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Germanium is a mineral used in electronics that is sold as a supplement to fight cancer. There is no good evidence it works, and it causes kidney, liver and nerve damage, even at low doses, so Memorial Sloan Kettering advises that it should not be used at all.
Memorial Sloan Kettering's About Herbs entry describes germanium as non-essential and promoted, in inorganic and organic forms, for cancer and AIDS. Spirogermanium was investigated as an anticancer drug and caused severe kidney, liver, bone marrow and nerve toxicity. Germanium sesquioxide (Ge-132) is marketed as a lower-toxicity supplement; a single case report described tumour remission, but there is no conclusive evidence that it treats cancer, and a 2011 phase 2 trial for radiation fatigue has produced no results. Products may be contaminated with toxic inorganic germanium dioxide; the FDA has issued warning letters about unsubstantiated claims and does not allow importation for human consumption. MSK states plainly that germanium supplements should not be consumed: low-dose chronic toxicity has been demonstrated repeatedly, with weight loss, fatigue, anaemia, muscle weakness and sensory ataxia commonly, and chronic kidney failure, liver damage, neuropathy and bone marrow hypoplasia more rarely.
Claimed to improve tissue oxygenation and immunity; the documented biological effect in people is tubular kidney damage and neurotoxicity.
Query for this technology: (TITLE:"Germanium supplements" OR ABSTRACT:"Germanium supplements" OR TITLE:"Ge-132, 'vitamin O'" OR ABSTRACT:"Ge-132, 'vitamin O'" OR TITLE:"Germanium sesquioxide" OR ABSTRACT:"Germanium sesquioxide" OR TITLE:"Ge-132" OR ABSTRACT:"Ge-132") AND (cancer OR tumor OR tumour OR oncology OR carcinoma OR lymphoma OR leukemia OR leukaemia OR myeloma OR sarcoma OR melanoma OR glioma). Results are unfiltered search hits about Germanium supplements (Ge-132, 'vitamin O'), not a curated reading list.
Shares Colloidal silver, Alternative medicine used instead of standard treatment, Unproven diet claims (alkaline, juice, 'anti-cancer' diets), Evidence-based integrative oncology and the tags complementary, supportive-care.
Shares Colloidal silver, Alternative medicine used instead of standard treatment, Unproven diet claims (alkaline, juice, 'anti-cancer' diets), Misinformation and unproven therapies and the tags complementary, supportive-care.
Shares Alternative medicine used instead of standard treatment, Unproven diet claims (alkaline, juice, 'anti-cancer' diets), Evidence-based integrative oncology, Misinformation and unproven therapies and the tags complementary, supportive-care.
Shares Alternative medicine used instead of standard treatment, Unproven diet claims (alkaline, juice, 'anti-cancer' diets), Evidence-based integrative oncology, Misinformation and unproven therapies and the tags complementary, supportive-care.
Shares Alternative medicine used instead of standard treatment, Unproven diet claims (alkaline, juice, 'anti-cancer' diets), Evidence-based integrative oncology, Misinformation and unproven therapies and the tags complementary, supportive-care.
Shares Alternative medicine used instead of standard treatment, Unproven diet claims (alkaline, juice, 'anti-cancer' diets), Evidence-based integrative oncology, Misinformation and unproven therapies and the tags complementary, supportive-care.
Shares Alternative medicine used instead of standard treatment, Unproven diet claims (alkaline, juice, 'anti-cancer' diets), Evidence-based integrative oncology, Misinformation and unproven therapies and the tags complementary, supportive-care.
Shares Alternative medicine used instead of standard treatment, Unproven diet claims (alkaline, juice, 'anti-cancer' diets), Evidence-based integrative oncology, Misinformation and unproven therapies and the tags complementary, supportive-care.
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