H202 - Hydrogen Peroxide as "Chemo-therapy" agent is there evidence?

Question

I'm a Chemistry under grad, and got into a spirited debate with a friend. I personally am not a fan the standard treatment of cancer with regard to chemo, but not the point of my question.

It seems to me a practical idea of using H202 as a chemotherapy agent, it can oxidize and induce apoptosis of cells it comes into contact with while releasing harmless H20 and O^2- which would be the oxidizing agent. Sounds counter intuitive, because oxidative stress causes the damage which leads to cancer no? Maybe the O forms to O2 from H202? How would that kill a cancer cell then?

Most the supporters of H202 seem like parrots repeating what they heard at some seminar citing only testimonials without evidence, and talk about H202 like its simply an oxygen donor and "oxygenates" the body. I think they are misinformed, we obviously don't breath O^2- we breath stable O_2.... Regardless I think they may be on to something. But how could H202 work? Why do many say it does? It seems hard to figure out, but I'm all for alternatives to Chemo.

If I had cancer though first thing I'd do is cut out ALL refined sugars and limit carbs as much as reasonable and then carefully choose my protein sources i.e. avoid milk proteins go for lean meats instead. Then combine that with the most prudent option the doc suggests. The most important stuff like "what does the cancer cell need to survive" is not always looked at and I see folk with cancer still eating like the slobs they were before diagnosis.

Answer 1

Cancer is caused by multiple mutations in the genetic code in cells which then cause those cells to grow at a faster rate than normal, stop acting like normal, and stop dying at a normal rate. What we eat has very little to do with cancer, unless you are ingesting a chemical soup of mutagens.



Chemo is a systemic poison that acts on cancer cells because they are more metabolically active than normal cells, so they uptake more of the chemo drug, so it harms them more. There is no delivery mechanism for hydrogen peroxide to enter the blood stream to get to the tumors. It is highly reactive and would cause massive injuries at the point of entry if we tried to ingest or inject large quantities of it. People who talk it up either have no idea what they are talking about, or are quacks selling you a useless 'cure.'



Chemo is harsh and it sucks, I know, I was on it, but it is well tested and proven to work as well as anything else we have at our disposal. Autoimmune therapy, gene therapy, and targeted drugs are the wave of the future, but they are just now arriving on the scene.

Answer 2

From what I have read, it works well in the petri dish but to get the H202 into the tumor or cells in a live person is no easy feat.



I don't think anyone of sound mind is a fan of standard chemotherapy, but for some of us there is no viable alternative. Please keep up your research in the lab. There have been so many advances that in a few more years, decades we may have cancer nipped in the bud.



I am a 8 year survivor of cancer and educated my self quite thoroughly on the possible effects the chemo compounds I was given have on the body. It was grueling but without it I wouldn't be here now.

Answer 3

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RE:

H202 - Hydrogen Peroxide as "Chemo-therapy" agent is there evidence?

I'm a Chemistry under grad, and got into a spirited debate with a friend. I personally am not a fan the standard treatment of cancer with regard to chemo, but not the point of my question.



It seems to me a practical idea of using H202 as a chemotherapy agent, it can oxidize and induce...

Answer 4

Read Matt's answer.Then read it again.



''I see folk with cancer still eating like the slobs they were before diagnosis.'' Nice. Way to get on the right side of people using this forum.



Before my diagnosis I ate a mainly organic vegan diet, very low in sugar (refined or otherwise). For the record I've never smoked and I exercised regularly too. Inevitably, these slobbish ways copped me a stage 3, grade 3 cancer.



I was all for alternatives to chemo too, before I actually HAD cancer; easy to talk about what you would and wouldn't do in the event of a life-threatening illness when you don't really believe you'll ever get one, isn't it?



I was determined to avoid harsh treatments; nothing prompts frantic research like fearing for your life, and I researched alternatives day and night. All the research led me to one painful conclusion - no 'alternative treatment' had been proven effective against a single case of cancer - anywhere, ever.



Hydrogen peroxide fell into the category of 'treatments' even I wasn't bonkers enough to consider.



I went with surgery, chemo and radiotherapy; over 8 years later - fit, well and cancer-free



Ben Goldacre of the Guardian’s excellent Bad Science column writes:



'For decades, optimistic alternative therapists have been claiming that hydrogen peroxide therapy can treat cancer and various infections (latterly including Aids), as well as improving tissue oxygenation: a quick hunt around the alternative therapy section of any bookshop, or the internet, will produce entertaining examples. The fundamental misunderstandings seem to be, as far as it is possible to untangle these things, that H2O2 is water with a bit of extra oxygen, that this can be used by cells as normal oxygen, or as some form of special oxygen inhibit enzymes in tumour cells, or produce “glyoxylide” which has alleged healing properties but has never been isolated. It can be jolly dangerous, and several pseudioscientists have been successfully disciplined for lying about it ever since Dr Koch, its inventor, was first censured by the FDA in 1942.'



Also interesting:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaAZ37NBGME&feature=related



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4YsyHsQ_HA



Hmm. That's preferable to chemo because...?

Answer 5

H202 Therapy

Answer 6

"But how could H202 work? Why do many say it does?"

~ It doesn't, and they are misguided fools.



If you understand chemistry so well, then why play mental games with yourself?

You should know your body can't tell the difference between c6h12o6 from beet sugar or a pear.

http://www.biocarta.com/pathfiles/h_glycolysispathway.asp



Do you really need me to school ya on nitrogen and ammonia in terms of your kidneys?

You know....protein?

Nah, I didn't think so.





Take some biochem and pathophysiology (at college, not online) and you'll see how nearly every crack-pot alt med scam doesn't hold water.

Answer 7

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Check out this site: http://www.naturalwhiteteeth.net - It's about how you can whiten your teeth 100% naturally. Same results but 100% safe and 1000 times cheaper.

Answer 8

Why are you opposed to chemo? It works. I had a bad stage 3 case and am fine now. Don't knock it til you try it.

Answer 9

iv know about hp for a long time.

many people claiming it has cured them of

cancer.

It is however, only a treatment, as it does not address

the underlying cause.

the reason there is little or no "evidence" is due to fact

that its not financially viable to pay for a study into

something that can't be patented. its the same with more

alt. med treatments.

your right to be sceptical of chemo, its a joke of a treatment.

Iv been reading about alt. cancer treatments for years and

have produce my own protocol based on that.