Max Gerson: Difference between revisions
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'''Max Gerson''' (18 October 1881–8 March 1959) was a German [[physician]] who developed the '''Gerson Therapy''', an [[alternative medicine|alternative dietary therapy]] which he claimed could cure [[cancer]] and most chronic, degenerative diseases. Gerson described his approach in the book ''A Cancer Therapy: Results of 50 Cases''. However, when Gerson's claims were independently evaluated by the [[National Cancer Institute]] (NCI), it was found that Gerson's records lacked the basic information necessary to systematically evaluate his claims. The NCI concluded that Gerson's data showed no benefit from his treatment.<ref name="nci-hp">{{cite web | publisher = [[National Cancer Institute]] | date = February 26, 2010 | accessdate = March 31, 2010 | title = Gerson Therapy: History | url = http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/cam/gerson/HealthProfessional/page4}}</ref> The therapy is considered scientifically unsupported and potentially hazardous.<ref name="ACS"/><ref name="mskcc"/> |
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==In Europe== |
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Gerson was born in [[Wongrowitz]], Germany on October 18, 1881. In 1909, he graduated from the [[Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg]]. He began practicing medicine at age 28 in [[Breslau]], later specializing in internal medicine and nerve diseases in [[Bielefeld]].<ref name=unproven/> |
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By 1927, Gerson was specializing in the treatment of tuberculosis, developing the Gerson-Sauerbrach-Hermannsdorfer diet, claiming it was a major advance in the treatment of tuberculosis.<ref name=unproven/> Initially, he used his therapy as a treatment for [[migraine]] headaches and [[tuberculosis]]. In 1928, he began to use it as a treatment for cancer.<ref name=metabolic>[[American Cancer Society]]. "[http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/DietandNutrition/metabolic-therapy Metabolic Therapy]". Accessed 22 March 2011.</ref> |
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Beginning in 1933, Gerson spent two years in [[Vienna]], then associating with a clinic near [[Paris]] before moving to [[London]] in 1936. Shortly after that, he moved to the [[United States]].<ref name=unproven/> |
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==In the United States== |
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Gerson immigrated to the United States in 1936, passed his medical boards and became a U.S. citizen in 1942.<ref name=unproven/> |
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In 1946, [[United States Senator|Senator]] [[Claude Pepper]] ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]]–[[Florida|FL]]) summoned Gerson to testify about his cancer therapy before a Congressional Subcommittee hearing to appropriate $100 million for a cancer research center in which Gerson was expected to play a major part. Gerson presented to the US Congress what he claimed were five healed terminal cancer patients who testified to recovering from incurable disease, but he got little media attention and the appropriations bill (SB 8947) died in the Senate. |
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In the U.S., Gerson applied his dietary therapy to several cancer patients, claiming good results, but colleagues found his methodology and claims unconvincing. Proponents of the Gerson Therapy now claim that medical authorities conspired to keep him from publishing in the peer-reviewed literature in the United States.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.doctoryourself.com/bib_gerson.html |title=Doctor Yourself |publisher=Doctor Yourself |date= |accessdate=2010-01-25}}</ref> In 1958, Gerson published a book in which he claimed to have cured 50 terminal cancer patients: ''A Cancer Therapy: Results of 50 Cases''. Gerson's medical license in New York was suspended in 1958.<ref>{{cite book|last=Hess|first=David J.|title=The politics of healing: histories of alternative medicine in twentieth-century North America|year=2004|publisher=Routledge|isbn=0415933390|pages=222|url=http://books.google.com/?id=4xzTLvaWSmkC&pg=PA222&dq=%22max+gerson%22+1959#v=onepage&q=%22max%20gerson%22%201959&f=false}}</ref> Gerson died March 8, 1959 of pneumonia.<ref name=unproven>{{cite journal |author= |title=Unproven methods of cancer management. Gerson method of treatment for cancer |journal=CA Cancer J Clin |volume=23 |issue=5 |pages=314–7 |year=1973 |pmid=4202045 |doi= 10.3322/canjclin.23.5.314|url=}}</ref><ref>''[[New York Times]]'', 9 March 1959, p 29. "Dr. Max Gerson, 77, Cancer Specialist".</ref> |
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==Gerson Therapy== |
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Initially, Gerson used his therapy as a treatment for [[migraine]] headaches and [[tuberculosis]]. In 1928, he began to use it as a treatment for cancer, its best known application.<ref name=metabolic/> |
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Gerson Therapy is based on the belief that toxic substances accumulate in the body, causing disease. In particular, Gerson's supporters believe that chemical contaminants in food reduce its potassium content while elevating its sodium content. Additional sodium from food processing and cooking adds more sodium, increasing this purported imbalance. The belief holds that this imbalance changes cellular metabolism, causing cancer. Gerson Therapy seeks to reduce sodium and increase potassium in patients cells through a fruit and vegetable diet, coffee enemas and various injections, enzymes and nutritional supplements.<ref>[[American Cancer Society]]. "[http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/DietandNutrition/gerson-therapy Gerson Therapy]". Accessed 22 March 2011.</ref> |
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Gerson's therapy required the patient to consume a raw plant based diet and to drink an 8-ounce glass of fresh [[organic food|organic]] juices every waking hour. [[Coffee]] and [[castor oil]] [[enema]]s were among several types of prescribed enemas, and some patients were given [[hydrogen peroxide]] orally and rectally. Rectal [[ozone]] was also applied. Dietary supplements include [[vitamin C]] and iodine. The diet prohibited the drinking of water and consumption of berries and nuts, as well as use of aluminium vessels or utensils.<ref name="IntJCancerReview">{{cite journal |
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| author=Weitzman S |
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| title = Alternative Nutritional Cancer Therapies |
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| journal = International Journal of Cancer |
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| volume = Supplement II |
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| pages = 69–72 |
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| year = 1998 |
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| pmid=9876483 |
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| doi=10.1002/(SICI)1097-0215(1998)78:11+<69::AID-IJC20>3.0.CO;2-7}}</ref> |
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Initially, patients were required to drink several glasses of raw calf liver extract daily. Following an outbreak of ''[[Campylobacter]]'' infection linked to the Gerson clinic's extract, which sickened and killed several of the clinic's patients,<ref name="mmwr">{{cite journal |author= |title=Campylobacter sepsis associated with "nutritional therapy"--California |journal=MMWR Morb. Mortal. Wkly. Rep. |volume=30 |issue=24 |pages=294–5 |year=1981 |month=June |pmid=6789105 |doi= |url= |author1= Centers for Disease Control (CDC)}}</ref> carrot juice was substituted. |
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Animal products and fats and oils were excluded (except for the raw calf liver extract and flax-seed oil), as were supposed sources of toxicity, including [[tobacco]], [[salt]], [[alcohol]], [[sodium fluoride|fluorides]], [[pesticide]]s, [[food additives]], and [[pharmaceutical]]s. Foods were to be fresh, organically grown and unprocessed. The therapy claimed to reverse any ill effects of exposure to environmental toxins over the course of 6–18 months, and Gerson believed it would be effective against most chronic diseases including [[tuberculosis]], most forms of advanced [[cancer]], [[arthritis]] (both [[osteoarthritis]] and [[rheumatoid arthritis]]), and [[diabetes]]. |
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Gerson's claims of success attracted some high-profile patients, as well as other alternative medicine practitioners. Gerson's daughter, [[Charlotte Gerson]], continued to promote the therapy, founding the "Gerson Institute" in 1977. |
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===Evidence=== |
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Gerson's therapy has not been independently tested or subjected to [[randomized controlled trial]]s, and thus is illegal to market in the United States.<ref name="nci-hp"/> The Gerson Institute claims that Gerson's [[observational studies]] and [[case report]]s are [[anecdotal evidence]] of the efficacy of the treatment.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gerson.org/g_therapy/case_studies.asp |title=The Gerson Institute — Alternative Cancer Treatment |work= |accessdate=}}</ref> In his book, Gerson cites the "Results of 50 Cases"; however, the U.S. [[National Cancer Institute]] reviewed these 50 cases and was unable to find any evidence that Gerson's claims were accurate.<ref name="mskcc"/> Gerson Institute staff published a [[case series]] in the [[alternative medicine|alternative medical literature]]; however, the series suffered from significant methodological flaws, and no independent entity has been able to [[reproducibility|reproduce]] the Gerson Institute's claims.<ref name="mskcc">{{cite web | url = http://www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/69233.cfm | title = Overview of the Gerson Regimen | publisher = [[Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center]] | date = March 18, 2009 | accessdate = April 22, 2009}}</ref> |
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Independent anecdotal evidence suggests that the Gerson Therapy is not effective against cancer. When a group of 13 patients sickened by elements of the Gerson Therapy were evaluated in hospitals in [[San Diego, California|San Diego]] in the early 1980s, all of them were found to still have active cancer.<ref name="mmwr"/> The Gerson Institute's claimed "cure rates" have been questioned; an investigation by [[Quackwatch]] found that the Institute's claims of cure were based not on actual documentation of survival, but on "a combination of the doctor's estimate that the departing patient has a 'reasonable chance of surviving,' plus feelings that the Institute staff have about the status of people who call in."<ref name="lowell">{{cite web | publisher = [[Quackwatch]] | first = James | last = Lowell | title = Background History of the Gerson Clinic | work = Nutrition Forum Newsletter | date = February 1986 | accessdate = April 22, 2009 | url = http://cancertreatmentwatch.org/reports/gerson.shtml}}</ref> In 1994, a study published in the alternative medical literature described 18 patients treated for cancer with the Gerson Therapy. Their median survival from treatment was 9 months. Five years after receiving the Gerson treatment, 17 of the 18 patients had died of their cancer, while the one surviving patient had active [[non-Hodgkin lymphoma]].<ref name="austin">{{cite journal | author = Austin S, Dale EB, DeKadt S | title = Long-term follow-up of cancer patients using Contreras, Hoxsey and Gerson therapies | journal = Journal of Naturopathic Medicine | volume = 5 | issue = 1 | pages = 74–76 | year= 1994}}</ref> |
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The [[American Cancer Society]] reports that "[t]here is no reliable scientific evidence that Gerson therapy is effective in treating cancer, and the principles behind it are not widely accepted by the medical community. It is not approved for use in the United States."<ref name=ACS>{{cite web | url = http://www.cancer.org/docroot/ETO/content/ETO_5_3x_Gerson_therapy.asp | title = Gerson Therapy | publisher = [[American Cancer Society]] | accessdate = April 22, 2009}}</ref> In 1947, the [[National Cancer Institute]] reviewed 10 "cures" submitted by Gerson; however, all of the patients were receiving standard anticancer treatment simultaneously, making it impossible to determine what effect, if any, was due to Gerson's therapy.<ref name="nci">{{cite web | url = http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/cam/gerson/patient | title = Gerson Therapy Overview | publisher = [[National Cancer Institute]] | date = September 6, 2007 | accessdate = April 22, 2009}}</ref> A review of the Gerson Therapy by [[Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center]] concluded: "If proponents of such therapies wish them to be evaluated scientifically and considered valid adjuvant treatments, they must provide extensive records (more than simple survival rates) and conduct controlled, prospective studies as evidence."<ref name="mskcc"/> In 1947 and 1959, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) reviewed the cases of a total of 60 patients treated by Dr. Gerson. The NCI found that the available information did not prove the regimen had benefit. |
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The following studies of the Gerson therapy were published: |
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In 1983-1984, a retrospective study of 38 patients treated with the Gerson therapy was done. Medical records were not available to the authors of the study; information came from patient interviews. These case reviews did not provide information that supports the usefulness of the Gerson therapy for treating cancer. |
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In 1990, a study of a diet regimen similar to the Gerson therapy was done in Austria. The patients received standard treatment along with the special diet. The authors of the study reported that the diet appeared to help patients live longer than usual and have fewer side effects. The authors said it needed further study. |
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In 1995, the Gerson Research Organization did a retrospective study of their melanoma patients who were treated with the Gerson therapy. The study reported that patients who had stage III or stage IV melanoma lived longer than usual for patients with these stages of melanoma. There have been no clinical trials that support the findings of this retrospective study. |
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A case review of 6 patients with metastatic cancer who used the Gerson therapy reported that the regimen helped patients in some ways, both physically and psychologically. Based on these results, the reviewers recommended that clinical trials of the Gerson therapy be conducted.<ref name="mskcc"/> |
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===Safety concerns=== |
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Gerson therapy can lead to several significant health problems. Serious illness and death have occurred as a direct result of some portions of the treatment, including severe electrolyte imbalances. Continued use of enemas may weaken the colon's normal function, causing or worsening [[constipation]] and [[colitis]]. Other complications have included dehydration, serious infections and severe bleeding.<ref name=ACS/> |
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The therapy may be especially hazardous to pregnant or breast-feeding women.<ref name=ACS/> |
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Coffee enemas have contributed to the deaths of at least three people in the United States. Coffee enemas "can cause colitis (inflammation of the bowel), fluid and electrolyte imbalances, and in some cases septicaemia."<ref name=enemadeaths>{{cite web|url=http://benhills.com/articles/articles/MED06a.html |title=Fake healers. Why Australia's $1 billion-a-year alternative medicine industry is ineffective and out of control. |accessdate=2008-03-06 |last=Hills |first=Ben |work=Medical Mayhem |quote=Kefford is particularly concerned about cancer patients persuaded to undergo the much-hyped US Gerson diet program, which involves the use of ground coffee enemas which can cause colitis (inflammation of the bowel), fluid and electrolyte imbalances, and in some cases [[septicaemia]]. The US FDA has warned against this regime, which is known to have caused at least three deaths.}}</ref> The recommended diet may not be nutritionally adequate.<ref>[http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/publications/synopses/_files/cp97.pdf Clinic Practice Guidelines], page 196. {{Dead link|date=March 2010}}</ref> The diet has been blamed for the deaths of patients who substituted it for standard medical care.<ref name="davis">{{cite news | title = Cancer Therapy Pained Her Family... And Didn't Work | work = [[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]] | first = Christopher | last = Snowbeck | date= April 9, 1999 | accessdate = April 22, 2009 | url = http://www.post-gazette.com/regionstate/19990409davis4.asp}}</ref> |
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Relying on the therapy alone while avoiding or delaying conventional medical care for cancer has serious health consequences.<ref name=ACS/> |
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===''The Beautiful Truth''=== |
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In [[2008 in film|2008]], a [[documentary film]] advocating Gerson therapy was released titled ''The Beautiful Truth''. In the film, a teenage boy, who is also the filmmaker's son, searching for a cure for cancer, finds people who know about Gerson therapy. The film was released on November 18, 2008, and was shown at the [[Roxie Cinema]] in [[San Francisco]] on January 9, 2009. ''[[The New York Times]]'' called the film an [[infomercial]].<ref>Lee, Nathan, [http://movies.nytimes.com/2008/11/14/movies/14trut.html The Evils of the Medical-Industrial Complex], ''New York Times'', November 14, 2008</ref> The film had a U.S. total gross of US$ $15,387.<ref>[http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=beautifultruth.htm Box Office Mojo]</ref> |
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==See also== |
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*[[Chelation therapy]] |
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*[[Coffee enema]] |
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==References== |
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{{Reflist|2}} |
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==Bibliography== |
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* Max Gerson MD, ''A Cancer Therapy: Results of 50 Cases'' (San Diego: The Gerson Institute, 1990) |
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* Charlotte Gerson, ''The Gerson Therapy'' (New York: Kensington Publishing, NYC, 2001) |
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* Howard Straus, ''Dr. Max Gerson: Healing the Hopeless'' (Kingston, Ontario, Canada: Quarry Books, 2001) |
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* S. J. Haught, ''Censured for Curing Cancer: the American Experience of Dr. Max Gerson'' (New York: Station Hill Press, 1991) |
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* Patricia Spain Ward, PhD., ''History of the Gerson Therapy'' by Dr. Ward under contract to the Office of Technology Assessment |
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* Ferdinand Sauerbruch, ''Master Surgeon'' (a.k.a. ''A Surgeon's Life'') [''Das War Mein Leben''] (London: André Deutsch, 1953 and Munich: Kindler, 1951) reprinted since |
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==External links== |
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*[http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/cancer.html Questionable Cancer Therapies], from [[Quackwatch]] (Includes section on Gerson Therapy with references) |
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{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. --> |
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| NAME = Gerson, Max |
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| ALTERNATIVE NAMES = |
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| SHORT DESCRIPTION = |
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| DATE OF BIRTH = 1881 |
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| PLACE OF BIRTH = |
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| DATE OF DEATH = 1959 |
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| PLACE OF DEATH = |
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}} |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Gerson, Max}} |
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[[Category:1881 births]] |
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[[Category:1959 deaths]] |
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[[Category:People from Wągrowiec County]] |
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[[Category:People from the Province of Posen]] |
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[[Category:University of Breslau alumni]] |
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[[Category:University of Würzburg alumni]] |
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[[Category:University of Freiburg alumni]] |
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[[Category:People who emigrated to escape Nazism]] |
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[[Category:People in alternative medicine]] |
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[[Category:Tuberculosis]] |
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[[Category:Alternative cancer treatments]] |
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[[Category:People from New York]] |
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[[Category:American physicians]] |
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[[Category:Raw foodists]] |
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[[de:Max Gerson]] |
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[[fa:ماکس گرسون]] |
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[[it:Max Gerson]] |
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[[he:מקס גרסון]] |
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[[pl:Max Gerson]] |
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[[ru:Герзон, Макс]] |
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