CAM: Homeopathy

Intro and Background
Homeopathic medicine was developed in 1796 by the German physician Samuel Hahnemann. While in good health, Dr. Hahnemann took malaria medicine and experienced symptoms similar to the disease it treated. From this experienced he started to employ the theory that like cures like (or the Law of Similars) and that most ailments could be relieved by a remedy that produces similar symptoms. ⁽¹⁾ This theory has existed since the times of ancient Greece and is still important to modern day homeopathic practice. Many of the homeopathic treatments used today come from natural sources such as plants, minerals, or animals (diseased tissues or secretions). ⁽²⁾ This remedy is thought to help kick start the body's own natural defenses by administering solutions with very weak concentrations of the desired ingredient. ⁽³⁾ Even in cases where there is not even a single molecule of the desired ingredient present, homeopaths contend that the water retains healing information and capabilities. ⁽⁴⁾ Skeptics contend that any response is a result of the placebo effect because the treatment does not contain any of the intended component. ⁽⁵⁾

Exactly how they work, however, remains unclear- even to homeopaths. ⁽²⁾ Homeopathic treatments are tailored to the individual patient based on lifestyle, symptoms, etc. ⁽⁶⁾ The intention of the treatments is to treat the whole disease not just the symptoms. ⁽⁴⁾ There are homeopathic treatments that exist for a wide variety of illnesses from muscle soreness to HIV. Because of the nature of the treatment, the ingredients in each remedy can vary widely from disease to disease and person to person. ⁽⁴⁾

Scientific Research
Most of the research pertaining to the effectiveness of homeopathy does not include cancer treatment. The majority of these investigations seek to discover if homeopathy works at all in colds, muscle aches, respiratory problems, etc. Some homeopathic treatments have been shown to counteract some unfavorable side effects of conventional cancer treatments. ⁽²⁾ Several studies have also found that homeopathic treatments have no effect on cancer cell growth in vitro. ^{(7) (8)} An older study from 1988 showed that homeopathic remedies did not show any tumor growth suppression. ⁽⁴⁾ Studies involving homeopathic treatments showed that this method can ease some of the side effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy in cancer patients. ^{(9) (10) (11)}

Currently there is one clinical trial investigating the effectiveness of a certain homeopathic drug (Cocculine®) in reducing chemotherapy related nausea. There are no clinical trials aimed to test homeopathic practices and their influence on cancer. ⁽¹²⁾ For information about ongoing clinical trials involving homeopathy, please visit our section on Finding Clinical Trials.

US Food and Administration Approval
There is not enough evidence to support that homeopathic treatments are effective in the fight against cancer and homeopathy has not been approved by the FDA for cancer treatment. ⁽¹³⁾

1. Woodward K.N. The potential impact of the use of homeopathic and herbal remedies on monitoring the safety of prescription products. Human and Experimental Toxicology. (2005) 24: 219-233 [PUBMED]
2. Thangapazham, Rajesh L et al. Effect of homeopathic treatment on gene expression in Copenhagen rat tumor tissues. Integrative Cancer Therapies. (2006) 5: 350- [PUBMED]
3. National Center for Homeopathy. What Are the Medicines Homeopathic.org Accessed 2 June 2010. [ http://www.homeopathic.org/meds.htm]
4. Jonas WB, Kaptchuk TJ, Linde K. A critical overview of homeopathy. Ann Intern Med. (2003). 138(5); 393-9. [PUBMED]
5. Milazzo S., Russel N., Ernst E. Efficacy of homeopathic therapy in cancer treatment. Eur J Cancer. (2006) 42(3): 282-9 [PUBMED]
6. Committee on the Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine by the American Public Board on Health Promotion and Disease Prevention. Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) in the United States. The National Academies Press. 2005 Washington D.C. p.106
7. Jonas et al. Can homeopathic treatment slow prostate cancer growth? Integrative Cancer Therapies. (2006) 5: 343-349. [PUBMED]
8. Thangapazham, Rajesh L et al. Homeopathic medicines do not alter growth and gene expression in prostate cancer cells in vitro. Integrative Cancer Therapies. 92006) 5 356-361 [PUBMED]
9. Oberbaum M. Experimental treatment of chemotherapy-induced stomatitis using a homeopathic complex preparation: a preliminary study. Biol Med (1998) 3(6): 1048.
10. Oberbaum M, Yaniv I, Ben-Gal Y, et al. A randomized, controlled clinical trial of the homeopathic medication TRAUMEEL S in the treatment of chemotherapy-induced stomatitis in children undergoing stem cell transplantation. Cancer (2001) 92(3): 68490 [PUBMED]
11. Balzarini A, Felisi E, Martini A, et al. Efficacy of homeopathic treatment of skin reactions during radiotherapy for breast cancer: a randomised, double-blind clinical trial. Brit Homeopath J (2000) 89(1): 812 [PUBMED]
12. National Library of Medicine. (2007). ClinicalTrials.gov Retrieved June 6, 2007 from the National Institutes of Health Web Site: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct/search?term=homeopathy%2C+cancer&submit=Search
13. US Food and Drug Adminstration website. Accessed 9/10/2010 [http://www.fda.gov/]