• CAM-summaries
  • Alternative medical systems
  • Biologically-based practices
  • Diet & nutrition
    • Breuss cancer cure
      • What is Breuss cancer cure?
      • How well does Breuss cancer cure work?
      • Is Breuss cancer cure safe?
      • Breuss cancer cure conclusions
    • Carctol
    • Co-enzyme Q10
    • Gerson diet
    • Green tea for prevention
    • Lacto-ovo vegetarian diet
    • Megamin
  • Energy medicine
  • Manipulative & body-based practices
  • Mind-body medicine
• CAM systematic reviews
• CAM and the law
• Prevalence of CAM use

How well does Breuss cancer cure work?

There is only one small clinical trial – involving 8 cancer patients with metastatic diseases – that has investigated the "Breuss Cancer Cure" (ref 13). The study did not use a control group. The authors reported two complete, and two partial remissions and that the patients felt better than expected during the intervention and had experienced less pain. During the trial, one patient died, and two died shortly after completion of the trial. The authors did not attribute the deaths to the intervention. The authors suggested that if that trial was designed as a conventional phase-1-study, the results would produce results showing Breuss to be an effective treatment with minor toxicity for patients with advanced cancer.

Jungi stated, without presenting data, that tumors usually become smaller during a fast, but after resumption of the nutrition, they grow more quickly (ref 14). Pfortmueller has made similar statements, but also without presenting empirical data (ref 15).

The case reports found on the Internet, (ref 6;7;8;10) lack of valid documentation.

The results of animal-studies dealing with food restriction are inconsistent (ref 16-27).

References

6. Mit der Breuss Kur...., http://www.breuss-kur.de, and Keine Operation. Keine chemo. http://www.krebsweghungern.de, (accessed on 2005 Septemer 16). 2005.

7. Krebs und andere Erkrankungen natürlich heilen. http://www.aaaaalternative-krebsheilung.de/wunder.htm, (accessed on 2005 September 16). 2005.

8. butterbach.net, http://www.butterbach.net/prostata.htm, (accessed on 2005 September 16). 2005.

10. Breuss-Gerson Kurhaus Chattenbuehl, http://www.chattenbuehl.com, (accessed on 2005 September 16). 2005.

13. Douwes FR, et al. Hat das Fasten in der Therapie von Tumorpatienten einen Sinn? Teil 2. Krebsgeschehen 1984;6:141-9.

14. Jungi WF. Diättherapie maligner Tumoren. In: Oepen I editor. An den Grenzen der Schulmedizin. Köln: Deutscher Ärzte Verlag; 1985p. 123-42.

15. Pfortmüller, J. Breuss´sche Saftkur gegen Krebs. Neue Luzerner Zeitung , 1. 2003.

16. Berrigan D, Perkins SN, Haines DC, Hursting SD. Adult-onset calorie restriction and fasting delay spontaneous tumorigenesis in p53-deficient mice. Carcinogenesis 2002;23(5):817-22.

17. Cleary MP, Jacobson MK, Phillips FC, Getzin SC, Grande JP, Maihle NJ. Weight-cycling decreases incidence and increases latency of mammary tumors to a greater extent than does chronic caloric restriction in mouse mammary tumor virus-transforming growth factor-alpha female mice. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2002;11(9):836-43.

18. Goodgame JT, Jr., Lowry SF, Reilly JJ, Jones DC, Brennan MF. Nutritional manipulations and tumor growth. I. The effects of starvation. Am J Clin Nutr 1979;32(11):2277-84.

19. Goodstein ML, Richtsmeier WJ, Sauer LA. The effect of an acute fast on human head and neck carcinoma xenograft. Growth effects on an 'isolated tumor vascular pedicle' in the nude rat. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 1993;119(8):897-902.

20. Hikita H, Vaughan J, Babcock K, Pitot HC. Short-term fasting and the reversal of the stage of promotion in rat hepatocarcinogenesis: role of cell replication, apoptosis, and gene expression. Toxicol Sci 1999;52(2 Suppl):17-23.

21. Hikita H, Vaughan J, Pitot HC. The effect of two periods of short-term fasting during the promotion stage of hepatocarcinogenesis in rats: the role of apoptosis and cell proliferation. Carcinogenesis 1997;18(1):159-66.

22. Mai V, Colbert LH, Berrigan D, Perkins SN, Pfeiffer R, Lavigne JAet al. Calorie restriction and diet composition modulate spontaneous intestinal tumorigenesis in Apc(Min) mice through different mechanisms. Cancer Res 2003;63(8):1752-5.

23. Premoselli F, Sesca E, Chiara M, Binasco V, Tessitore L. Fasting/refeeding enhances the crypt multiplicity in rat colon carcinogenesis induced by azoxymethane. Boll Soc Ital Biol Sper 1996;72(9-10):239-45.

24. Sauer LA, Nagel WO, Dauchy RT, Miceli LA, Austin JE.

25. Stimulation of Tumor Growth in Adult Rats in Vivo during an Acute Fast. Cancer Res 1986;46:3469-75.

26. Sauer LA, Dauchy RT. Blood nutrient concentrations and tumor growth in vivo in rats: relationships during the onset of an acute fast. Cancer Res 1987;47(4):1065-8.

27. Tannenbaum A, Silverstone H. Nutrition in relation to cancer. Adv Cancer Res 1953;1:451-501.