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{{short description|American physician}}
{{Short description|German-American physician (1881–1959)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2011}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2011}}
{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
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| death_date = {{death date and age|1959|3|8|1881|10|18}}
| death_date = {{death date and age|1959|3|8|1881|10|18}}
| death_place = [[New York City]], U.S.
| death_place = [[New York City]], U.S.
| citizenship = [[American citizenship|American]] (from 1942)
| citizenship = American (from 1942)
| alma_mater = [[Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg]]
| alma_mater = [[Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg]]
| occupation = Physician
| occupation = Physician
| years_active = {{circa|1909}}{{endash}}1958
| years_active = {{circa|1909}}{{endash}}1958
| known_for = Gerson Therapy, a dietary-based [[alternative cancer treatment]]
| known_for = Gerson therapy, a dietary-based [[alternative cancer treatment]]
}}
}}
'''Max Gerson''' (October 18, 1881&nbsp;– March 8, 1959) was a German-born American physician who developed the Gerson therapy, a dietary-based [[alternative cancer treatment]] that he claimed could cure cancer and most chronic, degenerative diseases. Gerson therapy involves a plant-based diet with [[coffee enema]]s, [[Ozone therapy|ozone enema]]s, dietary supplements and raw calf liver extract, the latter was discontinued in the 1980s after patients were hospitalized for bacterial infections.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Schwarcz|first=Joe|date=2017|title=What is Gerson therapy?|url=https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/cancer-controversial-science-health-quackery-you-asked/you-asked-what-gerson-therapy|website=McGill University|language=en-GB|archive-date=June 10, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230610041155/https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/cancer-controversial-science-health-quackery-you-asked/you-asked-what-gerson-therapy|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="mmwr"/><ref name="CA 1990">{{cite journal|year=1990|title=Unproven Methods of Cancer Management: Gerson Therapy|journal=CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians|url=https://acsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.3322/canjclin.40.4.252|volume=40|issue=4|pages=252-255}}</ref>
'''Max Gerson''' (October 18, 1881&nbsp;– March 8, 1959) was a German-born American physician who developed the Gerson Therapy, a dietary-based [[alternative cancer treatment]] that he claimed could cure cancer and most chronic, degenerative diseases.


Gerson described his approach in the book ''A Cancer Therapy: Results of 50 Cases'' (1958). The [[National Cancer Institute]] evaluated Gerson's claims and concluded that his data showed no benefit from his treatment.<ref name="nci-hp" /> The therapy is both ineffective and dangerous.<ref name="ACS"/><ref name="mskcc" />
Gerson described his approach in the book ''A Cancer Therapy: Results of 50 Cases'' (1958). The [[National Cancer Institute]] evaluated Gerson's claims and concluded that his data showed no benefit from his treatment.<ref name="nci-hp" /> The therapy is both ineffective and dangerous.<ref name="CA 1990"/><ref name="ACS"/><ref name="mskcc"/> Serious illness and deaths have resulted from Gerson therapy.<ref name="CA 1990"/><ref>Lyman, Gary H. (2015). ''Oxford American Handbook of Oncology''. Oxford University Press. p. 201. {{ISBN|978-0199922789}} "Gerson therapy consists of a strict low-sodium diet, consumption of large amounts of juice from fruits, vegetables, and calf liver, and frequent coffee enemas. No credible cancer cures have resulted from this therapy, and deaths from the therapy have been reported."</ref>


==Early life and career==
==Early life and career==
Gerson was born to a Jewish family in [[Wągrowiec|Wongrowitz]], [[German Empire]] (Wągrowiec, now in [[Poland]]), on October 18, 1881. In 1909, he graduated from the [[Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg|Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg]]. He began practicing medicine at age 28 in Breslau ([[Wrocław]], now in Poland), later specializing in [[internal medicine]] and nerve diseases in [[Bielefeld]].<ref name=unproven/> By 1927, he was specializing in the treatment of [[tuberculosis]], developing the Gerson-Sauerbruch-Hermannsdorfer diet, claiming it was a major advance in the treatment of tuberculosis.<ref name=unproven/> Initially, he used his therapy as a supposed treatment for [[migraine]] headaches and tuberculosis. In 1928, he began to use it as a claimed treatment for [[cancer]].<ref name=metabolic>[[American Cancer Society]]. "[http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/DietandNutrition/metabolic-therapy Metabolic Therapy]". Accessed March 22, 2011.</ref> When the [[Nazi Party|Nazis]] [[Adolf Hitler's rise to power|came to power]] in 1933 Gerson left Germany, emigrating to [[Vienna]], where he worked in the West End Sanatorium. Gerson spent two years in Vienna, before moving to France in 1935, associating with a clinic near Paris before moving to London in 1936. Shortly thereafter, he moved to the United States, settling in New York City.<ref name=unproven/>
Gerson was born to a Jewish family in [[Wągrowiec|Wongrowitz]], [[German Empire]] (Wągrowiec, now in [[Poland]]), on October 18, 1881. In 1909, he graduated from the [[Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg|Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg]]. He began practicing medicine at age 28 in Breslau ([[Wrocław]], now in Poland), later specializing in [[internal medicine]] and nerve diseases in [[Bielefeld]].<ref name=unproven/> By 1927, he was specializing in the treatment of [[tuberculosis]], developing the Gerson-Sauerbruch-Hermannsdorfer diet, claiming it was a major advance in the treatment of tuberculosis.<ref name=unproven/> Initially, he used his therapy as a supposed treatment for [[migraine]] headaches and tuberculosis. In 1928, he began to use it as a claimed treatment for [[cancer]].<ref name=metabolic>[[American Cancer Society]]. "[http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/DietandNutrition/metabolic-therapy Metabolic Therapy] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130425152615/http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/DietandNutrition/metabolic-therapy |date=April 25, 2013 }}". Accessed March 22, 2011.</ref> When the [[Nazi Party|Nazis]] [[Adolf Hitler's rise to power|came to power]] in 1933 Gerson left Germany, emigrating to [[Vienna]], where he worked in the West End Sanatorium. Gerson spent two years in Vienna, before moving to France in 1935, associating with a clinic near Paris before moving to London in 1936. Shortly thereafter, he moved to the United States, settling in New York City.<ref name=unproven/>


==In the United States==
==In the United States==
Gerson emigrated to the United States in 1936, passed his medical board examination, and became a U.S. citizen in 1942.<ref name=unproven/> The rest of his family died at the hands of the Nazis.{{citation needed|date=August 2017}} In the U.S., Gerson applied his dietary therapy to several cancer patients, claiming good results, but other workers found his methodology and claims unconvincing. Proponents of the Gerson Therapy believe a [[Conspiracy theory|conspiracy]] headed by the medical establishment prevented Gerson from publishing proof that his therapy worked.<ref name=skepdic>{{cite web |author=Carroll RT |author-link=Robert Todd Carroll |work=[[The Skeptic's Dictionary]] |title=Gerson Therapy |date=January 6, 2014 |access-date=April 1, 2014 |url=http://www.skepdic.com/gersontherapy.html}}</ref> In 1958, Gerson published a book in which he claimed to have cured 50 terminal cancer patients: ''A Cancer Therapy: Results of 50 Cases''. In 1953, Gerson's [[malpractice insurance]] was discontinued and, in 1958, his medical license in New York was suspended for two years.<ref name=unproven/><ref>{{cite book|last=Hess|first=David J.|title=The politics of healing: histories of alternative medicine in twentieth-century North America|year=2004|publisher=Routledge|isbn=0-415-93339-0|pages=222|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4xzTLvaWSmkC&q=%22max+gerson%22+1959&pg=PA222}}</ref>
Gerson emigrated to the United States in 1936, passed his medical board examination, and became a U.S. citizen in 1942.<ref name=unproven/> In the U.S., Gerson applied his dietary therapy to several cancer patients, claiming good results, but other workers found his methodology and claims unconvincing. Proponents of Gerson therapy believe a [[Conspiracy theory|conspiracy]] headed by the medical establishment prevented Gerson from publishing proof that his therapy worked.<ref name=skepdic>{{cite web |author=Carroll RT |author-link=Robert Todd Carroll |work=[[The Skeptic's Dictionary]] |title=Gerson Therapy |date=January 6, 2014 |access-date=April 1, 2014 |url=http://www.skepdic.com/gersontherapy.html}}</ref> In 1958, Gerson published a book in which he claimed to have cured 50 terminal cancer patients: ''A Cancer Therapy: Results of 50 Cases''. In 1953, Gerson's [[malpractice insurance]] was discontinued and, in 1958, his medical license in New York was suspended for two years.<ref name=unproven/><ref>{{cite book|last=Hess|first=David J.|title=The politics of healing: histories of alternative medicine in twentieth-century North America|year=2004|publisher=Routledge|isbn=0-415-93339-0|pages=222|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4xzTLvaWSmkC&q=%22max+gerson%22+1959&pg=PA222}}</ref>


===Death===
===Death===
Gerson died March 8, 1959 of pneumonia.<ref name=unproven>{{cite journal |title=Unproven methods of cancer management. Gerson method of treatment for cancer |journal=CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians|volume=23 |issue=5 |pages=314–7 |year=1973 |pmid=4202045 |doi= 10.3322/canjclin.23.5.314 |doi-access=free |s2cid=35027868 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=1959-03-09|title=Dr. Max Gerson, 77, Cancer specialist |language=en-US|page=29|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1959/03/09/archives/dr-max-gerson-77-cancer-specialist.html|access-date=2020-11-08}}</ref> A [[conspiracy theory]] has subsequently spread that Gerson was murdered following a lifetime of supposed persecution.<ref name=cansoc>{{cite book |vauthors=Gorski DH |chapter=Chapter 7: Cancer Quackery and Fake News: Targeting the Most Vulnerable |veditors=Bernicker EH |title=Cancer and Society: A Multidisciplinary Assessment and Strategies for Action |year=2019 |publisher=Springer |isbn=978-3-030-05855-5 |pages=95–112 |doi=10.1007/978-3-030-05855-5_7|s2cid=133344385 }}</ref>
Gerson died on March 8, 1959, of pneumonia.<ref name=unproven>{{cite journal |title=Unproven methods of cancer management. Gerson method of treatment for cancer |journal=CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians|volume=23 |issue=5 |pages=314–7 |year=1973 |pmid=4202045 |doi= 10.3322/canjclin.23.5.314 |doi-access=free |s2cid=35027868 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=1959-03-09|title=Dr. Max Gerson, 77, Cancer specialist |language=en-US|page=29|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1959/03/09/archives/dr-max-gerson-77-cancer-specialist.html|access-date=2020-11-08}}</ref> A [[conspiracy theory]] has subsequently spread that Gerson was murdered following a lifetime of supposed persecution.<ref name=cansoc>{{cite book |vauthors=Gorski DH |chapter=Cancer Quackery and Fake News: Targeting the Most Vulnerable |veditors=Bernicker EH |title=Cancer and Society: A Multidisciplinary Assessment and Strategies for Action |year=2019 |publisher=Springer |isbn=978-3-030-05855-5 |pages=95–112 |doi=10.1007/978-3-030-05855-5_7|s2cid=133344385 }}</ref>


==Gerson therapy{{anchor|Gerson_Therapy}}==
==Gerson therapy{{anchor|Gerson_Therapy}}==
Initially, Gerson used his therapy as a treatment for migraine headaches and tuberculosis. In 1928, he began to use it as a supposed treatment for cancer.<ref name=metabolic/>
Initially, Gerson used his therapy as a treatment for migraine headaches and tuberculosis. In 1928, he began to use it as a supposed treatment for cancer.<ref name=metabolic/>


Gerson therapy is based on the belief that cancer is the result of a deteriorating metabolism from an impaired liver function.<ref name="CA 1990"/> Gerson therapy aims to restore the body to health by repairing the liver and return metabolism to its normal state.<ref name="nci-hp" /> The therapy promotes the idea that cancer is caused by alteration of cell metabolism by [[processed food]] and toxic environmental substances which alter its sodium and potassium content.<ref name="Barrie 2010">{{Cite web|last=Cassileth|first=Barrie R.|date=2010|title=Gerson Therapy|url=https://www.cancernetwork.com/view/gerson-regimen|website=Cancer Network|language=en-GB|archive-date=April 12, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210412161549/https://www.cancernetwork.com/view/gerson-regimen|url-status=live}}</ref> It also emphasizes limiting sodium and increasing potassium intake to [[Detoxification (alternative medicine)|detoxify]] the liver. Coffee enemas are said to cause excretion of toxic breakdown products by the liver and through the colon wall. None of these ideas are supported by scientific research.<ref name="Barrie 2010"/> Gerson commented that his therapy aimed to create a "near normal condition of the oxidizing system in the body, to which malignant cells with the fermentation system cannot adapt".<ref name="CA 1990"/>
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Gerson Therapy is based on the belief that disease is caused by the accumulation of unspecified [[toxin]]s, and attempts to treat the disease by having patients consume a predominantly [[Vegetarianism|vegetarian diet]] including hourly glasses of [[organic food|organic]] juice and various [[dietary supplement]]s. Animal proteins are excluded from the diet under the unproven premise that tumors develop as a result of [[Pancreas|pancreatic]] [[enzyme]] deficiency.<ref name="Bloch1990">{{cite book|author=Abby S. Bloch|title=Nutrition Management of the Cancer Patient: A Practical Guide for Professionals|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=X6AXqYaGSxEC&pg=PA362|access-date=23 November 2012|year=1990|publisher=Jones & Bartlett Learning|isbn=978-0-8342-0132-3|pages=362}}</ref> In addition, patients receive [[Coffee enema|enemas of coffee]], [[castor oil]] and sometimes [[hydrogen peroxide]] or [[ozone]].<ref name="IntJCancerReview">{{cite journal

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Gerson therapy claims to treat the disease by having patients consume a [[plant-based diet]] including hourly glasses of vegetable juice, raw calf's liver extracts and various [[dietary supplement]]s.<ref name="CA 1990"/> Meals are restricted to baked potatoes, oatmeal, salad, cooked and raw vegetables and fruits.<ref name="CA 1990"/> Meat and dairy is excluded and only introduced in small amounts back into the diet after 4 or 6 weeks.<ref name="Bloch1990">{{cite book|author=Abby S. Bloch|title=Nutrition Management of the Cancer Patient: A Practical Guide for Professionals|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=X6AXqYaGSxEC&pg=PA362|access-date=23 November 2012|year=1990|publisher=Jones & Bartlett Learning|isbn=978-0-8342-0132-3|pages=362}}</ref> Berries, nuts, salt, vegetable oils and drinking water are forbidden indefinitely.<ref name="CA 1990"/> All canned, frozen and refined foods are excluded and a special grinder and press is required for [[juicing]].<ref name="CA 1990"/>

In addition, patients receive [[Coffee enema|enemas of coffee]], [[castor oil]] and [[hydrogen peroxide]] or [[ozone]].<ref name="CA 1990"/><ref name="IntJCancerReview">{{cite journal
| author=Weitzman S
| author=Weitzman S
| title = Alternative Nutritional Cancer Therapies
| title = Alternative Nutritional Cancer Therapies
Line 41: Line 44:
| doi=10.1002/(SICI)1097-0215(1998)78:11+<69::AID-IJC20>3.0.CO;2-7
| doi=10.1002/(SICI)1097-0215(1998)78:11+<69::AID-IJC20>3.0.CO;2-7
|doi-access=free
|doi-access=free
}}</ref> Since 1983, Gerson therapy has involved the use of ozone enemas, where up to 150mg of ozone is administered rectally.<ref name="CA 1990"/>
}}</ref>


After Gerson's death, his daughter Charlotte Gerson (March 25, 1922 - February 10, 2019) continued to promote the therapy, founding the "Gerson Institute" in 1977.<ref>Gerson Institute, [http://gerson.org/gerpress/about-us/ gerson.org]; "About Us". Accessed 12 May 2012.</ref> The original protocol also included raw [[Calf (animal)|calf]]'s [[liver]] taken orally, but this practice was discontinued in the 1980s after ten patients were hospitalized (five of them [[coma]]tose) from January 1979 to March 1981 in [[San Diego, California]], area hospitals due to infection with the rare bacterium ''[[Campylobacter fetus]].'' This infection was seen only in those following Gerson-type therapy with raw liver (no other cases of patients having sepsis with this microbe, a pathogen in cattle, had been reported to [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]] in the previous two years). Nine of ten hospitalized patients had been treated in [[Tijuana]], [[Mexico]]; the tenth followed Gerson therapy at home. One of these patients who had metastatic melanoma died within a week of his septic episode. Many of the patients had low sodium levels, thought to be associated with the very low sodium Gerson diet.<ref name="mmwr">{{cite journal |title=Campylobacter sepsis associated with "nutritional therapy"--California |journal= MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report|volume=30 |issue=24 |pages=294–5 |date=June 1981 |pmid=6789105 |author1= Centers for Disease Control (CDC)}} On-line link to this report at [http://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/1264/ CDC Stacks]. Accessed 17 October 2012.</ref> The photographer [[Garry Winogrand]] died of gallbladder cancer in a Gerson Clinic in Tijuana.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Street-Wise: The Photography of Garry Winogrand and Alexey Titarenko|author=Bailey, John|date=December 6, 2009|url=https://ascmag.com/blog/johns-bailiwick/street-wise-the-photography-of-garry-winogrand-and-alexey-titarenko|magazine=American Cinematographer|access-date=July 2, 2018}}</ref>
After Gerson's death, his daughter Charlotte Gerson (March 25, 1922 - February 10, 2019) continued to promote the therapy, founding the "Gerson Institute" in 1977.<ref>Gerson Institute, [http://gerson.org/gerpress/about-us/ gerson.org]; "About Us". Accessed 12 May 2012.</ref> The original protocol also included raw [[Calf (animal)|calf]]'s [[liver]] taken orally, but this practice was discontinued in the 1980s after ten patients were hospitalized (five of them [[coma]]tose) from January 1979 to March 1981 in [[San Diego, California]], area hospitals due to infection with the rare bacterium ''[[Campylobacter fetus]].'' This infection was seen only in those following Gerson-type therapy with raw liver (no other cases of patients having sepsis with this microbe, a pathogen in cattle, had been reported to [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]] in the previous two years). Nine of ten hospitalized patients had been treated in [[Tijuana]], Mexico; the tenth followed Gerson therapy at home. One of these patients who had metastatic melanoma died within a week of his septic episode. Many of the patients had low sodium levels, thought to be associated with the very low sodium Gerson diet.<ref name="mmwr">{{cite journal |title=Campylobacter sepsis associated with "nutritional therapy"--California |journal= MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report|volume=30 |issue=24 |pages=294–5 |date=June 1981 |pmid=6789105 |author1= Centers for Disease Control (CDC)}} On-line link to this report at [http://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/1264/ CDC Stacks]. Accessed 17 October 2012.</ref> The photographer [[Garry Winogrand]] died of gallbladder cancer in a Gerson Clinic in Tijuana.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Street-Wise: The Photography of Garry Winogrand and Alexey Titarenko|author=Bailey, John|date=December 6, 2009|url=https://ascmag.com/blog/johns-bailiwick/street-wise-the-photography-of-garry-winogrand-and-alexey-titarenko|magazine=American Cinematographer|access-date=July 2, 2018}}</ref>


===Evidence===
===Evidence===
Gerson's therapy has not been independently tested or subjected to [[randomized controlled trial]]s, and thus is illegal to market in the United States.<ref name="nci-hp">{{cite web|title=Gerson Therapy: History|url=https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/cam/hp/gerson-pdq|date=February 26, 2010|publisher=[[National Cancer Institute]]|access-date=March 31, 2010}}</ref> The Gerson Institute promotes the therapy by citing patient [[testimonial]]s and other [[anecdotal evidence]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gerson.org/g_therapy/case_studies.asp |title=The Gerson Institute&nbsp;— Alternative Cancer Treatment }}</ref> Gerson published a book discussing the alleged success of the therapy in 50 patients, but a review by the U.S. [[National Cancer Institute]] was unable to find any evidence that Gerson's claims were accurate.<ref name="nci-hp"/> The NCI found that no ''[[in vivo]]'' animal studies had been conducted. Similarly, [[case series]] by Gerson Institute staff published in the [[alternative medicine|alternative medical literature]] suffered from methodological flaws, and no independent entity has been able to [[reproducibility|reproduce]] the claims.<ref name="nci-hp"/>
Gerson's therapy has not been independently tested or subjected to [[randomized controlled trial]]s, and thus is illegal to market in the United States.<ref name="nci-hp">{{cite web|title=Gerson Therapy: History|url=https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/cam/hp/gerson-pdq|date=February 26, 2010|publisher=[[National Cancer Institute]]|access-date=March 31, 2010}}</ref> The Gerson Institute promotes the therapy by citing patient [[testimonial]]s and other [[anecdotal evidence]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gerson.org/g_therapy/case_studies.asp |title=The Gerson Institute&nbsp;— Alternative Cancer Treatment }}</ref> Gerson published a book discussing the alleged success of the therapy in 50 patients, but a review by the U.S. [[National Cancer Institute]] was unable to find any evidence that Gerson's claims were accurate.<ref name="nci-hp"/> The NCI found that no ''[[in vivo]]'' animal studies had been conducted. Similarly, [[case series]] by Gerson Institute staff published in the [[alternative medicine|alternative medical literature]] suffered from methodological flaws, and no independent entity has been able to [[reproducibility|reproduce]] the claims.<ref name="nci-hp"/>


Attempts to independently check the results of the therapy have been negative. A group of 13 patients sickened by elements of the Gerson Therapy were evaluated in hospitals in [[San Diego]] in the early 1980s; all 13 were found to still have active cancer.<ref name="mmwr"/> An investigation by [[Quackwatch]] found that the institute's claims of cure were based not on actual documentation of survival, but on "a combination of the doctor's estimate that the departing patient has a 'reasonable chance of surviving', plus feelings that the Institute staff have about the status of people who call in".<ref name="lowell">{{cite web | publisher = [[Quackwatch]] | first = James | last = Lowell | title = Background History of the Gerson Clinic | work = Nutrition Forum Newsletter | date = February 1986 | access-date =April 22, 2009 | url = http://cancertreatmentwatch.org/reports/gerson.shtml}}</ref>
Attempts to independently check the results of the therapy have been negative. A group of 13 patients sickened by elements of the Gerson therapy were evaluated in hospitals in [[San Diego]] in the early 1980s; all 13 were found to still have active cancer.<ref name="mmwr"/> An investigation by [[Quackwatch]] found that the institute's claims of cure were based not on actual documentation of survival, but on "a combination of the doctor's estimate that the departing patient has a 'reasonable chance of surviving', plus feelings that the Institute staff have about the status of people who call in".<ref name="lowell">{{cite web | publisher = [[Quackwatch]] | first = James | last = Lowell | title = Background History of the Gerson Clinic | work = Nutrition Forum Newsletter | date = February 1986 | access-date =April 22, 2009 | url = http://cancertreatmentwatch.org/reports/gerson.shtml}}</ref>


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The [[American Cancer Society]] reported that "[t]here is no reliable scientific evidence that Gerson therapy is effective in treating cancer, and the principles behind it are not widely accepted by the medical community. It is not approved for use in the United States."<ref name=ACS>{{cite web|url=http://www.cancer.org/docroot/ETO/content/ETO_5_3x_Gerson_therapy.asp |title=Gerson Therapy |publisher=[[American Cancer Society]] |access-date=April 22, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090420191809/http://www.cancer.org/docroot/ETO/content/ETO_5_3X_Gerson_Therapy.asp |archive-date=April 20, 2009 }}</ref> In 1947, the [[National Cancer Institute]] reviewed 10 claimed cures submitted by Gerson; however, all of the patients were receiving standard anticancer treatment simultaneously, making it impossible to determine what effect, if any, was due to Gerson's therapy.<ref name="nci">{{cite web | url = http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/cam/gerson/patient | title = Gerson Therapy Overview | publisher = [[National Cancer Institute]] | date = September 6, 2007 | access-date =April 22, 2009}}</ref> A review of the Gerson therapy by [[Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center]] concluded: "If proponents of such therapies wish them to be evaluated scientifically and considered valid adjuvant treatments, they must provide extensive records (more than simple survival rates) and conduct controlled, prospective studies as evidence".<ref name="mskcc">{{cite web|title=Overview of the Gerson Regimen|url=http://www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/69233.cfm|date=March 18, 2009|publisher=[[Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center]]|access-date=April 22, 2009}}</ref> In 1959, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) again reviewed cases of patients treated by Gerson. The NCI found that the available information did not prove the regimen had benefit. [[Cancer Research UK]] states that "Available scientific evidence does not support any claims that Gerson therapy can treat cancer [...] Gerson therapy can be very harmful to your health."<ref name="cancer-uk">{{cite web | publisher = [[Cancer Research UK]] | title = What Gerson therapy is | url = http://cancerhelp.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/treatment/complementary-alternative/therapies/gerson-therapy | access-date = October 22, 2012 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120930225912/http://cancerhelp.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/treatment/complementary-alternative/therapies/gerson-therapy | archive-date = September 30, 2012 | df = mdy-all }}</ref>
A 1994 article in the ''Journal of Naturopathic Medicine''<ref name=Austin1994>{{cite journal|last=Dale|first=Austin S.|title=Long term follow-up of cancer patients using Contreras, Hoxsey and Gerson therapies|journal=Journal of Naturopathic Medicine|year=1994|volume=5|pages=74–76}}</ref> attempted to follow 39 Gerson patients in Tijuana. Patient interviews were used to confirm the existence and stage of cancer; most patients were unaware of the stage of their tumor, and medical records were not available. Most patients were lost to follow-up; of the patients successfully followed, 10 died and six were alive at their last follow-up. Review of this study pointed out its "obvious flaws", including "the majority of patients lost to follow-up, lack of access to detailed medical records, and reliance upon patients for disease stage information"; the authors themselves regarded the results as unclear.{{citation needed|date=October 2020}}

⚫
The [[American Cancer Society]] reported that "[t]here is no reliable scientific evidence that Gerson therapy is effective in treating cancer, and the principles behind it are not widely accepted by the medical community. It is not approved for use in the United States."<ref name=ACS>{{cite web|url=http://www.cancer.org/docroot/ETO/content/ETO_5_3x_Gerson_therapy.asp |title=Gerson Therapy |publisher=[[American Cancer Society]] |access-date=April 22, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090420191809/http://www.cancer.org/docroot/ETO/content/ETO_5_3X_Gerson_Therapy.asp |archive-date=April 20, 2009 }}</ref> In 1947, the [[National Cancer Institute]] reviewed 10 claimed cures submitted by Gerson; however, all of the patients were receiving standard anticancer treatment simultaneously, making it impossible to determine what effect, if any, was due to Gerson's therapy.<ref name="nci">{{cite web | url = http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/cam/gerson/patient | title = Gerson Therapy Overview | publisher = [[National Cancer Institute]] | date = September 6, 2007 | access-date =April 22, 2009}}</ref> A review of the Gerson Therapy by [[Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center]] concluded: "If proponents of such therapies wish them to be evaluated scientifically and considered valid adjuvant treatments, they must provide extensive records (more than simple survival rates) and conduct controlled, prospective studies as evidence".<ref name="mskcc">{{cite web|title=Overview of the Gerson Regimen|url=http://www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/69233.cfm|date=March 18, 2009|publisher=[[Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center]]|access-date=April 22, 2009}}</ref> In 1959, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) again reviewed cases of patients treated by Gerson. The NCI found that the available information did not prove the regimen had benefit. [[Cancer Research UK]] states that "Available scientific evidence does not support any claims that Gerson therapy can treat cancer [...] Gerson therapy can be very harmful to your health."<ref name="cancer-uk">{{cite web | publisher = [[Cancer Research UK]] | title = What Gerson therapy is | url = http://cancerhelp.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/treatment/complementary-alternative/therapies/gerson-therapy | access-date = October 22, 2012 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120930225912/http://cancerhelp.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/treatment/complementary-alternative/therapies/gerson-therapy | archive-date = September 30, 2012 | df = mdy-all }}</ref>


===Safety concerns===
===Safety concerns===
⚫
Gerson therapy can lead to several significant health problems. Serious illness and death have occurred as a direct result of some portions of the treatment, including severe electrolyte imbalances. Continued use of [[enema]]s may weaken the colon's normal function, causing or worsening [[constipation]] and [[colitis]]. Other complications have included dehydration, serious infections and severe bleeding.<ref name=ACS/>


Gerson therapy can lead to several significant health problems. Serious illness and death have occurred as a direct result of some portions of the treatment, including severe electrolyte imbalances.<ref name=ACS/> Proponents of the therapy advise ceasing conventional cancer treatment, and this further risks causing harm.<ref>{{cite web | title=Gerson therapy | website=Cancer Research UK | date=10 January 2023 | url=https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/treatment/complementary-alternative-therapies/individual-therapies/gerson | access-date=28 August 2024}}</ref>
⚫
The therapy may be especially hazardous to pregnant or breast-feeding women.<ref name=ACS/>


⚫
Continued use of [[enema]]s may weaken the colon's normal function, causing or worsening [[constipation]] and [[colitis]]. Other complications have included dehydration, serious infections and severe bleeding.<ref name="ACS" />
⚫
Coffee enemas have contributed to the deaths of at least three people in the United States. Coffee enemas "can cause colitis (inflammation of the bowel), fluid and electrolyte imbalances, and in some cases septicemia".<ref name=enemadeaths>{{cite web|url=http://benhills.com/articles/medical-mayhem/fake-healers/ |title=Fake healers. Why Australia's $1 billion-a-year alternative medicine industry is ineffective and out of control. |access-date=March 6, 2008 |last=Hills |first=Ben |work=Medical Mayhem |quote=Kefford is particularly concerned about cancer patients persuaded to undergo the much-hyped U.S. Gerson diet program, which involves the use of ground coffee enemas, which can cause colitis (inflammation of the bowel), fluid and electrolyte imbalances, and in some cases [[septicaemia]]. The U.S. [[Food and Drug Administration]] has warned against this regime, which is known to have caused at least three deaths.}}</ref> The recommended diet may not be nutritionally adequate.<ref>[http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/publications/synopses/_files/cp97.pdf Clinic Practice Guidelines], page 182. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080721124452/http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/publications/synopses/_files/cp97.pdf |date=July 21, 2008 }}</ref><ref>[http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/_files_nhmrc/publications/attachments/cp97.pdf Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Prevention, Diagnosis, and Management of Lung Cancer], page 196</ref> The diet has been blamed for the deaths of patients who substituted it for standard medical care.<ref name="davis">{{cite news | title = Cancer Therapy Pained Her Family... And Didn't Work | work = [[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]] | first = Christopher | last = Snowbeck | date= April 9, 1999 | access-date =April 22, 2009 | url = http://www.post-gazette.com/regionstate/19990409davis4.asp}}</ref>


⚫
The therapy is not recommended for pregnant or breast-feeding women and certain cancers and illnesses.
⚫
Relying on the therapy alone while avoiding or delaying conventional medical care for cancer has serious health consequences.<ref name=ACS/> [[Jessica Ainscough]], better known as "The Wellness Warrior", was a major proponent of the Gerson diet after her diagnosis with cancer. She rejected medical treatment and followed the diet strictly, documenting her progress in a popular blog. She died from her untreated cancer in February 2015, aged 29.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-06/tributes-to-wellness-warrior-jessica-ainscough/6286794|title=Jessica Ainscough: Family, friends gather to remember 'The Wellness Warrior' who lost battle with rare cancer|newspaper=ABC News|date=March 6, 2015|last1=Williams|first1=Patrick}}</ref>

⚫
Coffee enemas have contributed to the deaths of at least three people in the United States. Coffee enemas "can cause colitis (inflammation of the bowel), fluid and electrolyte imbalances, and in some cases septicemia".<ref name="enemadeaths">{{cite web|url=http://benhills.com/articles/medical-mayhem/fake-healers/ |title=Fake healers. Why Australia's $1 billion-a-year alternative medicine industry is ineffective and out of control. |access-date=March 6, 2008 |last=Hills |first=Ben |work=Medical Mayhem |quote=Kefford is particularly concerned about cancer patients persuaded to undergo the much-hyped U.S. Gerson diet program, which involves the use of ground coffee enemas, which can cause colitis (inflammation of the bowel), fluid and electrolyte imbalances, and in some cases [[septicaemia]]. The U.S. [[Food and Drug Administration]] has warned against this regime, which is known to have caused at least three deaths.}}</ref> The recommended diet may not be nutritionally adequate.<ref>[http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/publications/synopses/_files/cp97.pdf Clinic Practice Guidelines], page 182. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080721124452/http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/publications/synopses/_files/cp97.pdf |date=July 21, 2008 }}</ref><ref>[http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/_files_nhmrc/publications/attachments/cp97.pdf Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Prevention, Diagnosis, and Management of Lung Cancer], page 196</ref> The diet has been blamed for the deaths of patients who substituted it for standard medical care.<ref name="davis">{{cite news | title = Cancer Therapy Pained Her Family... And Didn't Work | work = [[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]] | first = Christopher | last = Snowbeck | date= April 9, 1999 | access-date =April 22, 2009 | url = http://www.post-gazette.com/regionstate/19990409davis4.asp}}</ref>

⚫
[[Jessica Ainscough]], better known as "The Wellness Warrior", was a major proponent of the Gerson diet after her diagnosis with cancer. She rejected medical treatment and followed the diet strictly, documenting her progress in a popular blog. She died from her untreated cancer in February 2015, aged 29.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-06/tributes-to-wellness-warrior-jessica-ainscough/6286794|title=Jessica Ainscough: Family, friends gather to remember 'The Wellness Warrior' who lost battle with rare cancer|newspaper=ABC News|date=March 6, 2015|last1=Williams|first1=Patrick}}</ref>


==See also==
==See also==
Line 74: Line 78:
==External links==
==External links==
* {{cite journal |vauthors=Vickers AJ, Cassileth BR |title=Living proof and the pseudoscience of alternative cancer treatments |journal= Journal of the Society for Integrative Oncology|volume=6 |issue=1 |pages=37–40 |year=2008 |pmid=18302909 |pmc=2630257}}
* {{cite journal |vauthors=Vickers AJ, Cassileth BR |title=Living proof and the pseudoscience of alternative cancer treatments |journal= Journal of the Society for Integrative Oncology|volume=6 |issue=1 |pages=37–40 |year=2008 |pmid=18302909 |pmc=2630257}}
*[http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/cancer.html Questionable Cancer Therapies], from [[Quackwatch]] (includes section on Gerson Therapy with references)
*[http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/cancer.html Questionable Cancer Therapies], from [[Quackwatch]] (includes section on Gerson therapy with references)


{{Plant-based diets}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gerson, Max}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gerson, Max}}

[[Category:1881 births]]
[[Category:1881 births]]
[[Category:1959 deaths]]
[[Category:1959 deaths]]
[[Category:Alternative cancer treatment advocates]]
[[Category:Alternative detoxification promoters]]
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[[Category:Deaths from pneumonia in New York City]]
[[Category:People from Wągrowiec]]
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[[Category:People from the Province of Posen]]
[[Category:People from the Province of Posen]]
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[[Category:Jewish emigrants from Nazi Germany to the United States]]
[[Category:Jewish emigrants from Nazi Germany to the United States]]
[[Category:Physicians from New York (state)]]
[[Category:Physicians from New York (state)]]
[[Category:Alternative cancer treatments]]
[[Category:Plant-based diet advocates]]
[[Category:Raw foodists]]
[[Category:Pseudoscientific diet advocates]]
[[Category:Pseudoscientific diet advocates]]
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[[Category:Deaths from pneumonia in New York City]]

Latest revision as of 09:15, 28 August 2024

Max Gerson
Born(1881-10-18)October 18, 1881
Wongrowitz, Province of Posen, German Empire
DiedMarch 8, 1959(1959-03-08) (aged 77)
New York City, U.S.
CitizenshipAmerican (from 1942)
Alma materAlbert Ludwig University of Freiburg
OccupationPhysician
Years activec. 1909–1958
Known forGerson therapy, a dietary-based alternative cancer treatment

Max Gerson (October 18, 1881 – March 8, 1959) was a German-born American physician who developed the Gerson therapy, a dietary-based alternative cancer treatment that he claimed could cure cancer and most chronic, degenerative diseases. Gerson therapy involves a plant-based diet with coffee enemas, ozone enemas, dietary supplements and raw calf liver extract, the latter was discontinued in the 1980s after patients were hospitalized for bacterial infections.[1][2][3]

Gerson described his approach in the book A Cancer Therapy: Results of 50 Cases (1958). The National Cancer Institute evaluated Gerson's claims and concluded that his data showed no benefit from his treatment.[4] The therapy is both ineffective and dangerous.[3][5][6] Serious illness and deaths have resulted from Gerson therapy.[3][7]

Early life and career

[edit]

Gerson was born to a Jewish family in Wongrowitz, German Empire (Wągrowiec, now in Poland), on October 18, 1881. In 1909, he graduated from the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg. He began practicing medicine at age 28 in Breslau (Wrocław, now in Poland), later specializing in internal medicine and nerve diseases in Bielefeld.[8] By 1927, he was specializing in the treatment of tuberculosis, developing the Gerson-Sauerbruch-Hermannsdorfer diet, claiming it was a major advance in the treatment of tuberculosis.[8] Initially, he used his therapy as a supposed treatment for migraine headaches and tuberculosis. In 1928, he began to use it as a claimed treatment for cancer.[9] When the Nazis came to power in 1933 Gerson left Germany, emigrating to Vienna, where he worked in the West End Sanatorium. Gerson spent two years in Vienna, before moving to France in 1935, associating with a clinic near Paris before moving to London in 1936. Shortly thereafter, he moved to the United States, settling in New York City.[8]

In the United States

[edit]

Gerson emigrated to the United States in 1936, passed his medical board examination, and became a U.S. citizen in 1942.[8] In the U.S., Gerson applied his dietary therapy to several cancer patients, claiming good results, but other workers found his methodology and claims unconvincing. Proponents of Gerson therapy believe a conspiracy headed by the medical establishment prevented Gerson from publishing proof that his therapy worked.[10] In 1958, Gerson published a book in which he claimed to have cured 50 terminal cancer patients: A Cancer Therapy: Results of 50 Cases. In 1953, Gerson's malpractice insurance was discontinued and, in 1958, his medical license in New York was suspended for two years.[8][11]

Death

[edit]

Gerson died on March 8, 1959, of pneumonia.[8][12] A conspiracy theory has subsequently spread that Gerson was murdered following a lifetime of supposed persecution.[13]

Gerson therapy

[edit]

Initially, Gerson used his therapy as a treatment for migraine headaches and tuberculosis. In 1928, he began to use it as a supposed treatment for cancer.[9]

Gerson therapy is based on the belief that cancer is the result of a deteriorating metabolism from an impaired liver function.[3] Gerson therapy aims to restore the body to health by repairing the liver and return metabolism to its normal state.[4] The therapy promotes the idea that cancer is caused by alteration of cell metabolism by processed food and toxic environmental substances which alter its sodium and potassium content.[14] It also emphasizes limiting sodium and increasing potassium intake to detoxify the liver. Coffee enemas are said to cause excretion of toxic breakdown products by the liver and through the colon wall. None of these ideas are supported by scientific research.[14] Gerson commented that his therapy aimed to create a "near normal condition of the oxidizing system in the body, to which malignant cells with the fermentation system cannot adapt".[3]

Gerson therapy claims to treat the disease by having patients consume a plant-based diet including hourly glasses of vegetable juice, raw calf's liver extracts and various dietary supplements.[3] Meals are restricted to baked potatoes, oatmeal, salad, cooked and raw vegetables and fruits.[3] Meat and dairy is excluded and only introduced in small amounts back into the diet after 4 or 6 weeks.[15] Berries, nuts, salt, vegetable oils and drinking water are forbidden indefinitely.[3] All canned, frozen and refined foods are excluded and a special grinder and press is required for juicing.[3]

In addition, patients receive enemas of coffee, castor oil and hydrogen peroxide or ozone.[3][16] Since 1983, Gerson therapy has involved the use of ozone enemas, where up to 150mg of ozone is administered rectally.[3]

After Gerson's death, his daughter Charlotte Gerson (March 25, 1922 - February 10, 2019) continued to promote the therapy, founding the "Gerson Institute" in 1977.[17] The original protocol also included raw calf's liver taken orally, but this practice was discontinued in the 1980s after ten patients were hospitalized (five of them comatose) from January 1979 to March 1981 in San Diego, California, area hospitals due to infection with the rare bacterium Campylobacter fetus. This infection was seen only in those following Gerson-type therapy with raw liver (no other cases of patients having sepsis with this microbe, a pathogen in cattle, had been reported to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the previous two years). Nine of ten hospitalized patients had been treated in Tijuana, Mexico; the tenth followed Gerson therapy at home. One of these patients who had metastatic melanoma died within a week of his septic episode. Many of the patients had low sodium levels, thought to be associated with the very low sodium Gerson diet.[2] The photographer Garry Winogrand died of gallbladder cancer in a Gerson Clinic in Tijuana.[18]

Evidence

[edit]

Gerson's therapy has not been independently tested or subjected to randomized controlled trials, and thus is illegal to market in the United States.[4] The Gerson Institute promotes the therapy by citing patient testimonials and other anecdotal evidence.[19] Gerson published a book discussing the alleged success of the therapy in 50 patients, but a review by the U.S. National Cancer Institute was unable to find any evidence that Gerson's claims were accurate.[4] The NCI found that no in vivo animal studies had been conducted. Similarly, case series by Gerson Institute staff published in the alternative medical literature suffered from methodological flaws, and no independent entity has been able to reproduce the claims.[4]

Attempts to independently check the results of the therapy have been negative. A group of 13 patients sickened by elements of the Gerson therapy were evaluated in hospitals in San Diego in the early 1980s; all 13 were found to still have active cancer.[2] An investigation by Quackwatch found that the institute's claims of cure were based not on actual documentation of survival, but on "a combination of the doctor's estimate that the departing patient has a 'reasonable chance of surviving', plus feelings that the Institute staff have about the status of people who call in".[20]

The American Cancer Society reported that "[t]here is no reliable scientific evidence that Gerson therapy is effective in treating cancer, and the principles behind it are not widely accepted by the medical community. It is not approved for use in the United States."[5] In 1947, the National Cancer Institute reviewed 10 claimed cures submitted by Gerson; however, all of the patients were receiving standard anticancer treatment simultaneously, making it impossible to determine what effect, if any, was due to Gerson's therapy.[21] A review of the Gerson therapy by Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center concluded: "If proponents of such therapies wish them to be evaluated scientifically and considered valid adjuvant treatments, they must provide extensive records (more than simple survival rates) and conduct controlled, prospective studies as evidence".[6] In 1959, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) again reviewed cases of patients treated by Gerson. The NCI found that the available information did not prove the regimen had benefit. Cancer Research UK states that "Available scientific evidence does not support any claims that Gerson therapy can treat cancer [...] Gerson therapy can be very harmful to your health."[22]

Safety concerns

[edit]

Gerson therapy can lead to several significant health problems. Serious illness and death have occurred as a direct result of some portions of the treatment, including severe electrolyte imbalances.[5] Proponents of the therapy advise ceasing conventional cancer treatment, and this further risks causing harm.[23]

Continued use of enemas may weaken the colon's normal function, causing or worsening constipation and colitis. Other complications have included dehydration, serious infections and severe bleeding.[5]

The therapy is not recommended for pregnant or breast-feeding women and certain cancers and illnesses.

Coffee enemas have contributed to the deaths of at least three people in the United States. Coffee enemas "can cause colitis (inflammation of the bowel), fluid and electrolyte imbalances, and in some cases septicemia".[24] The recommended diet may not be nutritionally adequate.[25][26] The diet has been blamed for the deaths of patients who substituted it for standard medical care.[27]

Jessica Ainscough, better known as "The Wellness Warrior", was a major proponent of the Gerson diet after her diagnosis with cancer. She rejected medical treatment and followed the diet strictly, documenting her progress in a popular blog. She died from her untreated cancer in February 2015, aged 29.[28]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Schwarcz, Joe (2017). "What is Gerson therapy?". McGill University. Archived from the original on June 10, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c Centers for Disease Control (CDC) (June 1981). "Campylobacter sepsis associated with "nutritional therapy"--California". MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 30 (24): 294–5. PMID 6789105. On-line link to this report at CDC Stacks. Accessed 17 October 2012.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Unproven Methods of Cancer Management: Gerson Therapy". CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians. 40 (4): 252–255. 1990.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Gerson Therapy: History". National Cancer Institute. February 26, 2010. Retrieved March 31, 2010.
  5. ^ a b c d "Gerson Therapy". American Cancer Society. Archived from the original on April 20, 2009. Retrieved April 22, 2009.
  6. ^ a b "Overview of the Gerson Regimen". Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. March 18, 2009. Retrieved April 22, 2009.
  7. ^ Lyman, Gary H. (2015). Oxford American Handbook of Oncology. Oxford University Press. p. 201. ISBN 978-0199922789 "Gerson therapy consists of a strict low-sodium diet, consumption of large amounts of juice from fruits, vegetables, and calf liver, and frequent coffee enemas. No credible cancer cures have resulted from this therapy, and deaths from the therapy have been reported."
  8. ^ a b c d e f "Unproven methods of cancer management. Gerson method of treatment for cancer". CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians. 23 (5): 314–7. 1973. doi:10.3322/canjclin.23.5.314. PMID 4202045. S2CID 35027868.
  9. ^ a b American Cancer Society. "Metabolic Therapy Archived April 25, 2013, at the Wayback Machine". Accessed March 22, 2011.
  10. ^ Carroll RT (January 6, 2014). "Gerson Therapy". The Skeptic's Dictionary. Retrieved April 1, 2014.
  11. ^ Hess, David J. (2004). The politics of healing: histories of alternative medicine in twentieth-century North America. Routledge. p. 222. ISBN 0-415-93339-0.
  12. ^ "Dr. Max Gerson, 77, Cancer specialist". The New York Times. March 9, 1959. p. 29. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
  13. ^ Gorski DH (2019). "Cancer Quackery and Fake News: Targeting the Most Vulnerable". In Bernicker EH (ed.). Cancer and Society: A Multidisciplinary Assessment and Strategies for Action. Springer. pp. 95–112. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-05855-5_7. ISBN 978-3-030-05855-5. S2CID 133344385.
  14. ^ a b Cassileth, Barrie R. (2010). "Gerson Therapy". Cancer Network. Archived from the original on April 12, 2021.
  15. ^ Abby S. Bloch (1990). Nutrition Management of the Cancer Patient: A Practical Guide for Professionals. Jones & Bartlett Learning. p. 362. ISBN 978-0-8342-0132-3. Retrieved November 23, 2012.
  16. ^ Weitzman S (1998). "Alternative Nutritional Cancer Therapies". International Journal of Cancer. 78 (S11): 69–72. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1097-0215(1998)78:11+<69::AID-IJC20>3.0.CO;2-7. PMID 9876483.
  17. ^ Gerson Institute, gerson.org; "About Us". Accessed 12 May 2012.
  18. ^ Bailey, John (December 6, 2009). "Street-Wise: The Photography of Garry Winogrand and Alexey Titarenko". American Cinematographer. Retrieved July 2, 2018.
  19. ^ "The Gerson Institute — Alternative Cancer Treatment".
  20. ^ Lowell, James (February 1986). "Background History of the Gerson Clinic". Nutrition Forum Newsletter. Quackwatch. Retrieved April 22, 2009.
  21. ^ "Gerson Therapy Overview". National Cancer Institute. September 6, 2007. Retrieved April 22, 2009.
  22. ^ "What Gerson therapy is". Cancer Research UK. Archived from the original on September 30, 2012. Retrieved October 22, 2012.
  23. ^ "Gerson therapy". Cancer Research UK. January 10, 2023. Retrieved August 28, 2024.
  24. ^ Hills, Ben. "Fake healers. Why Australia's $1 billion-a-year alternative medicine industry is ineffective and out of control". Medical Mayhem. Retrieved March 6, 2008. Kefford is particularly concerned about cancer patients persuaded to undergo the much-hyped U.S. Gerson diet program, which involves the use of ground coffee enemas, which can cause colitis (inflammation of the bowel), fluid and electrolyte imbalances, and in some cases septicaemia. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has warned against this regime, which is known to have caused at least three deaths.
  25. ^ Clinic Practice Guidelines, page 182. Archived July 21, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  26. ^ Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Prevention, Diagnosis, and Management of Lung Cancer, page 196
  27. ^ Snowbeck, Christopher (April 9, 1999). "Cancer Therapy Pained Her Family... And Didn't Work". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved April 22, 2009.
  28. ^ Williams, Patrick (March 6, 2015). "Jessica Ainscough: Family, friends gather to remember 'The Wellness Warrior' who lost battle with rare cancer". ABC News.
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