We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Health

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What are Antineoplastons?

Mary McMahon
By
Updated: May 17, 2024
Views: 8,482
Share

Antineoplastons are compounds found in human blood and urine, which were proposed as an alternative cancer treatment in 1976 by Dr. Stanislaw Burzynski. Research on these compounds has not supported the theory that they are an effective cancer treatment and they have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of any disease. In addition, organizations such as the American Cancer Society strongly recommend against pursuing therapy with antineoplastons.

Burzynski claimed that cancer patients had lower concentrations of these peptides, amino acids, and other organic compounds in their blood. He theorized that this limited the body's ability to effectively fight cancer and proposed introducing antineoplastons to the body in order to boost levels. The compounds are produced synthetically in a lab environment and can be injected or taken orally.

Because antineoplastons are not approved for cancer therapy, they can only be offered in the context of a clinical trial. Patients are eligible for a clinical trial if another line of cancer therapy has failed. They are obliged to pay for the antineoplastons and doctor's visits needed to administer the compounds and monitor the patient. Insurance companies typically do not cover this treatment because it is unproved and experimental.

Burzynski's clinic has reported success with antineoplastons in cancer treatment. However, other clinical trials have not supported his findings. Patients in some trials were forced to discontinue treatment because of harmful side effects. It is difficult to extract meaningful results from the trials at Burzynski's clinic because patients may also receive adjuvant therapy, such as chemotherapy and radiation. This makes it challenging to determine whether shrinking tumors were the result of the antineoplastons or the other medications.

Side effects from antineoplastons can include electrolyte imbalances, along with complications from tumors that continue to grow despite treatment. Patients can also experience fever, confusion, seizures, chills, nausea, and vomiting while undergoing this therapy. People taking antineoplastons must be monitored for rising blood sodium levels, a common and potentially dangerous side effect.

Cancer patients have a number of treatment options, including clinical trials for medications in development. When people are diagnosed with cancer, it is helpful to seek out a second opinion and to discuss all treatment options. Patients should make an informed decision on the basis of available information. Patients considering alternative or experimental therapies may want to do some research to learn more about those therapies and their developers to determine whether or not the therapy is likely to be effective.

Share
WiseGeek is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Mary McMahon
By Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a WiseGeek researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.

Editors' Picks

Discussion Comments
By anon1005943 — On Dec 25, 2021

Well, I don't know if antineoplastons work so good as advertised, but I do know that modern doctors are complete morons that can cure almost nothing.

And the latest covid developments are only one of the many confirmations to my firm understanding of how incompetent and dangerous modern doctors are, especially when paired with money-thirsty individuals and corporations.

By anon356982 — On Nov 30, 2013

@Anon120891: Thanks for clarifying. It is frustrating when all alternatives to the capital based medical industry are blatantly criticized and not given their proper credit. It is obvious that there have to be alternatives and that all knowledge can't and should not be controlled by the privileged few.

By anon337269 — On Jun 04, 2013

If this treatment is so successful, why does Dr. Burzynski not publish the results of his trials (which have been taking place for over 20 years - more than enough time to give conclusive data sets) to the wider medical establishment and the public.

If this man can really cure cancer, why has he not seen fit to share this miracle with the world? Propaganda videos don't really compare with hard evidence, which he refuses to supply.

By anon120891 — On Oct 22, 2010

There is an abundance of information regarding the effectiveness of this treatment and many surviving cancer patients who had been written off by conventional treatment live to tell their story.

All clinicals were a sham and designed to discredit this natural cure for cancer because the drug companies could not patent the treatment. Trials where not carried out correctly as detailed by Dr Burzynski in order to make sure that they were not successful. Watch the DVD Burzynski the Movie and find out the truth for yourselves.

Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a...

Learn more
Share
https://www.wisegeek.net/what-are-antineoplastons.htm
Copy this link
WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.