What is Carcinosinum?

Carcinosinum is a homeopathic remedy made from human breast cancer tissue. The source is named Carcinoma mammae in Latin. Many labels call it Cancer nosode.

A nosode is a remedy made from diseased tissue. In homeopathy, Carcinosinum counts as a single drug.

The starting tissue is diluted over and over in water and alcohol. This step-by-step process is called serial dilution. At the common 30C strength, no source material is left.

What you take is a sugar pellet, or a liquid that once touched the dilution.

Homeopaths give it to people who worry about cancer in the family. They also use it for some mood, sleep and childhood complaints.

Trials do not show any effect beyond placebo. So it is not a cancer treatment, and it must never stand in for real cancer care.

It holds a long place in homeopathic books. But a long record of use is not proof that a remedy works.

How does Carcinosinum work?

There is no known way for this remedy to act on the body. At 30C, chemists can find no trace of the original tissue.

Homeopathy teaches that water keeps a kind of imprint of a substance after dilution and shaking. It also teaches that a tiny dose of something that causes symptoms can ease those same symptoms. Neither idea fits what we know about chemistry or the body.

Most of what people report is best explained by placebo effect, by time passing, and by the long, kind talk a homeopath gives. Those are real comforts, but they are not drug action.

What forms does Carcinosinum come in?

It comes as small pellets you let melt under the tongue. Tablets and liquid drops are also sold.

Common strengths are 30C, 200C, 1M and LM potencies. The higher the number, the more dilution steps were used.

It is sold in pharmacies and online in many countries. Some countries restrict remedies made from human tissue, so what you can buy varies.

Where it comes from:

Carcinosinum entered homeopathy in Britain in the late 1800s. J. Compton Burnett wrote about remedies made from tumour tissue.

James Tyler Kent and later writers added it to their repertories. In the 1950s the British homeopath Donald Foubister described a 'Carcinosin type' patient, often a child, and his case notes made the remedy popular.

It is now a standard nosode in homeopathic practice. Its standing rests on case notes and teaching, not on trials.

What does Carcinosinum help with?

• Worry about cancer in the family: This is the best known use in homeopathy. The homeopath picks it from the person's life story, not from any test. No trial has tested it for this. It does not lower your risk of cancer. Ask your doctor about screening tests instead.
• Low mood and anxiety in people who try hard to please others: Old case notes describe this exact picture. The remedy is matched to the whole person, not to one symptom. No human trial backs it. See a doctor if your mood stays low or you feel hopeless.
• Trouble sleeping in children: Homeopaths have used it for restless sleep and fear of the dark. The reports are single cases only. No trial has tested it. Steady bedtimes and a doctor's check help far more.
• Long-lasting tiredness: Some homeopaths use it when tiredness drags on for months. There is no trial evidence for this. Tiredness has many causes. Simple blood tests can find some of them.
• Repeated coughs and colds in children: This use comes from Donald Foubister's case notes in the 1950s. No trial has checked it. A child who keeps getting infections needs a doctor's look.
• Eczema (an itchy, dry skin rash): Homeopaths sometimes choose it when eczema runs in a family with cancer. No trial supports this. Creams and care from a doctor are what treat eczema.
• Behaviour or growth worries in children: Foubister wrote about children he called 'Carcinosin types'. This is case-note lore, passed from teacher to student. No trial has tested it. Growth and behaviour worries need proper checks.

What are the side effects of Carcinosinum?

• No physical effect at all in most people
• A short flare of old symptoms, which homeopaths call an aggravation
• Stomach upset or loose stools from lactose (milk sugar) in pellets, if milk sugar upsets you
• Sugar load from pellets, which matters if you count carbohydrates
• Alcohol from liquid drops, which matters for children and for anyone avoiding alcohol
• Rare allergy to a pellet ingredient, with rash, itching or swelling
• Delay in getting real care, which is the main and most serious risk

Good to know:

Direct harm from the remedy itself is very unlikely. At 30C there is nothing left in the pellet to act on you.

The real danger is not the pellet. It is time lost. People have died after using homeopathy in place of cancer treatment, and a delay of even a few months can change the outcome.

Use it, if at all, alongside your doctor's care and never instead of it.

How much Carcinosinum should you take?

• Recommended daily: No dose is established, because no trial has shown the remedy to do anything. Labels and homeopaths differ widely. In practice a homeopath often gives one dose of 30C or 200C and then waits. Some give a few pellets once a day for a short spell. Others give a single higher dose and do not repeat it for months. This remedy is chosen from a long interview, not from a symptom list. It is not a good choice for self-treating.
• Best time of day: Homeopaths usually suggest taking it in a clean mouth, away from food, drink, toothpaste and strong mint. Many suggest first thing in the morning or last thing at night. These are customs of the tradition, not tested rules.
• With or without food: Take it without food. The usual advice is to let pellets melt under the tongue about 15 to 30 minutes before or after eating or drinking.
• Time to effect: No honest time can be given. In trials, homeopathic remedies do not act better than placebo. Homeopaths often tell people to watch for changes over two to six weeks.
• How long to take it: Keep any trial short. If nothing has changed after a few weeks, stop and think again. Do not keep taking it for months in the hope of preventing illness. It has not been shown to prevent anything. Review any new or lasting symptom with a doctor rather than waiting for the remedy to work.