Before you read this post, please let me emphasize my disclaimer. I am not a medical professional and this blog
is not written to offer any medical advice.
I am simply a guy that shares links, articles, information and
occasional opinions as it relates to melanoma and skin cancer awareness, all in
honor of my brother who passed away after battling melanoma. For medical advice, please consult your physician or dermatologist. With that being said, read on:
One doesn’t often hear the term “surfing the internet” as much
anymore. Most people browse, but I still
like to surf. I might find a neat
article which has a link to another article which might connect to a video
which might have similar videos listed and so on and so on. My original search might have been for
sunscreen and the next thing you know my mouth is watering over a recipe for
lemon broccoli chicken. “Surfing” is
neat that way. But sometimes, it just
pisses me off.
I was searching for a video I recently posted on Facebook. It was the one about bad golfers and how the
most common hazard is sun exposure. I
thought it was one of the more humorous PSAs and I was impressed with its
efforts to make us stubborn men more aware of sun safety. After I watched it on YouTube, I noticed links
to other melanoma-related videos. There
was one that caught my attention…the still photo was of an intelligent looking
woman with a caption of “Dermatologists Hate This Video (natural skin cancer
cure).” Notice…CURE. I had to watch.
I won’t get into all the details.
You can find it and watch it if you’d like…I won’t link it here because
I simply cannot endorse it. Of course,
those that would support the video would claim that I’m a pawn of “Big Pharma”
or perhaps supporting the wallet-wasting world of modern medicine. I’m not…but I’m sure I couldn’t convince such
people otherwise, so I won’t try. Anyhow,
what pissed me off was the statement that “Skin cancer is curable. 100%...whether it’s basal cell or squamous
cell or melanoma, it’s curable…naturally.”
The lady goes on to describe the two natural cures, but I was drawn to
the first. It’s called Black Salve. (The other is called Hemp Oil). Black Salve is an escharotic which is defined
as a corrosive substance that forms a black, dry scab on the skin from burning. It’s basically a caustic paste consisting of
bloodroot, zinc chloride, and other non-regulated ingredients. The video goes on to explain that after
applying this salve onto a cancerous lesion, the paste will “draw the cancer
cells out…including the roots.” You see,
if legitimate surgeons try to cut out the cancer, they might miss some of the
root. And besides, “cutting into a
cancer only makes it angry.”
Hmm.
I decided to read other articles related to this magic wonder
acid. Not surprisingly, the FDA (aka, “Big
Pharma” as the video gal proclaims) has deemed Black Salve as a “fake cancer
cure” and has essentially banned it from the US. Not surprisingly, the people who sold Black Salve
under the brand name of Cansema fled to Ecuador to market their product from
there.
Hmm.
So what I found out in a nut
shell (nut-case shell?) is that Black Salve CAN be obtained (or made at home…I
found a video with the recipe) and in some instances is approved for use on
animals (although there is a drive to ban such use). Proponents of Black Salve
claim that the caustic paste only attacks the cancerous flesh and leaves the normal
skin alone. Medical personnel would
agree with half of this…but the problem is that it’ll eat through pretty much ANY
flesh, including healthy skin. There are
documented reports of a woman applying some on her nose to address “a bump”…only
to have her nose and much of her cheeks literally fall off her face within a
week! No, I won’t attach the photo, but
it ain’t pretty.
I guess the reason I’m posting this is that many folks will try many
methods to eradicate their cancer, and my fear is that some folks will become
desperate enough to try Black Salve.
Truthfully, the escharotic was used in the past…WAY in the past. But nowadays, Mohs surgery and other methods
are far more regulated and less risky. I
understand that radiation, chemo, and other medical treatments can cause
serious side-effects, but at least it’s regulated, monitored and controlled. If you
buy Black Salve or Cansema today, you have no idea what’s really in the paste…it’s
not regulated, by anyone! Some pastes
have been found to have sulfuric acid within.
Also, it seems that the concentration of zinc chloride is very
important. A 40% concentration can
pretty much guarantee significant disfigurement and burning pain. A 30% concentration is better controlled but
still very risky and painful. It is
simply not worth it…and it’s illegal to use for a reason.
Remember, I’m not a medical professional, so you should seek out your
own answers. To find out more about
Black Salve, you can start with our favorite Dr. Mercola watch dog site,
Quackwatch. They have quite the dissertation
on the history and evidence against Black Salve. If you feel their view is slanted too far
away, then I suggest you search legitimate medical sites from which you’ve
learned to trust information regarding melanoma.
In my unsolicited and unsponsored opinion…stay away from the stuff!
