Black salve, also known by the brand name Cansema, is pseudoscientific alternative cancer treatment. The product is commonly classified as an escharotic—a topical paste which destroys skin tissue and leaves behind a scar called an eschar. Escharotics were widely used to treat skin lesions in the early 1900s, but have since been replaced by safer and more effective treatments. Escharotics, such as black salves, are currently advertised by some alternative medicine marketers as treatments for skin cancer, often with unsubstantiated testimonials and unproven claims of effectiveness. Although more recent reports document that some alternative medicine practitioners use the internet to market escharotics as purported "cures" for skin cancer, they are not recommended as treatments for skin lesions or skin cancer by medical authorities . The effectiveness of escharotics is unproven, while safer and more effective conventional treatments exist for skin cancers, such as: cryotherapy; topical agents such as imiquimod, fluorouracil and ingenol mebutate; radiation therapy; and surgical excision, including Mohs surgery (microscopically controlled surgery used to remove and test cancerous tissue). Escharotics can cause serious scarring and damage to normal skin. Their manufacture is largely unregulated, so the strength and purity of marketed products are unknown and unverified. Numerous reports in the medical literature describe serious consequences of using escharotics in place of standard treatments for skin cancer, ranging from disfigurement to preventable cancer recurrences. The website Quackwatch posted a warning against the use of escharotics in 2008, with a collection of sourced documents compiling issues of patient injury from their use. A more recent study revealed that many individuals who have used black salve were unaware of its potential dangers. In a 2016 news release titled "Beware of black salve, " the American Academy of Dermatology urged patients to consult a dermatologist before using home remedies for skin cancers. In 2018 in Australia black salve has been strongly linked to the death of Helen Lawson who decided to use "natural remedies" under the direction of self-proclaimed healer Dennis Wayne Jensen . Jensen advocated covering Lawson's abdomen in black salve claiming it would draw out the ovarian cancer, leaving Lawson with a mass of wounds on her abdomen : “You have never seen anything like what happened to Helen. It is so confronting, ” Lawson's sister-in-law , Deb Davies said. “Literally above her pubic bone, all across her abdomen almost up to her rib cage , she was raw, mutilated bubbling flesh . ” Lawson's partner of 21 years, Belinda Davies said that within a few weeks of Helen applying the black salve the wound was so large that surgeons could not have operated even if they had wanted to. Lawson died in April 2018. Subsequently , Jensen was issued an interim prohibition order , by the Health Complaints Commissioner , forbidding practicing any health services whilst the death of Lawson is being investigated. This was pursuant to section 90 of the Health Complaints Act 2016 (Victoria, Australia)
Black salve, also known by the brand name Cansema, is pseudoscientific alternative cancer treatment. The product is commonly classified as an escharotic—a topical paste which destroys skin tissue and leaves behind a scar called an eschar. Escharotics were widely used to treat skin lesions in the early 1900s, but have since been replaced by safer and more effective treatments. Escharotics, such as black salves, are currently advertised by some alternative medicine marketers as treatments for skin cancer, often with unsubstantiated testimonials and unsupported claims of effectiveness. They are not recommended as treatments for skin lesions or skin cancer by medical authorities , but are marketed as such by some alternative medicine practitioners. Use of escharotics, particularly when used instead of proven treatments, can be dangerous. The escharotic may not remove all of the cancerous cells, and frequently removes healthy tissue. Practitioners who use or sell escharotics frequently provide testimonials, in place of scientific evidence, to convince others of effectiveness and safety which does not exist. Safer and more effective treatments exist for skin cancers, such as: cryotherapy; topical agents such as imiquimod, fluorouracil and ingenol mebutate; radiation therapy; and surgical excision, including Mohs surgery (microscopically controlled surgery used to remove and test cancerous tissue). Escharotics can cause serious scarring and damage to normal skin. Their manufacture is largely unregulated, so the strength and purity of marketed products are unknown and unverified. Numerous reports in the medical literature describe serious consequences of using escharotics in place of standard treatments for skin cancer, ranging from disfigurement to preventable cancer recurrences. The website Quackwatch warned against the use of escharotics in 2008, with a collection of sourced documents compiling issues of patient injury from their use. A more recent study revealed that many individuals who have used black salve were unaware of its potential dangers. In 2016 , the American Academy of Dermatology urged patients to consult a dermatologist before using home remedies for skin cancers. In 2018 , black salve was strongly linked to the death of Helen Lawson in Australia. Lawson covered her abdomen in black salve under the direction of Dennis Wayne Jensen , a self-proclaimed healer, who advised her that it would draw out her ovarian cancer. The black salve left Lawson with a mass of wounds on her abdomen , which became so large that surgeons could not operate on it within a few weeks. Lawson's sister-in-law described the wounds as extending from " above her pubic bone, all across her abdomen almost up to her rib cage ", and as " raw, mutilated bubbling flesh ” . Lawson died in April 2018. In 2019 , Jensen was issued a prohibition order by the Health Complaints Commissioner of Victoria, forbidding him permanently from providing substances which "he (or anyone else) claims can cure or treat cancer or other serious disease or illness". This includes black salve.
R
unproven
unsupported
R
Although more recent reports document that some alternative medicine practitioners use the internet to market escharotics as purported "cures" for skin cancer, they
They
R
. The effectiveness of escharotics is unproven, while safer and more effective conventional
, but are marketed as such by some alternative medicine practitioners. Use of escharotics, particularly when used instead of proven treatments, can be dangerous. The escharotic may not remove all of the cancerous cells, and frequently removes healthy tissue. Practitioners who use or sell escharotics frequently provide testimonials, in place of scientific evidence, to convince others of effectiveness and safety which does not exist. Safer and more effective
R
posted a warning
warned
D
a
R
news release titled "Beware of black salve, "
,
R
in Australia black salve has been
, black salve was
R
who decided to use "natural remedies"
in Australia. Lawson covered her abdomen in black salve
D
self-proclaimed healer
R
. Jensen advocated covering Lawson's abdomen in black salve claiming
, a self-proclaimed healer, who advised her that
R
the ovarian cancer, leaving
her ovarian cancer. The black salve left
D
:
R
“You have never seen anything like what happened to Helen. It is so confronting, ”
, which became so large that surgeons could not operate on it within a few weeks.
D
, Deb Davies
R
said. “Literally
described the wounds as extending from "
R
, she was
", and as "
D
.
D
Lawson's partner of 21 years, Belinda Davies
R
said that within a few weeks of Helen applying the black salve the wound was so large that surgeons could not have operated even if they had wanted to.
.
R
Subsequently
In 2019
R
an interim prohibition order ,
a prohibition order
R
, forbidding practicing any health services whilst the death of Lawson is being investigated. This was pursuant to section 90 of the Health Complaints Act 2016 (Victoria, Australia)
of Victoria, forbidding him permanently from providing substances which "he (or anyone else) claims can cure or treat cancer or other serious disease or illness". This includes black salve.