Journal of the National Cancer Institute Advance Access originally published online on August 26, 2008
JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute 2008 100(17):1200-1202; doi:10.1093/jnci/djn317
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© Oxford University Press 2008.
NEWS |
Crackdown on Unproven Cancer Treatments Focuses on Internet Marketers
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In June, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that it had sent warning letters to 25 companies that peddle unapproved cancer treatments on the Internet. The companies, identified through consumer complaints and a daylong Web search by employees of the FDA, the Federal Trade Commission, and Canadian government agencies, were given 15 days to address the violations outlined in the letters.
The companies’ products—including shark cartilage; the botanicals bloodroot and Cat's Claw; ellagic acid, an antioxidant found in pomegranates; and an herbal tea called Essiac—are legal to sell in the United States, said Gary Coody, the FDA's national health fraud coordinator. The problem lies in the claims that the companies make about their products’ intended uses and benefits. Many of the products cited in the warning letters are marketed as "dietary supplements" and are regulated under the 1994 Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act. Supplements are exempt from the
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