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| == History == | == History == | ||
| It was developed by Donato Perez Garcia, MD in 1930. Originally, Garcia targeted ], and later tried the treatment for chronic degenerative diseases and some types of cancer.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title = Insulin potentiation therapy|url = http://www.cam-cancer.org/CAM-Summaries/Dietary-approaches/Insulin-potentiation-therapy|website = CAM-Cancer|accessdate = 2015-04-29}}</ref> | It was developed by Donato Perez Garcia, MD in 1930. Originally, Garcia targeted ], and later tried the treatment for chronic degenerative diseases and some types of cancer.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title = Insulin potentiation therapy|url = http://www.cam-cancer.org/CAM-Summaries/Dietary-approaches/Insulin-potentiation-therapy/%28merge%29|website = CAM-Cancer|accessdate = 2015-04-29}}</ref> | ||
| == Method == | == Method == | ||
| Generally, a dose of insulin is injected into a vein, followed |
Generally, a dose of insulin is injected into a vein, followed by a low dose of chemotherapy drugs when the insulin has been absorbed. The chemotherapy dose is usually 10% to 25% of the proven dose.<ref name=":0" /> Then sugar water is injected to stop the ] (low blood sugar) caused by the insulin injection.<ref name=":0" /> | ||
| == Efficacy == | == Efficacy == | ||
| IPT has not been proven to work.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite journal|title = What cancer care providers need to know about CAM: the CAM-Cancer project|url = http://doi.wiley.com/10.1111/fct.12017|journal = Focus on Alternative and Complementary Therapies|access-date = 2015-04-29|last = Wider|first = Barbara|date = 17 May 2013|publisher = Wiley|pmc = }}</ref> |
IPT has not been proven to work.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite journal|title = What cancer care providers need to know about CAM: the CAM-Cancer project|url = http://doi.wiley.com/10.1111/fct.12017|journal = Focus on Alternative and Complementary Therapies|access-date = 2015-04-29|last = Wider|first = Barbara|date = 17 May 2013|publisher = Wiley|pmc = }}</ref> Long-term outcomes, such as survival, have never been published.<ref name=":0" /> Four individual ], one small, uncontrolled clinical trial and one small prospective, ] have shown temporary reductions in the size of tumors for some patients.<ref name=":0" /> | ||
| |url = http://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatmentsandsideeffects/complementaryandalternativemedicine/pharmacologicalandbiologicaltreatment/insulin-potentiation-therapy|title = Insulin Potentiation Therapy|publisher = ]|date = 1 November 2008|accessdate = August 2013}}</ref> Long-term outcomes, such as survival, have never been published.<ref name=":0" /> | |||
| == Adverse effects == | |||
| The immediate risk is ].<ref name=":0" /> | |||
| <nowiki> </nowiki>The use of lower than normal doses of chemotherapy can cause ], which could make future treatment at standard, proven doses ineffective.<ref name=":0" /> For some cancers, especially breast and colon cancers, insulin may promote tumor growth.<ref name=":0" /> | |||
| == Mechanism of action == | == Mechanism of action == | ||
Revision as of 02:49, 29 April 2015
Insulin potentiation therapy (IPT) is an unproven alternative cancer treatment using insulin as an adjunct to low-dose chemotherapy.
History
It was developed by Donato Perez Garcia, MD in 1930. Originally, Garcia targeted syphilis, and later tried the treatment for chronic degenerative diseases and some types of cancer.
Method
Generally, a dose of insulin is injected into a vein, followed by a low dose of chemotherapy drugs when the insulin has been absorbed. The chemotherapy dose is usually 10% to 25% of the proven dose. Then sugar water is injected to stop the hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) caused by the insulin injection.
Efficacy
IPT has not been proven to work. Long-term outcomes, such as survival, have never been published. Four individual case studies, one small, uncontrolled clinical trial and one small prospective, randomized controlled trial have shown temporary reductions in the size of tumors for some patients.
Adverse effects
The immediate risk is hypoglycemia.
The use of lower than normal doses of chemotherapy can cause drug resistance, which could make future treatment at standard, proven doses ineffective. For some cancers, especially breast and colon cancers, insulin may promote tumor growth.
Mechanism of action
Two main ideas about how it might work have been proposed. The first idea is that insulin makes cells more permeable, so that the chemotherapy drugs are absorbed faster into cells. The other idea is that insulin might cause the cells to start dividing, which makes them more susceptible to destruction of many cytotoxic chemotherapy drugs.
Cost
Costs run up to US $2,000 per treatment session. Multiple sessions are normal. Patients often pay the full cost out of pocket, because it is an unproven therapy that is not covered by health insurance.
See also
References
- Ayre SG, Perez Garcia y Bellon D, Perez Garcia D (1986). "Insulin potentiation therapy: a new concept in the management of chronic degenerative disease". Med. Hypotheses. 20 (2): 199–210. doi:10.1016/0306-9877(86)90126-X. PMID 3526099.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Insulin potentiation therapy". CAM-Cancer. Retrieved 2015-04-29.
- Wider, Barbara (17 May 2013). "What cancer care providers need to know about CAM: the CAM-Cancer project". Focus on Alternative and Complementary Therapies. Wiley. Retrieved 2015-04-29.
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