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 Utah researchers surveyed black salve users and found that most did
not talk to a doctor before trying the product - which is on a U.S.
Food and Drug Administration list of “fake ‘cancer cures’ consumers
should avoid” - nor were they aware of its harmful effects.
Black salve refers to products containing zinc chloride and
sanguinarine, both corrosive ingredients that can severely damage
skin, the study team writes in the Journal of the American Academy
of Dermatology.
The salve is widely available online, touted as a way to eliminate
skin cancers. It does scour off top layers of skin, giving the
appearance that a lesion is gone. But, the authors explain, cancer
remaining deeper in the skin may go unseen, and undiagnosed, until
it becomes more advanced and potentially even life threatening.
“People who use black salve are largely unaware of how serious the
side effects of black salve can be, and over-estimate how precise or
effective it can be in treating their problem,” said senior author
Dr. Mark Eliason of the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, by
email.
His team surveyed 340 adults attending primary care and dermatology
clinics in Utah to gauge perceptions of black salve. Twenty-three
people said they'd used black salve to treat potential skin cancer,
and the researchers later did follow-up interviews with most of
them.
Seventeen of the 23 said they hadn't talked to a dermatologist
before trying the product and relied instead on the experiences of
friends or family.
Seven patients said they used black salve on a cancerous lesion,
four used it on a “precancer” and seven used it on benign growths
like warts and skin tags.
More than half said their lesion had not been evaluated by a doctor.
Thirteen people had a personal history of skin cancer, and 11 said
the result of using black salve was that the lesion was still
present or a scar was present. Nonetheless, more than half of users
said they were likely to recommend black salve to others.
Seventeen users said they were not aware of the possible side
effects, including infection, scarring and disfigurement, before
using black salve.
The most common reason patients gave for using black salve was to
avoid surgery, and specifically the pain, scarring and costs of
surgery that might not work.
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Half of the interviewees brought up issues with talking to their
doctors about black salve, including fear of being judged and the
doctors not wanting to answer questions about the product.
“Instead of using black salve, we hope that people will talk with
their doctors about their concerns,” Eliason said. “If a patient
feels like a doctor is not approachable or unable to explain the
rationale for a treatment, getting a second opinion from another
licensed medical professional is the best next course of action.”
Lynne McFarland, a researcher at the U.S. Department of Veterans
Affairs, noted that patients often turn to friends or internet
sources for information and may not get valid medical advice.
McFarland, who was not involved in the study, recommended using the
websites of the National Cancer Institute (1.usa.gov/27AFBV7) and
National Library of Medicine (1.usa.gov/1TkhYGt) to find information
about medical topics.
She also points out that many patients are afraid of the scarring
that can result from surgery, but black salve is not a solution.
“The scarring by these uncontrolled skin products can be severe and
disfiguring. This is not a minor issue,” McFarland said by email.
“Nobody likes surgery, but you can die if you allow skin cancer to
spread,” McFarland added.
“Patients need to voice their concerns clearly, and doctors and
other health providers must do a better job listening supportively
and explaining clearly their reasoning for treatment. Doing so can
lead to an abandonment of this harmful, unproven therapy,” Eliason
said.
SOURCE: bit.ly/1THXuXM Journal of the American Academy of
Dermatology, online April 13, 2016.
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