FDA Warns Companies Touting Fraudulent Cancer Cures

On June 17, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, announced that the agency has sent warning letters to 23 U.S. companies and two foreign individuals that had been "marketing a wide range of products claiming to prevent and cure cancer," said the FDA's news release.

An FDA spokesperson said that bogus cancer cures have always been a problem, but that the Internet has provided a mechanism with which these companies can sell and flourish. The agency also is urging consumers against using or purchasing these products and to consult health care providers for help in discontinuing the products or with any potential adverse effects from using them.

Examples of fraudulent product claims include:

• "Treats all forms of cancer."
• "80 percent more effective than the world's number on cancer drug."
• "Shrinks malignant tumors."

The products contain ingredients such as bloodroot, shark cartilage, coral calcium, cesium, several mushroom varieties and an herbal tea call Essiac.

For a complete list of fake cancer "cure" products and their manufacturers, as well as a consumer article on health scams, visit the FDA's special Web page.