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Breuss Cancer Cure: Abstract and Key Points
Breuss Cancer Cure: Abstract and Key Points
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It is likely that the recommended fast could be dangerous for cancer patients because there is a potential risk
of general malnutrition. As Breuss bans conventional cancer treatment while patients undergo his treatment,
there is a risk that patients will discontinue conventional treatment.
Scientific examinations of the benefits and dangers of Breuss Cancer Cure are lacking.
Theory
Breuss postulated that cancer cells live exclusively on solid foods (“…the only patients that died were
patients that were given something to eat.”).1 2 3 He claimed that cancer cells are not able to feed on
vegetable juices and cancer cells die if patients only ingest vegetable juices and special teas for a period of
42 days. Breuss quoted Bruno Vornarburg who said that the carcinogenic process feeds on proteins and that
a tumor can not continue to exist if the patient lives on a protein-free diet.1 2 3 Furthermore, Breuss claimed
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that after a protein-free diet, the body attacks and destroys the tumor like an “surgery without a knife”.
Breuss believed his intervention was not only a cure, but that it also served preventively against cancer.1 2 3
Treatment
The treatment is described in three books written by Breuss,1 2 3 but it is not clear whether the publishers
have changed, added or left out original statements. For example, the English translation of Breuss’ book
does not mention that he did not allow radiation treatment and injections concurrently with his treatment.2
Further amendments were written by Thomar.5 6
Breuss rigidly stipulated that cancer patients are not allowed to drink or eat anything other than the juices
and teas he recommended for a period for 42 days. He gave strict instructions about the preparation and
ingestion of specific juices and teas. Juices include beetroot, carrots, celeriac, black radish and potatoes in
cases where the patient has been diagnosed with cancer of the liver. All vegetables had to be organically
grown and vegetable sediments were to be removed. The maximum ingested amount of juice was 500 ml
per day.
Breuss allotted three teas for all types of cancers: "sage tea", "kidney tea" and "cranesbill tea". "Sage tea"
includes Salvia officinalis (sage), Hypericum perforatum (St. John’s wort), Mentha piperita (peppermint)
and Melissa officinalis (balm) in a specific ratio. The tea could be taken as desired. "Kidney tea" includes
horsetail Equisetum arvense (balm), Urtica dioica (stinging nettle), Polygonum aviculare (knotgrass) and
Hypericum perforatum (St. John’s wort), at a special ratio and to be taken only for the first three weeks.
"Cranesbill tea" includes Geranium robertianum (red cranesbill) and only one half cup of cold tea should be
ingested per day. For special types of cancer, additional teas are recommended. The use of sugar was not
permitted.
In cases of leukemia, patients would have to drink the recommended teas and juices, but could eat anything
else with the exception of meat soup, beef, pork and reheated food 1 3 (the English translation mentions beef
soup, pork, chemical food additives, burnt food and fats 2).
Breuss further stipulated that patients should not start the Breuss Cancer Cure immediately after surgery, but
should wait for at least two to five months. No concurrent treatments was permitted during the treatment. He
recommended fresh air and exercise, and smoking should be stopped. Furthermore, the patient should not be
lying above so-called “water veins” (sources of ground radiation) and should avoid moth powder,
insecticides, aerosol cans or air fresheners in the house. Breuss stated that patients who had completed the
Breuss Cancer Cure should never again eat reheated food, but could be allowed to gradually start eating
salt-reduced, light food, and should drink approximately 60 ml of the vegetable juice per day for another two
to four weeks.
Additional instructions were added in 1987 1 2: patients should have one or two bowls of onion broth a day
(only the liquid). To support the heart, patients should take 20 to 40 drops of Crataegus oxyacantha
(hawthorn) tincture (Crataegus oxyacantha). People with diabetes should continue insulin treatment.
Instructions published in 1990 1: for substitution of calcium and potassium, patients should drink a tea made
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from Plantago lanceolata (plantain lance), Plantago major (broad-leaved plantain), Cetraria islandica
(Iceland moss), Pulmonaria officinalis (lungwort), Glechoma hederacea (ground ivy), Verbascum thapsus
(mullein) and Ligusticum mutellina (Meum mutellina herb). Patients with liver or gall bladder problems
should drink a broth of bean pods instead of onion broth.
Claims of efficacy
Breuss claimed that since 1950 he has successfully treated more than 2000 patients. He estimated that since
1986, an additional 40 000 patients with cancer and other “incurably diseases” had been healed by the used
of his methods. As proof he cited testimonials and letters of thanks written in the period from 1971 to 1985.
1 2 3 Breuss claimed that treatment failures could only occur if his instructions were not strictly adhered to.1
2 3 He believed that about one million people could be healed, “if the so-called cancer research and the
orthodox medicine would be with me instead against me.”1
Prevalence of use
Although the book the “Breuss Cancer Cure” was translated into Chinese, Croatian, English, French, Greek,
Italian, Polish, Russian, Serbian and Spanish,1 2 no exact data on prevalence of use have been published.
Internet searches located several patients reporting their experiences with the treatment,6 7 8 9 and an
Internet homepage reported 122583 visitors between August 2004 and the beginning of December 2010.6
The Internet search also identified one physician 10 and two spa hotels 11 offering the Breuss treatment.
Costs
The juices are produced and promoted by Biotta INC.12 and can be purchased in health food stores,
drugstores and over the internet. The required 21 litres cost €131 or more. Costs for teas are additional. Spa
hotels offer the Breuss Cancer Cure for around €2600 to €4700, or more.10
Clinical trials
There is only one small clinical trial – involving eight cancer patients with metastatic diseases – that has
investigated the “Breuss Cancer Cure”.13 The study did not use a control group. The authors reported two
complete, and two partial remissions and that the patients felt better than expected during the intervention
and had experienced less pain. During the trial, one patient died, and two died shortly after completion of
the trial. The authors did not attribute the deaths to the intervention. It was claimed that if that trial had been
designed as a conventional phase-1-study, it would produce results showing Breuss to be an effective
treatment with minor toxicity for patients with advanced cancer. No further studies have been published.13
Thomar is currently looking for people who have reported success with the "Breuss Cancer Cure", in order
to carry out a retrospective study.6
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Case reports
Jungi stated, without presenting data, that tumors usually become smaller during a fast but after resuming
the consumption of nutrition, grow more quickly.14 Pfortmueller put forward similar statements, but
without providing any empirical data.15
Animal studies
Caloric restriction (undernutrition without malnutrition) delays the incidence of various types of tumors and
decreases their growth.16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 Tumors can be sensitive and resistant to
dietary restriction.30 Starvation (fasting) is a form of malnutrition. It has no beneficial effects on tumor
growth, but tumor growth might be stimulated during an acute fast.31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41
References
1. Breuss R. Krebs - Leukämie und andere scheinbar unheilbare Krankheiten mit natürlichen Mitteln
heilbar. Mebus; 1990.
2. Breuss R. The Breuss Cancer Cure. Alive books Canada; 1995.
3. Moerman C, Breuss R. Krebs - Leukämie und andere scheinbar unheilbare Krankheiten - mit
natürlichen Mitteln heilen. 12 ed. Freiburg i. Br.: Aurum in J. Kamphausen Verlag; 2004.
4. Merk J. Wangen im Allgäu. 2005.
5. Thomar, J. H. R. Die Krebskur total nach Rudolph Breuss richtig gemacht. 2008. Eigenverlag J.H.R.
Thomar Pullendorf.
6. Mit der Breuss Kur...., http://www.breuss-kur.de, and Keine Operation. Keine Chemo.
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6.
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25. ritchevsky D. Caloric restriction and cancer. J Nutr Sci Vitaminol 2001;47(1):13-19.
26. Kritchevsky D. Caloric restriction and experimental carcinogenesis. Hybrid Hybridomics
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28. Cheney KE, Liu RK, Smith GS, Leung RE, Mickey MR, Walford RL. Survival and disease patterns in
C57BL/6J mice subjectes to undernutrition. Exp Gerontol 1980;15(4):237-258.
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30. Kalaany NY, Sabatini DM. Tumours with PI3K activation are resistant to dietary restriction. Nature
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31. Tomasi C, Laconi E, Laconi S, Greco M, Sarma DS, Pani P. Effect of fasting/refeeding on the
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32. Goodgame JT, Jr., Lowry SF, Reilly JJ, Jones DC, Brennan MF. Nutritional manipulations and tumor
growth. I. The effects of starvation. Am J Clin Nutr 1979;32(11):2277-84.
33. Goodstein ML, Richtsmeier WJ, Sauer LA. The effect of an acute fast on human head and neck
carcinoma xenograft. Growth effects on an 'isolated tumor vascular pedicle' in the nude rat. Arch
Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 1993;119(8):897-902.
34. Hikita H, Vaughan J, Babcock K, Pitot HC. Short-term fasting and the reversal of the stage of
promotion in rat hepatocarcinogenesis: role of cell replication, apoptosis, and gene expression.
Toxicol Sci 1999;52(2 Suppl):17-23.
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stage of hepatocarcinogenesis in rats: the role of apoptosis and cell proliferation. Carcinogenesis
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36. Premoselli F, Sesca E, Chiara M, Binasco V, Tessitore L. Fasting/refeeding enhances the crypt
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37. Sauer LA, Nagel WO, Dauchy RT, Miceli LA, Austin JE. Stimulation of Tumor Growth in Adult Rats
in Vivo during an Acute Fast. Cancer Res 1986;46:3469-75.
38. Sauer LA, Dauchy RT. Blood nutrient concentrations and tumor growth in vivo in rats: relationships
during the onset of an acute fast. Cancer Research 1987;47:1065-1068.
39. Torosian MH, Daly JM. Nutritional support in the cancer-bearing host. Cancer 1986;58:1915-1929.
40. Laconi E, Tessitore L, Milia G, Yusuf A, Sarma DS, Todde P, Pani P. The enhancing effect of
fasting/refeeding on the growth of nodules selectable by the resistant hepatocyte model in rat liver.
Carcinogenesis 1995;16:1865-1869.
41. Tessitore L, Tomasi C, Greco M, Sesca E, Laconi E, Maccioni O, Ramo R, Pani P. A subnecrogenic
dose of diethylnitrosamine is able to inhibite hepatocarcinogenensis in the rat when coupled with
fasting/refeeding. Carcinogenesis 1996;17:289-292.
42. Senn HJ, Jungi WF. Krebskur total. Schweiz Ärztezeitung 1979;34:1678-80.
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45. Maltoni M, Caraceni A, Brunelli C, Broeckaert B, Christakis N, Eychmueller Set al. Prognostic
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