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Laetrile/Amygdalin (PDQ®)
Patient Version   Health Professional Version   Last Modified: 05/19/2006



Overview






Questions and Answers About Laetrile/Amygdalin






Changes To This Summary (05/19/2006)






General CAM Information






Evaluation of CAM Approaches






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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).


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