Cancer Cure Now

History There are many recipes on the Internet for Essiac, an old Native Indian remedy named after the nurse Rene Caisse ("Caisse" spelled backwards).

While she is best known for documenting its use, other historical mentions have been made of it as well.. Essiac is based on sheep's sorrel combined with various other herbs. This plant grows in the wild all throughout the temperate zone, and variations of sorrel recipes have been used for centuries as a folk remedy for cancer in Europe, Asia and North America.

In the late 1740s, legislation was passed in Williamsburg, Virginia, giving official permission for Mrs. Mary Johnson to use sorrel as a cancer remedy. In 1868, sheep sorrel and common sorrel were listed as medicinal plants in the Canadian Pharmacy Journal. In 1926, the American National Cancer Institute received a recipe for an old Indian remedy using sorrel paste mixed with bread.

Rene Caisse first stumbled on the recipe after an encounter in the 1920s with a prospector's wife who claimed to have survived breast cancer 30 years ago due to this traditional remedy.

The patient reportedly received the formula from an Ontario Ojibwa Native American medicine man. Caisse supplied it to her patients, and initial results were so promising that she and group of physicians set up a test lab and clinic in Toronto, Canada.

Experiments on both humans and mice inoculated with human carcinoma showed remarkable results. The recipe originally received by Caisse contained eight ingredients, but with experimentation the four most active components were isolated.  Caisse spent many years battling both the Canadian government and medical establishment, and in 1941 was forced from clinical practice into seclusion to treat patients in private.

In 1977, after 36 years of obscurity, Homemakers magazine in Toronto, Ontario published an article on Rene Caisse, called "Could Essiac Halt Cancer?" Essiac once more garnered attention from the general public as well as the Canadian Cancer Research Foundation and The Cancer Institute in Toronto.

Rene Caisse was 89 years old at the time, and since she was afraid the recipe would die with her, she sold the legal rights to her formula to the Resperin Corporation of Toronto, Canada. Rene Caisse passed away December 26th, 1978 at the age of ninety years

. Her gravestone in Bracebridge, Ontario reads "Discoverer of Essiac". Commercial History Of Essiac The original Essiac formula researched and clinically tested by Canadian Nurse Rene Caisse from 1922 to 1977 was first sold to the Resperin in 1977. It is currently the proprietary legal property of Essiac Canada International, which purchased the rights in 2002. The quality of herbs for sale varies widely.

Determined to protect the reputation of Rene Caisse's remedy, Essiac Canada International carefully screens all shipments of herbs they purchase, and reject any they consider substandard. The harvesting requirements and preparation of this herbal supplement remain unchanged ever since Caisse legally signed over the formula to Resperin of Toronto in 1977.

However, as the recipe and its variations are widespread, another company, Essiac International (not to be confused with Essiac Canada International) registered the trademark name of Essiac ® for themselves in the U.S. This company is unconnected with the original Canadian manufacturer. There are also dozens of "Essiac" formulas for sale on the internet.

The Canadian company is probably the safest commercial source of the product, though you can make your own if you use good quality herbs. Essiac purchased from Canada can be shipped legally to the United States as a food supplement, without making any claims to cure cancer. The average cost is approximately $50 per month.

Clinical Studies Between 1959 and the late 1970s, Caisse collaborated with an American physician to conduct clinical and laboratory studies of Essiac ,but the results were not reported in any peer-reviewed scientific journals.

Together they developed a formula now called Flor-Essence. In 1978, after Caisse sold recipe for Essiac to Respiron, the Canadian government gave this company permission to conduct clinical studies on the safety and effectiveness of Essiac but withdrew its permission in 1982. Respiron also filed an unsuccessful Investigational New Drug (IND) application with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Certainly sorrel-based formulas have a lengthy history in folk medicine worldwide, and the fact that this plant was discovered independently by isolated cultures bolsters claims of its efficacy. Thousands of patients claim they were successfully treated by Caisse during her long career, and the individual herbs have shown antineoplastic activity in numerous animal and in-vitro experiments.

1 The herbs contain potentially active compounds rhein, emodin, high molecular weight polysaccharides, and possibly arctigenin.2 However, human trials of Essiac have yielded disappointing results, Studies done by researchers at the NCI and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center have found that Essiac has no anticancer effect.3,4

As of 2006, the Women and Infants Hospital of Rhode Island is recruiting cancer patients to participate in a randomized, double-blind, placebo control clinical trial. It is expected to be completed in 2008.

Recipe While many variations of the recipe exist, the following was obtained from Mary McPherson, Caisse's longtime assistant. In 1994 she swore an affidavit before witnesses that this is the original recipe used in Caisse's cancer clinic. It is the same recipe distributed by Essiac Canada International, which is based in Toronto.

6 and 1/2 cups of burdock root, cut 1 lb of sheep sorrel herb, powdered 1/4 lb of slippery elm bark, powdered 1 oz Indian rhubarb root, powdered Mix ingredients and store in airtight glass jars away from heat and light. Use 1 ounce of dry mixture to 32 ounces of water, depending on the amount you want to make. Boil vigorously for 10 minutes in covered pan, then turn off heat and allow to steep overnight in a warm place.

In the morning, reheat until steaming and allow to settle for a few minutes, then pour through a fine strainer into hot sterilized bottles, cover securely, and allow to cool. Mixture is now ready for use. Once a jar is opened, it must be refrigerated. The recommended dose is 2 oz. diluted in 2 to 3 oz. of warm water to be taken once a day for the first 10 days, later reduced to 1 oz. in the same dilution per day.

This dose is recommended for 1 to 2 years or longer, with amounts eventually being further reduced to 2 or 3 times per week. Caisse stated that tumors will harden and enlarge after the first few treatments, then soften and shrink. No side effects have been reported. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy interfere with the action of Essiac, and it will not work as well.

Burdock root (Arctium lappa) Burdock helps cleanse the blood and lymphatic system. It contains Inulin, which strengthens the vital organs such as the liver, pancreas and spleen. It also reduces mucus formation and prevents gall and kidney stones. Its also contains vitamin A and selenium, antioxidants which eliminate free radicals, and chromium which helps regulate blood sugar levels.

Sheep Sorrel (Rumex Acetosella) Sheep Sorrel heals internal ulcers and when applied topically helps clear skin problems such as eczema and psoriasis. It is rich in vitamins and trace minerals such as silicon. Sheep Sorrel nourishes the glandular system, cleanses the blood and improves liver, intestinal and bowel function.

Slippery Elm (Ulmus Fulva) Its principal component is mucilage which helps the body cleanse itself of toxic waste. It is said to nourish and restore plasma in the blood and lymph. It improves intestinal flora and soothes asthma. It also helps relieve indigestion and eczema.

Indian Rhubarb (Rheum Officinale) In small doses, this herb acts as a gentle laxative and purges the body, especially the liver, of toxic buildup and waste. It helps counteract acids due to indigestion. Its contains malic acid, said to aid the body in healing. A substance called Rhein, present in the root, inhibits pathogenic bacteria and candida albicans in the intestines. It reduces fever and inflammation. Studies show that rhubarb root has antibiotic and anti-tumor properties.

When combined, these herbs have synergistic healing effects. Rene Caisse also noted that it helped diabetes. She felt that cancer was caused by deficient glandular functioning, and that the herbal formula corrected this, allowing the body to heal itself.

She recommended that several Essiac treatments be given before any cancer surgery was performed, as the treatment would shrink the tumor and make it easier to excise. Essiac should also be administered weekly for three months following the surgery. Essiac rarely has any major side effects; the minor side effects are nausea and vomiting if taken with food, and occassionally diarrhea.

Therefore, it is best to take it on an empty stomach. The Canadian Journal of Herbalism ("Old Ontario Remedies," July 1991) warns that two of the herbs in Essiac contain large concentrations of oxalic acid, which could affect nutritional metabolism and make the remedy unsafe for people with kidney ailments and arthritic conditions. There have been a few anecdotal reports of possible burdock toxicity.

This rare side effect resembles the action of the drug atropine - disorientation, flushing of the skin and the enlargement of the pupils. However, it is not clear whether this was caused by burdock root toxicity or to contaminants in the the herbal mixtures that were administered to the patients  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (1). Canadian Breast Cancer Research Initiative. An information package - Essiac. Toronto: Canadian breast cancer research initiative, 1996:3-7. (2) .Boik J. Cancer and natural medicine: a textbook of basic science and clinical research. Oregon: Medical Press 1995:160.2) (3). Spencer J W, Jacobs JJ. Complementary/alternative medicine: an evidence based approach. Toronto: Mosby, 1999:142. (4). Cassileth BR. Alternative medicine handbook: a complete reference guide to alternative and complementary therapies. New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 1998:162.