Radium weed prevents skin cancer

[Torsten]

Radium weed is also know as Petty Spurge [Euphorbia peplus] and is a common weed that has a long history of use in preventing skin cancers

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Sunspot cure based on old wives' tale

Queensland scientists investigating an old wives' tale claim to have produced a gel that eliminates sunspots before they become cancerous.

The Queensland Institute of Medical Research has found a natural plant-based gel known as PEP-005 that can reduce and eradicate sunspots after two days.

Dr Jim Aylward discovered the enzyme in the plant known as the radium weed.

"My mother had been keeping a weed growing for years, and she knew that it had great effects against skin cancer," he said.

Institute spokesman Dr Peter Parsons says scientists are now looking at using the enzyme to treat a variety of cancers.

"We're talking here about injecting the drug into people to cure serious cancers," he said.

Manufacturers hope the gel will be available for public use by 2011.

[JDanger]

My mum put some sap on a small wart I had on my hand when I was a kid. It disappeared within days. Been a fan of this here plant ever since.

[Uncle. S]

When u break the stem of this plant does it ooze a bright white sap? kind of like thin pva glue?

[JDanger]

Yes. Unless I'm extremely mistaken about my wart cure.

[Andrew]

Heard of this a few years ago,aparently the old queensland farmers have been using it

for years.It think when its done its job you use aloe vera to help heal the affected skin.

[Uncle. S]

I had a quick utfse for this plant but couldnt find out for sure, i live just south of perth and see something that looks like this plant everywhere, is it likely its the same plant?

(i know that sentence sounds a bit retarded ;))

[FancyPants]

When u break the stem of this plant does it ooze a bright white sap? kind of like thin pva glue?

Yes that's the one.

My grandmother has been using radium weed for years and when I had warts as a kid she and mum told me to use it and if I'd used it properly it would've worked like it did for my cousins. I suggested it in the wart removal thread but for some reason I keep thinking it's called radiata... anyway.

Fascinating stuff, I didn't know it worked for other skin cnoditions especially something as potentially serious as sunspots with potential to becoming dermal cancers.

[Neoshaman]

So does the weed in its natural state do anything towards the healing of skin cancer or is it only the gel curiosity how hard would this enzyme be to isolate /concentrate using basic organic chemistry teks?????

[occidentalis]

Uncle Staunch, yes, Euphorbia peplus is a common weed in Perth gardens and bushlands

So does the weed in its natural state do anything towards the healing of skin cancer

Yes

[t st tantra]

so how is it used?

i put a drop each on a wart and a skin spot yesterday......thought i felt a slight stinging burn for a short period....am planning one application a day.....nothing noticable yet....

t s t .

[Alchemica]

This patent might give you some clues on how to use the stuff.

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7410656.html

The patient, a 54 year old male, had been seen sporadically at the Royal Brisbane Hospital since 1971. On one visit he was noted to have a clinical basal cell carcinoma on the anterior part of his chest which was confirmed by biopsy of a tiny specimen taken from one edge Some days later when the biopsy site had healed the patient applied the sap of Euphorbia peplus every day for 5 days. The area became erythematous and then pustular, after which the lesion sloughed off. On his return 6 weeks after treatment, the patient agreed to let us surgically excise the small area of residual scarring. Multiple sections showed dermal scar tissue which contained a few chronic inflammatory cells, but showed no evidence of residual tumour. The authors stated that “this communication should in no way be taken as a recommendation of the form of therapy”.

Treatment of a Solar Keratosis in a Human Volunteer

Ethics committee approval was obtained from the Queensland Institute of Medical Research for a clinician supervised trial of use of crude sap of E. peplus for treatment of a facial solar keratosis in a human subject.

Crude extract obtained from Australian-grown plants and stored in 50% glycerol for 2 weeks at −20° C. was applied with a cotton bud applicator to the surface of a clinically diagnosed solar keratosis, approximately 5 mm in diameter, on the left temple of the face of a male human volunteer. Approximately 50 μl was delivered to the surface. One day later, a second application was made to the same site. After the first application, no reaction was noted for 4-5 h, whereafter an inflammation reaction occurred at the site and extended to an area of 80-100 mm in diameter. One day later, there was localised swelling, and blister formation at the site of application and on localised patches distal to the area of application, as if new premalignant sites were also targeted. After four days following the first treatment, the swelling subsided and scab formation was evident at the affected sites. After fourteen days, the scabs had sloughed off, leaving new skin underneath. After six weeks, the treated areas still had a pinkish tinge, but there was no sign of the original solar keratosis. As a control, a 1 cm 2 patch of normal skin on the forearm of the same volunteer was similarly treated. There was localised mild inflammation, which disappeared 7-10 days after treatment.

Plus a few reports from users:

Euphorbia peplus application protocol for nonmelanoma skin cancer - report from California

(Do not get in eye)

Used it repeatedly (once or twice a day, for a week or two) on the Superficial BCC (biopsy proven) on leg; it reacted a little, but not much, and is still visible although much less conspicuous. I need to hit it with another treatment cycle.

I applied it to 1 spot on nose and 1 above lip. Amazing how differently facial skin reacts compared to skin of lower leg, which is taciturn and impassive.

Washed off the above-lip spot after 4 hours or so; a good thing, since it (sap) turns out to have spread beyond the intended area, more than the nose one did. Nose one - applied to a reddened spot to begin with, covered when sap had dried with adhesive tape that had a little piece taped to middle of the sticky side, to make the sap-covering center un-sticky - had enarged into a small tender bulls-eye by morning - the red spot now a dark brown, surrounded by utterly shocked grey-white tissue, surrounded by shiny swollen pink. The whole thing maybe three times the diameter of the original red spot.

DO NOT FORGET to remove the covering when taking shower! you want to wash the sap off at that point, not let it spread under the bandage and attack nearby skin.

I got a somewhat red (but not sore) eye the day I tried it, and suspect it is from loose strands of hair picking some of it up.

I suspect you also do not want to get Euphorbia peplus sap in your mouth. Which if it's mixed with ointment and applied near mouth could happen. Late same day my teeth started aching way deep in gums, in the area closest to where it had been applied. Been drinking orange juice and sucking on vit. C and calcium pills (to neutralize the C), these make the achiness go away. Would hate to lose the choppers along with the skin cancer...

(note - can't blame the sap with 100% confidence since the achy teeth/gums also happen if flossing has been neglected, (or if insufficient vitamin D and calcium??) and when your lip is three times its normal size (see "Miss Aldara" post below) and feels rather unpleasant, it's hard to get motivated about flossing. But the timing matched.)

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a week later...

The peplus-applied area turned into a pond of thinly covered jello for a while there, with a scab in the middle - to mix metaphors, it looked like a fried egg. I was afraid I'd accidentally dislodge the scab so bandaged it up again which might not be the right thing to do, if it's mushy it might be able to take undesirable shapes if bandage is exerting wrong pressure in wrong area at wrong time (or not - this is wild speculation). Although maybe there's a future market here - if Young People Of Today like to poke holes in their noses, maybe the next big thing is nasal topiary...

About 5 days after application the scab came off, and [at the time there was] a shallow crater there - but this is me, your mileage would almost certainly vary, my skin is a definite underachiever when it comes to healing and filling in carved-out spots. I kept antibiotic and occasional phenytoin ointment on it, telling it it's not done yet & get with the program. Time will tell.

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Two months later... Time told, nose is normally shaped. I don't feel that the single, isolated application was the right way to go though, the nose skin still doesn't seem entirely normal.

I applied it once every 3 days, with 5 applications. Yes, my nose did a complete backflip and after the first application went red. 48 hours later the lesion scabbed. Redness stayed for approx: 5-6 days. At the end of the 15 days the skin was bright pink, but lesion was gone. Have had no further problems since.

http://plantmed.blogspot.com/2004_01_01_pl...d_archive.html#

Edited May 20, 2009 by The Alchemist

[Neoshaman]

This patent might give you some clues on how to use the stuff.

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7410656.html

hmm so is that why there was a mention of aloe being used too does this reduce the trauma to healthy skin cells in anyway I have a ridiculous amount of aloe growing hmmm what would happen if i mixed aloe gell squeezed from th plant n radium sap anyone think this may reduce the negative aspects or would it be better to apply with a break between them ???

A lot of my family have suffered with skin cancer and my grandfather died from it so this is a great deal of interest to me sorry if some of my questions are silly I have basic understanding of organic chem but very limited some of you guys round here have amazing amounts of knowledge so I hope someone can enlighten me further

[t st tantra]

thanx mate!

i tried to put the sap only on the spots.

using the broken plant stem it was easy to apply, and spread a little ,the virtually spherical drops,which dryed fairly quickly.forgot to do it today.

t s t .

[tuamai]

I was diagnosed with basil cell carcinoma awhile back and had it surgically removed.

Now I have to go in to a dermatologist every six months for a skin check and usually

come out with my arms and face covered with spots from liquid nitrogen treatment

which freezes off any precancerous growths. Be nice to have a plant like this sprouting

in the back yard. Anyone know where I could source a specimen? I'm in Hawaii!

[tuamai]

Ha! Just did a google search of petty spurge in Hawaii. It does grow here on different

islands. Several pictures of it on Maui and Midway Atoll, but I'm on Oahu. Have to keep

a look out for this one. Mahalo for the info Torsten!

[tuamai]

No luck finding this plant so far over here. From several google searches

I see that it's found on Midway Island, Kauai, Maui and the Big Island.

No hits for my island of Oahu yet. Any folks from Oahu who know where

I can find this plant?

Be willing to trade for or purchase some Euphorbia Peplus seeds from

any kind Corroboree member out there. Feel free to PM me.

[t st tantra]

was curious how much dosing was needed and wary of strong reactions so ended up applying once a week for 3 weeks.......the dark spot[mole] is at most a tad lighter,basically unchanged.....the wart has almost finished flaking off, mostly this week,not much redness or scaring that i can see.......

t s t .

[planthelper]

this thread inspired me to look out for this not uncommon weed, and after 2 weeks of not looking hard i found one growing out of a crack between a small wall and the sidewalk!!

anyway i used it 3 times on a small a small skin blemish and now after 3 weeks since applying the sap, i can't find the spot anymore.

funny how this plant grows in a fashion which makes it a a good applicator.

did nature indended this form of use, does a plant advertise it's usefullness?

[planthelper]

here is a pic of this urban dweller, making the most out of his home.

[tuamai]

Been keeping my eyes open hoping to find some, but no luck as yet.

Ended up ordering some seeds from Shipyards Herb Farm in Queensland.

Small packet of seeds for $15 AUD or $12 US. Actually cheaper than a trip

to the doctor for liquid nitrogen treatment. Have two sprouts so far. Would

think they grow fast. I've raised weed in the past but never weeds!

[Rabelais]

Overrunning a flower bed in a local park here in Tas.

Have I got the right thing here?

[gilligan]

That be the one...

[tuamai]

While waiting for my radium weed to grow, I've been performing the following

procedures on some "precancerous skin growths" (my dermatologist's words)

with great success:

http://jasper.cmsarchitects.com/pipermail/...ber/005206.html

Amazing how plants that you see everyday can offer up such life changing benefits!!