from any Native American or First Nations culture. Notably, in the original recipe, only one of the plants in the mixture, ], is indigenous to the Americas; none of the other herbs are native to North America.<ref name=NotOjibwe>{{cite book |first= Christine D |last= Ellis |title=Basic Herbalist Certification Course |year=2013 |isbn=9781300609094 |pages=39–47 |chapter=Essiac Tea|publisher= Lulu.com }}</ref><ref name=OjibweEthnobotany/> Caisse changed her story about the origins of the remedy, as well as the ingredients in the formula, several times, and was said to be fond of cultivating "an air of mystery" around it.<ref name=NotOjibwe/> The name "Essiac", which Caisse gave to the tea, 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/>


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 = ] | 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 ], subject to much looser regulation and not required to show any proof of effectiveness.<ref name="nci"/> In 1977, Caisse sold her 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 = ] | url = http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/cam/essiac/patient/Page2 | title = Questions and Answers About Essiac and Flor Essence | date = February 19, 2013 | access-date = 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 ], subject to much looser regulation and not required to show any proof of effectiveness.<ref name="nci"/>


==Effectiveness== ==Effectiveness==
Essiac's purported effect on cancer has been reviewed by several major medical and scientific bodies, including the ],<ref name=USFDA>{{cite web|title=187 Fake Cancer "Cures" Consumers Should Avoid|url=http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/EnforcementActivitiesbyFDA/ucm171057.htm|work=Guidance, Compliance & Regulatory Information|publisher=USFDA|accessdate=24 May 2011}}</ref> the ],<ref name="nci"/> and the ].<ref name=ACS>{{cite web|title=Essiac tea|url=http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/HerbsVitaminsandMinerals/essiac-tea|work=American Cancer Society - Complementary and Alternative Medicine|publisher=American Cancer Society|accessdate=24 May 2011}}</ref> The American Cancer Society state 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." The NCI states "Essiac and Flor Essence have not reported clear evidence of an anticancer effect",<ref name=nci/> and The U.S. FDA described essiac as a "Fake Cancer 'Cure' Consumers Should Avoid".<ref name="USFDA"/> Researchers at ] have written that Essiac continues to be a popular cancer therapy despite unsubstantiated claims of its effectiveness.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/herb/essiac | publisher = ] | title = Essiac | date = March 10, 2011 | accessdate = December 15, 2012 | url = http://www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/69215.cfm}}</ref> Essiac's purported effect on cancer has been reviewed by several major medical and scientific bodies, including the ] (FDA),<ref name=USFDA>{{cite web|title=187 Fake Cancer "Cures" Consumers Should Avoid|url=https://www.fda.gov/Drugs/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/EnforcementActivitiesbyFDA/ucm171057.htm|work=Guidance, Compliance & Regulatory Information|publisher=USFDA|archive-date=22 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170322223136/https://www.fda.gov/Drugs/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/EnforcementActivitiesbyFDA/ucm171057.htm}}</ref> the ],<ref name="nci"/> and the ].<ref name=ACS/> 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."<ref name=ACS/> The NCI states "Essiac and Flor Essence have not reported clear evidence of an anticancer effect",<ref name=nci/> and the FDA described Essiac as a "Fake Cancer 'Cure' Consumers Should Avoid".<ref name="USFDA"/> Researchers at ] have written that Essiac continues to be a popular cancer therapy despite unsubstantiated claims of its effectiveness.<ref>{{cite web | publisher = ] | title = Essiac | date = March 10, 2011 | access-date = December 15, 2012 | url = https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/integrative-medicine/herbs/essiac}}</ref> ] also notes that there is "no scientific evidence that Essiac can help to treat cancer" 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."<ref name=cruk>{{cite web
⚫ |url=https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/cancer-in-general/treatment/complementary-alternative-therapies/individual-therapies/essiac

] also notes that there is "no scientific evidence that Essiac can help to treat cancer or control its symptoms" and cautions that "Essiac may interact with some types of cancer treatment so it is very important to tell your doctor if you are thinking of taking Essiac."<ref name=cruk>{{cite web
⚫ |url=http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/cancer-help/about-cancer/treatment/complementary-alternative/therapies/essiac
|title=Essiac |title=Essiac
|publisher=] |publisher=]
|accessdate=August 2013}}</ref> |date=30 January 2015}}</ref>

==Side effects==
"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."<ref name=ACS>{{cite book |publisher=] |title=American Cancer Society Complete Guide to Complementary and Alternative Cancer Therapies |url=https://archive.org/details/americancancerso0000unse |url-access=registration |edition=2nd |year=2009 |isbn=9780944235713 |veditors=Russell J, Rovere A |pages= |chapter=Essiac Tea | quote = 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."}}</ref>


==See also== ==See also==
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== References == == References ==
{{reflist|30em}} {{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* ''Clinic of Hope: The Story of Rene Caisse and Essiac'', by Donna Ivey, 2004, {{isbn|1550025201}}


{{Unproven and disproven cancer treatments}}


] ]
] ]
] ]

Latest revision as of 22:39, 1 November 2024

Herbal tea and ineffective cancer treatment

Essiac
Alternative medicine
ClaimsTreatment of cancer and other illnesses.
Related fieldsAlternative medicine
Year proposedapprox 1920
Original proponentsRene Caisse
Subsequent proponentsEssiac Products Inc.
MeSHC111756
See alsoList of questionable cancer treatments

Essiac is a herbal tea promoted as an alternative treatment for cancer and other illnesses. There is no evidence it is beneficial to health. In a number of studies Essiac either showed no action against cancer cells, or actually increased the rate of cancer growth.

Background

While the formulations can vary, most Essiac formulations contain burdock root, turkey rhubarb root, sheep sorrel and slippery elm. From the 1920s through the 1970s, Essiac was promoted as a cancer treatment by Rene Caisse, a Canadian nurse who invented the formula. Caisse claimed at some times that the formula had been given to her by an Ontario Ojibwa patient she treated, and at other times that she had learned the formula from an unnamed "medicine man". Neither story has ever been substantiated. There is no evidence that Essiac is a Native American or First Nations remedy. However, there are multiple factors that indicate the formula is not from any Native American or First Nations culture. Notably, in the original recipe, only one of the plants in the mixture, slippery elm, is indigenous to the Americas; none of the other herbs are native to North America. Caisse changed her story about the origins of the remedy, as well as the ingredients in the formula, several times, and was said to be fond of cultivating "an air of mystery" around it. The name "Essiac", which Caisse gave to the tea, 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.

In 1977, Caisse sold her 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. 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.

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), the National Cancer Institute, and the American Cancer Society. 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." The NCI states "Essiac and Flor Essence have not reported clear evidence of an anticancer effect", and the FDA described Essiac as a "Fake Cancer 'Cure' Consumers Should Avoid". Researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center have written that Essiac continues to be a popular cancer therapy despite unsubstantiated claims of its effectiveness. Cancer Research UK also notes that there is "no scientific evidence that Essiac can help to treat cancer" 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."

Side effects

"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."

See also

References

  1. Barrett, Stephen (July 27, 2010). "Questionable Cancer Therapies: Essiac". Quackwatch. Retrieved July 5, 2011.
  2. ^ 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."
  3. ^ "Patient Information: Essiac/Flor Essence". National Cancer Institute. July 21, 2010. Retrieved July 5, 2011.
  4. ^ "Essiac". Cancer Research UK. 30 January 2015.
  5. ^ "Questions and Answers About Essiac and Flor Essence". National Cancer Institute. February 19, 2013. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  6. ^ Ellis, Christine D (2013). "Essiac Tea". Basic Herbalist Certification Course. Lulu.com. pp. 39–47. ISBN 9781300609094.
  7. ^ Smith, Huron H. 1932. Ethnobotany of the Ojibwe Indians. Bulletin of the Public Museum of Milwaukee 4:327-525 (p. 361). Slippery Elm is listed; Burdock is mentioned as a plant that is in use "among white men." No mention of the other ingredients in Essiac, Essiac itself, or an Essiac-like formula.
  8. ^ "187 Fake Cancer "Cures" Consumers Should Avoid". Guidance, Compliance & Regulatory Information. USFDA. Archived from the original on 22 March 2017.
  9. "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
Unproven and disproven cancer treatments
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Electromagnetic and energy-based
Hybrid
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