Laetrile/Amygdalin (PDQ®)
Cancer Information Summaries « English « Patients « L
Overview
- Laetrile is a compound that contains a chemical called amygdalin. Amygdalin is found in the pits of many fruits, raw nuts, and plants (see Question 1 ).
- It is believed that the active anticancer ingredient in laetrile is cyanide (see Question 1 ).
- Laetrile is given by mouth as a pill or by intravenous injection (see Question 4 ).
- Laetrile has shown little anticancer effect in laboratory studies, animal studies, or human studies (see Question 5 and Question 6 ).
- The side effects of laetrile are like the symptoms of cyanide poisoning (see Question 7 ).
- Laetrile is not approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (see Question 8 ).
This record was last updated on May 19th, 2006.
About the PDQ Cancer Information Summaries from the National Cancer Institute
PDQ (Physician Data Query) is a comprehensive cancer database published by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), which is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). It contains peer-reviewed summaries on cancer treatment, screening, prevention, genetics, and supportive care, and complementary and alternative medicine; a registry of cancer clinical trials; and directories of physicians, professionals who provide genetics services, and organizations that provide cancer care.
The PDQ Cancer Information Summaries are peer reviewed and updated monthly by six editorial boards comprised of specialists in adult treatment, pediatric treatment, supportive care, screening and prevention, genetics, and complementary and alternative medicine. The Boards review current literature from more than 70 biomedical journals, evaluate its relevance, and synthesize it into clear summaries. Many of the summaries are also available in Spanish.
Linked medical terms appearing on this page are added by Healia to help readers find more information and are not part of the original PDQ document.