Research and Source Guide

Start with the source most capable of answering the question you have.

Current medical guidance

• National Cancer Institute: Complementary and Alternative Medicine
• NCI: Cancer diets and supplements
• NCCIH: What people with cancer need to know
• Memorial Sloan Kettering: Hoxsey herbal therapy
• FDA: Illegally sold cancer treatments

Court opinions

• Hoxsey v. Fishbein (1949) — libel and nominal damages.
• United States v. Hoxsey Cancer Clinic (1952) — federal misbranding case and directed injunction.

Government review

• U.S. Office of Technology Assessment: Unconventional Cancer Treatments (1990)
• Archived local copy of the Hoxsey chapter

Historical artifacts

• Fitzgerald memorandum PDF — allegations and political context, not clinical proof.
• FDA warning PDF — regulatory position and public messaging.
• Harry Hoxsey's You Don't Have to Die — autobiography and advocacy source; claims require independent corroboration.
• Hoxsey: How Healing Becomes a Crime — documentary advocacy and oral history; not a clinical evaluation.

Selected ingredient research

The berberine adenoma-recurrence trial is useful for understanding a specific isolated compound and outcome. It is not evidence that the Hoxsey mixture treats colorectal cancer or any other cancer.

Checklist for evaluating a claim

1. Was the diagnosis independently confirmed?
2. Was the exact treatment and dose documented?
3. Was there a suitable comparison group?
4. Were survival, quality of life, harms, recurrence, and follow-up reported?
5. Were prior or simultaneous treatments accounted for?
6. Has the result been replicated by independent researchers?