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Other common
name(s): Gerson diet, Gerson method, Gerson treatment,
Gerson program
Scientific/medical
name(s): none
Description
Gerson therapy is a form of alternative cancer treatment
involving coffee enemas, supplements, and a special diet that is
claimed to cleanse the body, boost the immune system, and stimulate
metabolism.
Overview
Available scientific evidence does not support claims that
Gerson therapy is effective in treating cancer, and the principles
behind it are not widely accepted by the medical community. It is not
approved for use in the United States. Gerson therapy can be dangerous.
Coffee enemas have been associated with serious infections,
dehydration, constipation, colitis (inflammation of the colon),
electrolyte imbalances, and even death.
How is it promoted for use?
Gerson therapy is considered a metabolic therapy (see Metabolic Therapy),
and it is based on the theory that disease is caused by the body's
accumulation of toxic substances. Practitioners believe that
fertilizers, insecticides, herbicides, and other chemicals contaminate
food by lowering its potassium content and raising its sodium content.
Food processing and cooking adds more sodium, which changes the
metabolism of cells in the body, eventually causing cancer.
According to practitioners of Gerson therapy, people who have
cancer have too much sodium and not enough potassium in their cells.
The fruit and vegetable diet that is part of Gerson therapy is used to
correct this imbalance and revitalize the liver so it can rid the body
of malignant cells. Coffee enemas, also part of Gerson therapy, are
claimed to relieve pain and eliminate liver toxins in a process called
detoxification.
The goal of metabolic therapies is to eliminate toxins from
the body and enhance immune function so that the body can "fight off"
cancer. Liver extract injections, pancreatic enzymes, and various
supplements are said to stimulate metabolism. Proponents of metabolic
therapy claim that it addresses the underlying cause of disease rather
than treating the symptoms.
What does it involve?
Gerson therapy requires following a strict low-salt, low-fat,
vegetarian diet and drinking juice from about twenty pounds of fresh
fruits and vegetables each day. One glass of juice is consumed each
hour, thirteen times a day. In addition, patients are given several
coffee enemas each day. Various supplements, such as potassium, vitamin
B12, pancreatic enzymes, thyroid hormone, and liver extracts, are used
to stimulate organ function, particularly of the liver and thyroid.
Sometimes other treatments such as laetrile may also be recommended
(see Laetrile).
Treatment is usually begun at an inpatient clinic over several
weeks. The Gerson Institute does not own or operate any medical
facilities and istead it refers patients to clinics it licenses.
Currently the only licensed clinic is in Tijuana, Mexico. Clinic fees
often exceed $4,000 per week. Treatment may last from a few months to
10 years or more. It is generally recommended for at least 2 years in
cancer patients. The Gerson Institute also offers a home therapy
package.
What is the history behind it?
One of the oldest nutritional approaches to cancer treatment,
the Gerson therapy was developed by Max Gerson, MD, a German doctor who
immigrated to the United States in the late 1930s. He designed the
dietary program to treat his own migraine headaches. He later expanded
his method to treat other conditions such as arthritis, tuberculosis,
and cancer. In 1945, Gerson published a preliminary report of his
results in treating cancer in the Review of Gastroenterology. The
National Cancer Institute and New York County Medical Society examined
records of his patients and found no evidence that the method was
effective against cancer. After his death in 1959, his work was carried
on by his daughter, Charlotte Gerson, who established the Gerson
Institute in the late 1970s.
What is the evidence?
There have been no well-controlled studies published in the
available medical literature that show the Gerson therapy is effective
in treating cancer.
In a recent review of the medical literature, researchers from
the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center identified 7 human
studies of Gerson therapy that have been published or presented at
medical conferences. None of them were randomized controlled studies.
One study was a retrospective review conducted by the Gerson Research
Organization. They reported that survival rates were higher than would
normally be expected for patients with melanoma, colorectal cancer and
ovarian cancer who were treated with surgery and Gerson therapy, but
they did not provide statistics to support the results. Other studies
have been small, had inconclusive results, or have been plagued by
other problems (such as a large percentage of patients not completing
the study), making it impossible to draw firm conclusions about the
effectiveness of treatment.
Some ideas put forth as part of the Gerson regimen, such as
eating large amounts of fruits and vegetables and limiting fat intake,
can be part of a healthy diet if not taken to the extreme. Researchers
are continuing to study the potential anti-cancer properties of
different substances in fruits and vegetables, but their actual effects
are not well understood at this time. Because of this, the best advice
may be to eat a balanced diet that includes 5 or more servings a day of
vegetables and fruit, choosing whole grains over processed and refined
foods, and limiting red meats and animal fats. Choosing foods from a
variety of fruits, vegetables and other plant sources such as nuts,
seeds, whole grain cereals, and beans is likely to be healthier than
consuming large amounts of one particular food. Based on currently
available evidence, diet is likely to play a greater role in preventing
cancer than in treating it.
There is very little scientific evidence to support the use of
other components of the Gerson regimen, such as consuming only fresh,
raw juices prepared in a certain way, eliminating salt from the diet,
and “detoxifying” the liver through coffee enemas
and injected liver extracts, have very little scientific evidence to
support their use against cancer.
Are there any possible problems or
complications?
These
substances may have not been thoroughly tested to find out how they
interact with medicines, foods, herbs, or supplements. Even though some
reports of interactions and harmful effects may be published, full
studies of interactions and effects are not often available. Because of
these limitations, any information on ill effects and interactions
below should be considered incomplete.
Use of the Gerson therapy can lead to a number of significant
problems. Serious illness and death have occurred from some of the
components of the treatment, such as the coffee enemas, which remove
potassium from the body and can lead to electrolyte imbalances.
Continued home use of enemas may cause the colon's normal function to
weaken, worsening constipation problems and colitis. Some metabolic
diets used in combination with enemas cause dehydration.
Serious infections may result from poorly administered liver
extracts. Thyroid supplements may cause severe bleeding in patients who
have cancer that has spread to the liver.
Gerson therapy may be especially hazardous to women who are
pregnant or breast-feeding. Relying on this treatment alone and
avoiding or delaying conventional medical care for cancer, may have
serious health consequences.
Additional Resources
More information from your American Cancer
Society
The following information on complementary and alternative
therapies may also be helpful to you. These materials may be found on
our Web site (www.cancer.org)
or ordered from our toll-free number (1-800-ACS-2345).
References
Alternative
Medicine: Expanding Medical Horizons. A Report to the
National Institutes of Health on Alternative Medical Systems and
Practices in the United States. Washington, DC: US Government Printing
Office; 1994. NIH publication 94-066.
American Cancer Society. Questionable methods of cancer
management: 'nutritional' therapies. CA Cancer J Clin.
1993;43:309-319.
Green S. A critique of the rationale for cancer treatment with
coffee enemas and diet. JAMA.
1992;268:3224-3227.
Hildenbrand G, Hildenbrand L. Defining the role of diet
therapy in complementary cancer management: prevention of recurrence
vs. regression of disease. Proceedings of the 1996 Alternative
Therapies. Symposium: Creating Integrated Healthcare. January 18-21,
1996 San Diego, CA.
Hildenbrand GL, Hildenbrand LC, Bradford K, Cavin SW.
Five-year survival rates of melanoma patients treated by diet therapy
after the manner of Gerson: a retrospective review. Altern Ther Health Med.
1995;1:29-37.
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. About herbs: Gerson
regimen. 2004. Accessed at: http://www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/69233.cfm
on June 10, 2008.
University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Gerson detailed
scientific review. Accessed at:
www.mdanderson.org/departments/cimer/display.cfm?id=17508EEC-F2C5-11D4-810400508B603A14&method=displayFull&pn=6EB86A59-EBD9-11D4-810100508B603A14
on June 10, 2008.
US Congress, Office of Technology Assessment. Unconventional
Cancer Treatments. Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office; 1990.
Publication OTA-H-405.
Note: This information may not cover
all possible claims, uses, actions, precautions, side effects or
interactions. It is not intended as medical advice, and should not be
relied upon as a substitute for consultation with your doctor, who is
familiar with your medical situation.
Last Medical Review: 11/01/2008
Last Revised: 11/01/2008
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