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Other common
name(s): autourotherapy, urine therapy, urea therapy
Scientific/medical
name(s): none
Description
Urotherapy is an alternative method that involves the use of a
patient's own urine to treat cancer.
Overview
No well-controlled studies published in available scientific
literature support the claims that urotherapy can control or reverse
the spread of cancer.
How is it promoted for use?
Urotherapy has been promoted for a wide variety of diseases
and conditions, including cancer. Advocates of urotherapy propose
several ways by which the treatment can slow or stop the growth of
cancer. One is that urine can stimulate the body's immune system.
Cancer and other diseases release chemicals called antigens into the
bloodstream. When the immune system detects them, it responds by making
antibodies to fight the invading disease. Some of the antigens made by
cancer cells appear in the urine, so practitioners have hypothesized
that if they give urine to cancer patients, the immune system would
react more vigorously by making a greater number of antibodies, thereby
increasing its capacity to kill tumor cells.
Other practitioners have suggested that urine inhibits the
ability of cancer cells to crowd together, which disrupts their flow of
nutrients and waste excretion. Without any way to nourish themselves or
get rid of waste products, the tumor cells die.
One proponent asserts that certain components in urine
establish a biochemical defense system that works independently of the
body's immune system. It is claimed that these chemicals don't destroy
cancer cells, but “correct” their defects and
prevent them from spreading.
What does it involve?
Patients undergoing urotherapy may drink their own urine (from
a few drops to full glasses), use it as an enema, or have it injected
directly into the bloodstream or into tumors. In powdered form, urea,
the primary component of urine, has been applied directly to tumors
appearing on the skin. Urea may also be packed into capsules or
dissolved in a flavored drink. There are no established guidelines for
how much urine or urea should be used.
What is the history behind it?
The thought of drinking urine may offend the sensibilities of
most Westerners, but in fact, human urine has been considered a healing
agent in many Asian cultures for centuries. In India, this practice has
been a part of traditional medical practices for thousands of years.
In the mid-1950s, a Greek doctor named Evangelos Danopolous,
MD, professed that he had identified anti-cancer properties in urea and
had used the compound to successfully treat patients with certain types
of skin and liver cancer. Dr. Danopolous claimed that his therapy
significantly extended patients' lives. He published several small
positive case reports, but later studies by other researchers did not
achieve the same results.
Other doctors have also claimed that urea has anti-cancer
characteristics. One of them, Vincent Speckhart, MD, testified about
urea's benefits before a House of Representatives Committee. A breast
cancer patient whom Dr. Speckhart treated with urea reportedly
recovered from her disease and was alive 10 years after therapy.
Urotherapy is currently offered along with other forms of
alternative therapy in some cancer clinics in Mexico.
What is the evidence?
There are some individual reports of urotherapy's ability to
stop cancer growth. However, available scientific evidence does not
support claims that urine or urea given in any form is helpful for
cancer patients. Two small studies done during the 1980s found urea did
not cause tumors to shrink in patients with cancer in the liver.
Are there any possible problems or
complications?
Individuals have reported that drinking or injecting urine or
applying it directly to the skin is safe and not linked to any harmful
side effects, but the safety of these practices has not been
established by scientific studies. There have been reports of nausea,
vomiting, upset stomach, and diarrhea after drinking one's own urine,
especially during the first few days. Some medications are excreted
into the urine, and by drinking their own urine, patients can
accumulate toxic levels of these drugs.
Relying on this type of treatment alone, and avoiding or
delaying conventional medical care for cancer, may have serious health
consequences.
Additional Resources
More information from your American Cancer
Society
The following information on complementary and alternative
therapies may also be helpful to you. These materials may be found on
our Web site (www.cancer.org)
or ordered from our toll-free number (1-800-ACS-2345).
References
Clark PI, Slevin ML, Webb JA, Osborne RJ, Jones S, Wrigley PF.
Oral urea in the treatment of secondary tumours in the liver. Br J Cancer.
1988;57:317-318.
Danopoulos ED, Danopoulou IE. Eleven years experience of oral
urea treatment in liver malignancies. Clin Oncol.
1981;7:281-289.
Danopoulos ED, Danopoulou IE, Besbeas S, Ramantanis G. The
effects of urea treatment in combination with curettage in extensive
lip cancers. J Surg
Oncol. 1982;19:127-131.
Eldor J. Urotherapy for patients with cancer. Med Hypotheses.
1997;48:309-315.
Gussow L. Take-home lessons from unusual toxicology cases.
Emergency Medicine News; 2004;26:52,57.
Hooper TL, Rahman M, Magell J. Oral urea in the treatment of
colo-rectal liver metastases. Clin
Oncol. 1984;10:341-344.
Note: This information may not cover
all possible claims, uses, actions, precautions, side effects or
interactions. It is not intended as medical advice, and should not be
relied upon as a substitute for consultation with your doctor, who is
familiar with your medical situation.
Last Medical Review: 11/01/2008
Last Revised: 11/01/2008
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