Misinformation and the widespred information avalible to individuals accessing the internet can sometimes be overwhelming, determining what information is supported by science and what is not is crucial when it comes to trying new "treatments".
For this week’s learning activity on health misinformation and the potential public health threat(s), I chose to examine the topic of Cancer and potential treatments and/or cures. The video in which misinformation is spread on cancer treatments along with other cures to medical illness can be found here.
So who is Doc of Detox?
The video features “Doc of Detox” also known as Darrel Wolfe who claims to be a medical self-described health practitioner who operates an alternative health facility at a resort in Ixtapa, Mexico, where he and his staff use questionable procedures and devices that are not only costly and ineffective, but can often cause egregious physical suffering (Szeto et al., 2023). In particular, this medical practitioner claims he can “shut down cancer in one treatment” and that involves the use of taking a shot of your own urine three times a day (Szeto et al., 2023). Many medical experts refer to this as a form of alternative medicine (AM) which includes treatments to cancer that are not back by scientific evidence (Johnson et al., 2017). Approved cancer treatments are known as conventional cancer treatment (CCT) which can include chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery, and/or hormone therapy (Johnson et al., 2017).
What does literature have to say about this?
Findings from this study found that patients who initially chose AM for treatment of curable cancer in lieu of CCT were rare and had statistically significantly worse survival rates (Johnson et al., 2017). Despite the popularity of many individuals partaking in urine therapy, either from their own or camel urine, there is actually no scientific evidence showing that these treatments are effective in treating or curing any type of cancer (Moll et al., 2016). Much of what we have heard about the use of urine therapy has no medical basis, and is folk remedy that can actually worsen the injury (Moll et al., 2016). The World Health Organization (WHO), (2023), notes that camel urine had no clinical benefits for any of the cancer patients, it may even have caused zoonotic infection. The promotion of camel urine as a traditional medicine should be stopped because there is no scientific evidence to support it (WHO, 2023).
Potential Risks to Public Health.
The consumption of urine has been linked to serious side effects such as brucellosis as well as death (Zahrani et al., 2023). Brucellosis is a bacterial disease and can affect almost any part of your body, including your reproductive system, liver, heart and central nervous system (WHO, 2020). With that in mind, Zahrani and colleagues, 2023, highlighted that there are many potential public health implications that can include:
· Consuming harmful bacteria and toxins
· Developing illnesses such as Brucellosis
· Kidney damage
· In some cases, death
Overall, it is important to remember that urine therapy, or drinking any form of urine, has no scientific backing and could pose serious health implications to many. It is important to consult a medical professional and only seek treatments that have been approved in order to avoid additional adverse health effects.
References
Johnson, S. B., Park, H. S., Gross, C. P., & Yu, J. B. (2017). Use of alternative medicine for cancer and its impact on survival. JNCI: Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 110(1), 121–124. https://doi.org/10.1093/jnci/djx145
Moll, F., Halling, T., Krischel, M., & Fangerau, H. (2016). Fri-14 urinary fever: A forgotten concept in Urologic and medical history. Journal of Urology, 195(4S). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.juro.2016.02.099
WHO. (2020). Brucellosis. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/brucellosis#:~:text=sheep%20and%20dogs-,Brucellosis%20is%20a%20bacterial%20disease%20caused%20by%20various%20Brucella%20species,or%20by%20inhaling%20airborne%20agents.
Szeto, E., Cowley, J., & Common, D. (2023, January 20). He calls himself a doctor and promises to cure cancer. critics say he’s profiting from misinformation | CBC News. CBCnews. https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/marketplace-darrell-wolfe-investigation-1.6718608
Zahrani, A., Alfakeeh, A., Alghareeb, W., Bakhribah, H., Basulaiman, B., Alsuhail, A., & Alsharm, A. (2023). Use of camel urine is of no benefit to cancer patients: Observational Study and Literature Review. Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal, 29(8), 657–663. https://doi.org/10.26719/emhj.23.050
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