Baking Soda Cancer Cure

History

• The baking soda myth begins with a man named Tullio Simoncini, who practiced at an alternative clinic in the Netherlands. In October 2007, charges were brought against Simoncini when a 50-year-old breast cancer patient he treated was admitted to an Amsterdam hospital, where she died within days. Her death was determined to be of unnatural causes: injection of sodium bicarbonate--baking soda. Further investigation revealed that Simoncini's medical license had been revoked in Italy. Unawares, the Netherlands clinic allowed him to administer harmful baking soda treatments to cancer patients through a variety of unorthodox methods: injection, catheterization and orally. The Netherlands Health Inspectorate determined baking soda to be hazardous and ineffective, and warned that any physician using Simoncini's procedure would be investigated.
  
  

Simoncini's Unscientific Claims

• No one can ascertain how Simoncini dreamed up his junk science; he claimed that Candida albicans, the fungus that naturally occurs in every human, is the cause of all cancer, and that cancer tumors are made up of fungus. Simoncini claimed that baking soda, which purportedly increases the body's alkalinity, creates a hostile environment for Candida albicans. While it is true that some cancer patients show increased amounts of Candida, this is a natural occurrence when the autoimmune system becomes suppressed by a serious illness.
  
  

Cancer Treatment

• Surgical extraction of the cancerous tumor is the first course of action in treating cancer. There are additional methods that treat cancer, such as radiation therapy, chemotherapy and targeted drug therapy. These treatments have been researched and used in clinical trials to establish proven efficacy before receiving U.S. Food & Drug Administration approval.
  
  

Baking Soda Myth and the Internet

• The baking soda cancer cure has spawned numerous websites run by Simoncini supporters. Some claim to have their own methods of treatment, such as mixing baking soda with maple syrup. Others say the U.S. government is keeping this "cure" a secret. The majority of baking soda cure sites hawk other products and services. Many cancer sufferers participating in alternative health forums believe that the same box of Arm & Hammer that absorbs odors in their refrigerator will cure their life-threatening disease.
  
  

Protect Yourself Against Quackery

• The dangers of quackery such as the baking soda cure and the people who promote it are legion. A consortium of physicians and health care providers organized a nonprofit website, Quackwatch.org, which debunks miracle cures and points cancer patients in the right direction so they can receive effective care. If you or a loved one have experienced an unorthodox treatment "guaranteed" to cure cancer, you shouuld share your experience with Quackwatch.