Simple Cure for Skin Cancer

Michelle came to see me a few years ago. She was 67 years old; she felt great and was healthy. She also led a very active, purpose-driven life. Except she had one problem.

She had a dark, ugly-looking tumor that had been quickly growing on her lower lip. The dermatologist had biopsied it and told her it was a squamous cell cancer. The treatment he recommended was to cut out half her lip and lower jaw and hope for the best.

Needless to say, that was not the answer she was looking for.

By the time I saw her, the tumor had taken over about half of her lower lip. “There is no way I am going to have that surgery,” she said. “Surely, there has to be a better way.”

I told her there was.

The remedy that I used with Michelle is over 150 years old. It goes by several names, but the most common is “black salve.”

Black salve is, in its most basic form, a paste of bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis), zinc chloride, and various other herbs depending on the company that makes it. It all started with Native Americans. They had been using bloodroot for who knows how long to treat cancers of various kinds, as well as for other medical uses. Later, in the 18th century, medical doctors in Europe and America tried various modifications of the formula. They found it to be particularly effective on skin cancers. There also was the work of a U.S. physician, Dr. J. Weldon Fell. Dr. Fell was a faculty member of New York University and was also one of the founders of the New York Academy of Medicine. In the 1960s, he published extensive work showing the strong anti-tumor action of bloodroot.

I first heard of black salve about 30 years ago. I bought a combination product being sold out of the Bahamas called HerbVeil 8. It contained bloodroot, zinc chloride, chaparral, cayenne, red clover, burdock root, birch bark, and Irish moss. That small 5 gram container cost me the whopping sum of $27, and lasted me right up until last year. And during that time I used it on at least 30 different skin cancers and pre-skin cancers. All of the cancers were either basal cell or squamous cell cancers. Some were biopsy proven, most were not. But here’s the amazing thing.

I never once saw it fail to dissolve the tumor. And that’s amazing, because the overall literature on the effectiveness of the various bloodroot combinations that have been developed is very mixed. Some studies show it to be very effective, and some don’t. In my mind that can only be for one reason – some preparations were better than others. And if you know anything about herbs and herbal extracts, you know that the quality can vary enormously. That’s why Michelle’s case was so special for me. Because when she came to see me, I had just completely run out of the HerbVeil 8, and it was no longer available.

But, not to be deterred, I then started to research the many different “black salve” products currently being sold. And fortunately, after talking with one of the medical doctors involved with the manufacture of a product called Amazon Black Topical Salve, I was sure that they were making a salve along the exact lines of HerbVeil 8. So, I ordered some, and tried it out on Michelle. But before I tell you the results, I have to tell you a few things about any quality black salve product.

First, these herbs are strong. While they will not injure healthy tissue, they will destroy most cancerous tissue. And when they do that, they will leave an open wound where the cancer was. So be very careful to follow the instructions. Specifically, do not use it on the nose or close to the eyes, where a wound might create some serious damage. Any other part of the body is OK. Secondly, once the wound has healed, there may be a residual scar or a discoloration of the tissue where the cancer was. This obviously might be a problem with a facial cancer.

And lastly, even though my record has been impeccable, the fact is that it may not work. So, when I used the Amazon Black Salve on Michelle, I was sure to warn her of these possibilities. Of course, compared to the certainty of what the conventional doctors wanted to do, she was happy to accept a scar or discoloration as a minor problem. And if it didn’t work, she was no worse off anyway. But, it did work. I received the following email from her:

Dear Dr. Shallenberger,

Thank you! The cancer is gone from my lip, and it looks great. I had a biopsy and received the results late last week. My dermatologist was delighted. I so appreciate you recommending the black salve and doing the first four applications. I can’t thank you enough for your guidance during this process. We did a total of 10 treatments. I did the last one myself. By then, I was very comfortable doing it.

Michelle (not her real name)

Of course, not everyone will have as great a result as Michelle. And, when patients consult me for a basal cell or squamous skin cancer that can easily be surgically removed, I explain their options. The advantage of most surgical treatments is that they are quick and require minimal wound care. The scars are typically minimal. On the other hand, surgery can sometimes be disfiguring and dangerous. And, of course, there’s no guarantee, even with surgery, that they will get it all. Also, whereas black salve therapy is cheap, surgery can often be very expensive.

So, if you have a basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer that’s not on your nose or close to your eye and you want to give the salve a try, talk to your doctor about trying it. You can get the Amazon Black Topical Salve that I used on Michelle at www.herbhealers.com. This company is very helpful, and can guide you through the process.

Yours for better health,

Frank Shallenberger, MD