Disease relevance of Laetrile

• Laetrile-induced agranulocytosis [1].
• It is concluded that cyanide toxicity secondary to laetrile therapy and nutritional deficiency caused the neuromyopathy, as the changes in peripheral nerve are similar to changes described in ataxic polyneuropathy occurring in Nigeria attributed to high cyanide content in the diet and nutritional deficiency [2].
• We suggested a possible relationship between Laetrile poisoning and massive hepatic necrosis [3].
• Ineffectiveness of laetrile in the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia [4].
• Amygdalin (Laetrile): effect on clonogenic cells from human myeloid leukemia cell lines and normal human marrow [5].

Psychiatry related information on Laetrile

• We analyze one case, Rutherford v. United States, that was won in the lower courts by the advocates of laetrile and conclude that the courts may have allowed emotionalism to interfere with the process of rational decision-making [6].

High impact information on Laetrile

• For members of the CCS, laetrile use occurs in a self-help social context where users derive substantial social and emotional support from fellow members [7].
• A clinical trial of amygdalin (Laetrile) in the treatment of human cancer [8].
• Despite these general deficiencies, four BCS (antineoplastons, hydrazine sulfate, laetrile, and Kelly-Gonzalez) were sufficiently convincing to warrant follow-up clinical trials [9].
• The anti-tumor activity of amygdalin (NSC 251222), commercially known as Laetrile, was investigated using P388 lymphocytic leukaemia and P815 mast-cell leukaemia in BDF1 mice [10].
• In guinea pigs, conjoint use of laetrile (a cyanogenic glycoside) and ascorbic acid (in large doses) decreases the detoxification of cyanide derived from laetrile through diminishing the availability of cysteine, but not impairing hepatic rhodanese activity, which is involved in the detoxification of cyanide to thiocyanate [11].

Chemical compound and disease context of Laetrile

• Amygdalin (laetrile) toxicity in rodents [12].

Biological context of Laetrile

• If this is so, then arguments for allowing laetrile use will have to appeal to principles of freedom and medical sociology and not to a traditional analysis of safety and effectiveness [13].
• Amygdalin (Laetrile) and veterinary medicine [14].
• In recent years, the increasing use of laetrile has been added to the traditional sources of exposure to cyanide in industry, chemistry labs, and fumigation [15].
• Pregnancy in a woman who took laetrile as daily intramuscular injections during the last trimester resulted in a live, term infant [16].

Associations of Laetrile with other chemical compounds

• Many alternative therapies, including high-dose vitamin C, the Di Bella regimen, and laetrile have been shown not to be effective [17].
• Among the first clinics to be established were the Bio-Medical Center (Hoxsey therapy), Oasis of Hope (a Laetrile-oriented clinic), and a series of clinics affiliated with the Gerson diet therapy [18].

Analytical, diagnostic and therapeutic context of Laetrile

• Ethics of Laetrile clinical trials [19].
• A panel of 12 oncologists, who had no knowledge of the actual treatments given, was then asked to evaluate the results of 160 courses of treatment (68 Laetrile, 68 chemotherapy, 24 "no treatment") in the abstracted records from 93 patients [20].
• Discussed in this article are six of these cases, two involving Laetrile (amygdalin), two involving immunoaugmentative therapy, and two involving thermography, technologies that had previously been assessed as not safe, not effective, or inadequately evaluated [21].
• Editorial: Chihuahuas and laetrile, chelation therapy, and honey from Boulder, Colo [22].
• This includes Laetrile, immunoaugmentative therapy, chelation therapy, macrobiotic diets, and other alternative therapies [23].

References