tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60549072011-04-21T14:10:22.119-07:00Medicinal properties of plants, in particular for skin cancer, from an inquisitional perspective. Also other noninvasive skin cancer treatments. Don't try this at home, it's safer as a spectator sport.jobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14941751942991969173noreply@blogger.comBlogger321100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054907.post-1081314537782427932004-04-06T22:08:00.000-07:002004-04-06T22:12:44.170-07:00

Looks like a recurrence is slowly emerging next to where I had BCC removed by ED&C last summer, under eye. And there's a little thing growing on side of nose, and another little thing - perhaps a set, it's hard to tell because they're tiny - under the other eye. Dietary stuff I'm doing in an attempt at prevention: almost daily green tea, almost daily raspberries, almost daily broccoli sprouts,

jobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14941751942991969173noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054907.post-1079857000241048602004-03-21T00:16:00.000-08:002004-03-21T00:20:03.403-08:00

Political orientation carries over into medical approach. A conservative M.D. will be among the last to adopt new and improved techniques; conversely, a more openminded doc. will be among the first to try treating pregnant women with thalidomide. So basically if you have a "riskiness profile" that you're comfortable with in your life, having a doc with a different one means you're not getting

jobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14941751942991969173noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054907.post-1079856295001451702004-03-21T00:04:00.000-08:002004-03-21T00:08:18.250-08:00

On the lentigo maligna on chest (recounted here) - the area's still very red compared to surrounding skin, doesn't seem to be blending in. Whether this is significant I do not know. On the hole in leg (here) from about a month ago - it's pretty much healed, but with a fair amount of scarring. As for its putative satellite BCC (which may or may not be one), I put duct tape on it about a week

jobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14941751942991969173noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054907.post-1079855090598045312004-03-20T23:44:00.000-08:002004-03-20T23:48:13.436-08:00

After the false starts and poor results of last summer/fall, my indoor peplus plantation is growing like crazy. I suspect that the problem back then was that, upon collecting the plants from relatively dry clay-ish soil, most of the root system was left in the ground. (and misting them was the final straw). The plants taken later in fall, when tiny, from rain-saturated soil, are doing just

jobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14941751942991969173noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054907.post-1079159039767520152004-03-12T22:23:00.000-08:002004-03-12T22:28:45.046-08:00

Right now there's an ad up top for raspberry skin cancer cream, fair use excerpt as follows:Bill told me that he had had a bit of skin cancer on a nipple when he got the product in so he started putting it on that bump morning, noon and night. He has a device that measures the energetic level of a skin cancer. The higher the level, the more active the skin cancer was. I didn't know how that thing

jobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14941751942991969173noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054907.post-1079158475100115242004-03-12T22:14:00.000-08:002004-03-12T22:42:01.780-08:00

(from previous post:)"If you put [spurge sap] on an area where a herpesvirus aka cold sore once thrived (e.g. above lip; see Miss Aldara meets Mister Herpes at the Cancer Center), expect the HSV to return" ...uh, yeah. And, when it returns, what do you think it's going to do when you wash your face and it discovers all those other patches of undefended raw flesh that you're treating at the same

jobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14941751942991969173noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054907.post-1078734944536439092004-03-08T00:35:00.000-08:002004-03-12T22:35:48.046-08:00

I'm pretty much done with this round (about 5 applications total, once every 2-3 days) - I did [lateral] brow, lip, nose to a minor degree, and a spot about an inch below the brow one that _might_ have been a sprout from the brow. (or it might have just been an AK, I don't know). I will say this - it seems to be at least an order of magnitude (i.e. 10x) more powerful than imiquimod. What [

jobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14941751942991969173noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054907.post-1077774354235335092004-02-25T21:45:00.000-08:002004-02-26T22:28:37.200-08:00

Do not get sap in eye.. Band-aids are good for covering up the sapped area to prevent inadvertent touching (by hair, fingers, or clothing) that could then transfer sap to eye. My facial BCCs are: eyebrow, upper lip nestled adjacent to scar, tip of nose (several related spots, including on columella (between your nostrils)); 1 place on nose tip was biopsy confirmed, but it's not among the spots

jobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14941751942991969173noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054907.post-1077686551220410862004-02-24T21:22:00.000-08:002004-02-25T21:14:49.373-08:00

From here The white sap of petty spurge (Euphorbia peplus), also called cancer weed or radium weed, is excellent on skin cancers and insensitive external tumors. Skin cancers may also be destroyed by repeatedly applying a drop of 35% hydrogen peroxide, preferably protecting the surrounding skin with a barrier cream. However, the most effective way to remove skin cancer, melanoma and tumors close

jobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14941751942991969173noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054907.post-1077684058767427282004-02-24T20:40:00.000-08:002004-02-26T22:25:29.763-08:00

Dermatologist IDd last summer, biopsy confirmed. Do not get in eye I'd tried both imiquimod and peplus sap on this BCC, it just didn't seem to react. So then I upped the ante and (it being winter) cut a twig off some poison oak (active ingredient is urushiol), and rubbed the cut end on the BCC. It reacted. Was not fun. Last week the scab came off, leaving pink skin but still the outline of

jobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14941751942991969173noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054907.post-1077607952623951872004-02-23T23:32:00.000-08:002004-02-23T23:35:19.793-08:00

[my recollection- check with real doctor before taking this at face value:] A Lentigo maligna looks like an "age spot", but is not uniformly colored. Eventually (perhaps after years or decades(?)) it can turn into melanoma. Do not get in eye I had one on my chest (dermatologist ID'd last summer, but didn't biopsy - she did say it ought to come out though). Last month, at the same time that

jobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14941751942991969173noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054907.post-1077552113107230102004-02-23T08:01:00.000-08:002004-02-23T22:39:21.013-08:00

Do not get in eye (earlier post - which was based on the person's own usage - here.) from email:[it has] different effects on different areas of the body... ...usually apply Betadine (Iodine) if any infection appears present. Typically (on the face eg) the spot will become "angry" looking, and break out into a weeping type sore. You may also see a line or "lines" moving out from the spot.

jobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14941751942991969173noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054907.post-1077259804924839462004-02-19T22:50:00.000-08:002004-03-12T23:57:17.326-08:00

Recent history in brief: face looked fine until shortly after Xmas, at which point my suspicious spots started growing like gangbusters and reacting to imiquimod. I've been hitting them with it once or twice a day, and have at this pt a complexion that would be stunningly appropriate for halloween. Haven't yet made a concerted attack on nose with E. peplus, I figured (after some convincing by

jobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14941751942991969173noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054907.post-1077257915809474152004-02-19T22:18:00.000-08:002004-02-19T22:31:58.090-08:00

Miscellany. Don't self treat, if you have an alternative. Remember that advice you read on the web is worth considerably LESS than what you paid for it, particularly when written by an ignoramus like myself. It turns out that there's a field of plants-in-medicine, and it's called Pharmacognosy, and there's no way I could keep up with the research, so no point in trying. Betulinic acid from

jobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14941751942991969173noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054907.post-1073977401539858822004-01-12T23:03:00.000-08:002004-01-12T23:03:42.893-08:00

There's no point (nor time) in me trying to cover/mention all the reported anti-cancer plant products. The places to go for this sort of info are: HerbMed - "an interactive, electronic herbal database - provides hyperlinked access to the scientific data underlying the use of herbs for health. It is an evidence-based information resource for professionals, researchers, and general public." and

jobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14941751942991969173noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054907.post-1073630882638608252004-01-08T22:48:00.000-08:002004-01-08T22:48:45.656-08:00

...and I wanted to try using E. peplus for skin cancer, I would: Make very sure that what I had wasn't melanoma. You do not want to mess with melanoma. not use it on areas that matter, e.g. the face. Unexpected results here can be costly in terms of $$, appearance, and life. take all possible precautions to avoid eye contact with sap blog about my experience.

jobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14941751942991969173noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054907.post-1073370100336127022004-01-05T22:21:00.000-08:002004-01-05T22:25:47.553-08:00

The seed is small, grey, short slug shaped, with indented? black spots on one side, rather like dominos. According to this article on leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula), "The fruit has explosive dehiscence when dry, projecting seed up to 15 feet (4.6 m) . Capsules erupt and eject seed during periods of high temperature and low humidity..." I believe the same holds true for E. peplus. Perhaps

jobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14941751942991969173noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054907.post-1073369991379665192004-01-05T22:19:00.000-08:002004-01-05T22:20:10.606-08:00

If you're lucky enough to live in the right area, you'll just have it as a weed in your garden. They seem to do better outdoors, or perhaps indoors but not under excessively moist conditions. Don't mist the plants, or mold will result. The mold once it infests a plant does not seem to go away - plant tries desperately to put out seeds, leaves dying from the bottom up, as mold slowly kills it...

jobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14941751942991969173noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054907.post-1073369309868582872004-01-05T22:08:00.000-08:002004-01-05T22:12:33.863-08:00

Before getting the Australian report, I tried applying E. peplus; here's how it went. (Do not get in eye) Used it repeatedly (once or twice a day, for a week or two) on the Superficial BCC (biopsy proven) on leg; it reacted a little, but not much, and is still visible although much less conspicuous. I need to hit it with another treatment cycle. I applied it to 1 spot on nose and 1 above lip.

jobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14941751942991969173noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054907.post-1073369262199445822004-01-05T22:07:00.000-08:002004-01-05T22:08:01.600-08:00

(Do not get in eye) An accomplished user who knows the customary dosage and frequency was kind enough to share with me this account:I applied it once every 3 days, with 5 applications. Yes, my nose did a complete backflip and after the first application went red. 48 hours later the lesion scabbed. Redness stayed for approx: 5-6 days. At the end of the 15 days the skin was bright pink, but lesion

jobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14941751942991969173noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054907.post-1073368993369767492004-01-05T22:03:00.000-08:002004-01-05T22:05:16.443-08:00

As of this writing, nobody sells seeds or plants, so you'll have to find them. Where you can find the plants: Europe, coastal southern California, Australia, perhaps just about anywhere mild if it's the Moist Season. If it's the right time of year, look in shady areas of gardens. Based on my experience I'd say rose gardens would be a good place to look. Since it's a "common garden weed", I'd

jobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14941751942991969173noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054907.post-1073368893969940942004-01-05T22:01:00.000-08:002004-01-05T22:01:53.463-08:00

Wayne's Word has photos and description, as does UC Davis here:...smooth, erect, yellow-green (yellow?? - Ed.) plant up to 7 inches (17.5 cm) tall. A whitish, reportedly toxic, fluid exudes when stems are broken. Lower leaves are up to 1 inch (2.5 cm) long, ovate or round, and stalkless. Upper leaves are roundish, gently tapered toward the stem, and stalked. All leaves are somewhat crinkled. The

jobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14941751942991969173noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054907.post-1073368637363654462004-01-05T21:57:00.000-08:002004-01-05T22:51:33.940-08:00

You really don't want to get the sap in your eye; it can cause blindness. From this article (emphasis mine):The sap of the common European herbaceous weed E. peplus (petty spurge) causes a marked fibrinous uveitis in association with 'typical' Euphorbia keratopathy, in the absence of secondary infection. Petty spurge sap has traditionally been used as a wart cure, and it is in this context that

jobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14941751942991969173noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054907.post-1073368181134068552004-01-05T21:49:00.000-08:002004-01-05T22:50:25.050-08:00

...but not yet FDA approved. On using the common garden weed Euphorbia peplus to treat nonmelanoma skin cancer (emphases mine): *Do not get in eye* Imiquimod/Aldara is just the start of noninvasive [nonmelanoma] skin cancer treatments:Brisbane-based Peplin Biotech have developed, from the common Euphorbia family of plants, a compound called PEP 005, a prototype of which performed strongly in a

jobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14941751942991969173noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054907.post-1073368023877345432004-01-05T21:47:00.000-08:002004-01-05T21:47:22.710-08:00

And well you might ask. The thing is, their risk-benefit weighting is very different from mine. Their goal is to cure at all costs, and not to get sued. So they cannot try the most promising but-as-yet-FDA-unapproved treatment, and they will want to use what has the highest proven [past] track record of success - namely cutting the thing out. Whereas I am not afraid that I will sue myself,

jobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14941751942991969173noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054907.post-1073367966543747082004-01-05T21:46:00.000-08:002004-01-05T21:46:25.396-08:00

[A bizarre yet true story from last September] I [had] been self-medicating 2 areas with Aldara. One is my nose, centered around basal cell at tip, of which more another time. The other is the area between nose and upper lip. This was where I'd had a decades-ago basal cell cancer removed, still have scar there to show for it. They were sure they'd gotten it all. In the last 6 months or so

jobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14941751942991969173noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054907.post-1073367929331078172004-01-05T21:45:00.000-08:002004-01-05T21:45:48.193-08:00

"Now what I contend is that my body is my own, at least I have always so regarded it. If I do harm through my experimenting with it, it is I who suffers, not the state." - Mark Twain

jobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14941751942991969173noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054907.post-1073284638264094742004-01-04T22:37:00.000-08:002004-01-05T21:44:54.586-08:00

Self-treatment is a dumb idea. So is delay. Three years ago the tip of my nose got a sore on it. Made dermatologist's appointment, which of course wasn't until weeks away. And rather than walk around with a sore on the tip of my nose while I was waiting, I figured I'd give it just a tiny bit of Effudex (5-fluorouracil, for actinic keratoses) to make it smaller, since I still had the stuff in

jobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14941751942991969173noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054907.post-1073283757548831492004-01-04T22:22:00.000-08:002004-01-04T22:28:46.800-08:00

Given that the standard M.O. for BCC is to carve your flesh out, it's encouraging sign that a more noninvasive treatment is available and now being studies, namely imiquimod (brand name Aldara), a cream that revs up your immune system to deal with the cancer. (This is an off-label use, since the FDA approved it for venereal warts (let's see what sort of ad blogspot slaps on this page now...)).

jobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14941751942991969173noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054907.post-1073281660324643182004-01-04T21:47:00.000-08:002004-01-04T21:52:34.420-08:00

Last summer/fall I was diagnosed (via biopsy) with four basal cell carcinomas (leg, arm, face, nose), and I suspect a fifth (actually a flock) above my lip. Up until then I'd had just one, 20 years ago. And no, I still don't know why, except that it seems the warranty has run out and many parts of my body are breaking down now. Get your body from Land's End, not from one of those cheap

jobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14941751942991969173noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054907.post-1073031084463631132004-01-02T00:11:00.000-08:002004-01-02T00:42:19.936-08:00

Ginger and Scutellaria:Common spices and herbs contain ingredients that may prevent the formation of major tumors, such as intestinal and prostate cancers, according to research presented today at the American Association for Cancer Research's Second Annual International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research. In particular, recent studies are showing notable cancer prevention

jobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14941751942991969173noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054907.post-1068377134114610242003-11-09T03:25:00.000-08:002004-01-04T22:31:51.576-08:00

Much of the info on it used to live on another blog, which (having a mind of its own) went off on a tangent. So if some of the content looks hacked up and discontinuous, there's a reason...

jobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14941751942991969173noreply@blogger.com