Facebook Finally Bans Groups Promoting Flesh-Eating Black Salve for Cancer

The potential health consequences are serious.

"Black salve seriously burnt me. … I'm permanently scarred,” says one Facebook user, posting anonymously on the page Black Salve Is Serious Quackery. She writes that she was using it to treat a breast lump. "The pain was so bad. I feel like an idiot….all I ever wanted was to be well and present for my children. The scars are horrific."

After banning the groups, a Facebook spokesperson emailed The Hill: "We want everyone using Facebook to feel safe, that's why we continually review Groups for Community Standards violations and take appropriate action against any Group found to be breaking our policies as soon as we become aware of it.”

What Is Black Salve Paste?

Although it's marketed as an herbal remedy, black salve products made with zinc chloride or bloodroot extract create a corrosive agent capable of dissolving healthy and diseased tissue alike, according to a study in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

The products are falsely advertised online as safe and effective for the treatment of more serious conditions, such as skin and breast cancer.

RELATED: Nearly 40% of Americans Believe Alternative Medicine Can Cure Cancer

Although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration prohibits the sale of black salve products, the banned Facebook groups have promoted homemade recipes and provided purchasing-information from purveyors outside of the U.S.

The Danger of Alternative Therapies

According to the American Society of Clinical Oncology, 30% to 40% of Americans believe in alternative therapies for cancer treatment. SurvivorNet has reported on American’s fascination with alternative medicine.

People who use alternative therapies instead of traditional methods to treat cancer are significantly more likely to die. Still, almost 40% of Americans believe that these unproven treatment methods can cure cancer. A survey from the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) found that 39% of those surveyed believe alternative therapy alone like vitamins, minerals, or diet can cure cancer.

RELATED VIDEO: The Difference Between Integrative Medicine and "Alternative Medicine"

"The vast majority of alternative therapies either haven't been rigorously studied or haven't been found to benefit patients," said ASCO Chief Medical Officer Dr. Richard Shilsky. "When patients are making critical decisions about which cancer treatments to undergo, it is always best to follow the evidence from well-designed research studies."

A Yale study, that was published in JAMA Oncology in July, found that people who decided to go the alternative therapy route were more likely to die. When asked why people would choose one of these methods, study author Dr. James Yu told SurvivorNet that "this is kind of like the anti-vaccine crowd in a way. My guess is that when faced with a tough decision like a cancer diagnosis or cancer treatment, these are patients who are wondering if there's another way."

The unfortunate truth, though, is that in most cases there isn't another way. Many doctors today are open to discussing integrative therapy methods  as long as these methods don't seek to replace the medically approved treatments.

 

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

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