The role of your cancer health professional is to create an environment of openness and trust, and to help in making informed decisions about alternative/complementary therapies. Collaboration will improve the safe integration of all therapies during your experience with cancer. The "Summary" and "Professional Evaluation/ Critique" sections of this Unconventional Therapies manual are cited directly from the medical literature, and are intended to help in the objective evaluation of alternative/complementary therapies.

Cancell^® and Entelev^® are registered trademarks.

Summary

"No basis for its claimed effectiveness against cancer exists. There is no evidence that Cancell works against cancer or any other disease." (Cassileth)

"Preliminary tests [on Cancell] were undertaken in 1990 and conducted twice for verification. The results of these tests indicated that Cancell did not demonstrate a biological effect considered worthy of further study." (National Cancer Institute)

Description/ Source/ Components

Cancell is a dark brown liquid. "FDA [Food and Drug Administration] analyses revealed that Cancell is composed of common chemicals (sulfuric acid, nitric acid, potassium hydroxide, sodium sulfite)." (Cassileth)

"Cancell/ Entelev is also called Sheridan’s Formula, Jim’s Juice, Canctron, JS–114, JS–101, 126–F, and "Cancell-like product" (Cantron and Protocel). It is a liquid that was promoted as a treatment for cancer and other diseases. Cancell/ Entelev was made using different mixtures of ingredients, mainly by 2 companies, since the late 1930s.

Since 1989, it has been illegal to make, sell, or give Cancell/ Entelev as a treatment for any disease. Mixtures similar to Cancell/ Entelev are sold under other names as dietary supplements." (National Cancer Institute²)

"Cancell is a mixture of chemicals that were combined, on the basis of their electrical properties, with the intention of treating cancer by depriving cancer cells of their ability to get energy." (National Cancer Institute)

"Also called Formula JS 114, Jim's juice, Crocinic Acid, and Sheridan's Formula" (Cassileth)

The treatment "lasts for 45 days or until all signs of the disease are gone." The product may be administered orally or rectally. (CA)

In order to obtain the product, it is necessary for patients to have "a letter from their physician and a signed statement with proof that the cancer condition is terminal." (Ontario)

History

"The substance was first envisioned in 1936 by James V. Sheridan, a chemist working at the time for Dow Chemical. According to a 1984 magazine interview with Sheridan, the idea for Entelev came to him in a dream that he believes was inspired by God." He provided the treatment free of charge to patients with serious forms of cancer. (CA)

In 1984, Edward J. Sopcak, a second promoter, "acquired the direction for manufacture for [Entelev] from Sheridan and began providing it to patients under the name of Cancell." (CA)

Proponent/ Advocate Claims

"The 'cancell' theory of carcinogenesis is based on four assumptions: 1. that there is early evolvement of neoplastic potentials in certain unicellular eukaryotes (so-called cancell lines) by adaptive response to the various carcinogens of the primitive Earth. The process that led to the neoplastic potential is called 'early carcinogenesis'; 2. that there is transition of cancell lines to multicellular forms; 3. that there is uptake of the basic genetics and epigenetics of the cancell concept into the genomic program of multicellular entities and their conservation even in human cells, and 4. the re-emergence of the ancient cancell concept in human somatic cells in a process called 'late carcinogenesis'. According to this theory, both processes of carcinogenesis, the early one and the late one, are thought to be the result of a physiological adaptive response to the various genotoxic and nongenotoxic carcinogens." (Grossgebauer)

"Proponents believe that Cancell returns cancer cells to their 'primitive state', where the Cancell digests them and renders them inert." (Cassileth)

"Sopcak claims that [Cancell] is not a drug, but rather an assembly of synthetic chemicals that react with the body electrically rather than chemically." (CA)

"Cancell reacts with the body electrically therefore it is nontoxic and has no side effects. Cancell lowers the voltage of the cell structure of the body by about 20%. That is significant for the following reason: all cancer is a mutation of anaerobic cells, or cells which do not use oxygen to create energy. Because these anaerobic cells are weak cells, they lyse or convert directly to waste material when voltage is lowered... The cancer cells are not killed and they do not die. They simply digest. The waste material from this digestion has the appearance of raw egg whites. The body eliminates this waste material any way it can. It can appear in the urine, the stool, or as vaginal discharge. It may be thrown up, coughed up and it may be eliminated in perspiration. Any, all, or none of these may happen. The cancer cells are replaced with normal oxygen-using cells and the cancer cells no longer exist." (Cancell pamphlet)

"The effectiveness of Cancell is improved by following the proper diet. Note, especially, any food containing white sugar will completely stop Cancell from working." (Cancell pamphlet)

Professional Evaluation/ Critique

"FDA found no basis for the claims of effectiveness of the Cancell treatment." (Spencer)

"After study of the literature and other available information, the American Cancer Society has found no evidence that the use of Cancell/ Entelev results in objective benefit in the treatment of cancer in human beings. Lacking such evidence, the American Cancer Society strongly urges individuals with cancer not to seek treatment from practitioners utilizing this compound." (CA)

Sheridan did not provide the FDA with "the chemical makeup of Entelev and studies showing its efficacy in animal models." (CA)

The FDA has permanently prohibited the manufacture and interstate commerce of Cancell/ Entelev or their components on "the basis that they were adulterated, misbranded, and unapproved new drugs." (CA)

"Dr. Tadeusz Malinski, an Associate Professor of Analytical Chemistry at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan, has succeeded in identifying a minimum of 12 different compounds, none of which are known to be effective for curing any forms of cancer." (CA)

"Although the promoters claim their product is highly effective against all cancers and against a wide variety of other diseases including AIDS, no reasonable body of peer-reviewed literature exists that would substantiate their claims. Not only is the basic rationale behind the theoretical mode of action of Cancell/Entelev scientifically unsound, but it has not been tested for safety or efficacy." (CA)

Toxicity/ Risks

Patients may experience temporary, moderate fatigue and flu like symptoms after taking the product. (CA)

Costs

"Neither promoter charges for the product." However, donations may be made to the Eden Foundation, a non-profit corporation. "Donations are used to help offset the cost of the manufacture of Cancell/ Entelev." (CA)

References

Cassileth BR. Alternative medicine handbook: the complete reference guide to alternative and complementary therapies. New York: W.W.Norton & Co., 1998:160-161.

CA (Anonymous). Questionable methods of cancer management: Cancell/Entelev. CA: a Cancer Journal for Clinicians 1993 Jan-Feb;43(1):57-62.

Grossgebauer K. The 'cancell' theory of carcinogenesis: re-evolution of an ancient, holistic neoplastic unicellular concept of cancer. Medical Hypothesis 1995;45:545-555.

Important information about Cancell. Cancell pamphlet. March 1992.

National Cancer Institute. Cancell. Cancer Facts 1992 April 29. (BCCA Cancer Information Centre search file 2435)

(National Cancer Institute²) Questions and Answers About Cancell/Entelev. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/cam/cancell/Patient/page2 Accessed May 3, 2007.

Ontario Breast Cancer Information Exchange Project. Guide to unconventional cancer therapies. 1st ed. Toronto: Ontario Breast Cancer Information Exchange Project, 1994:264-265.

Spencer JW, Jacobs JJ. Complementary/alternative medicine: an evidence based approach. Toronto: Mosley, 1999:142.

Revised February 2000