Thanks Grace2Go, for the link where Dr. Oz considers Dr. Mercola's endorsement of Curaderm, a topical cream with a mixture of glycoalkaloids derived from eggplant used to treat skin cancer. Dr Oz gives a cautious response similar to what you would expect to hear from almost any lawsuit cognizant physician. Curaderm has met a mixed response on this forum, working for some people and not for others. We also had a big thread on "homemade Curaderm" using eggplant and apple cider vinegar that in the end seemed to be not very effective for treating skin cancers.
Thanks for the link Dan. There IS a lot of very good info on Dr. Mercola's website, and I see what you mean about "product promotion, sensationalism, and teaser headlines". But for me it's worth overlooking that to get to the informative parts. And you can learn a lot by reading comments others leave, too.
I was one who tried the "homemade Curaderm", with no discernible affect on my BCC. Because of that, reading about people who tried the "official Curaderm" without success, and the price, I did not try the Curaderm cream. It's been one of the few alternative treatments I haven't tried in my years of dealing with a BCC that continues to grow and torment me with itching, seeping, bleeding, and burning, while slowly destroying my face. I have very recently changed my mind about trying Curaderm BEC5.
A few days before I heard about Dr. Mercola being on the Dr. Oz show I saw the post here titled "Curaderm BEC5" and went to the posted link. My BCC is now a very large one, and the article focused on the successful treatment of 2 very large skin cancers which look remarkably similar to mine. I later found more testimonials, with progressive pictures and video of Curaderm success stories. After more reading, finding the testimonials, and much prayer, I decided to try the Curaderm treatment process.
I'm continuing to take the Essiac Tea for the working from the inside out process, and for it's overall systemic cleansing benefit. But the topical application isn't a good option with the location of the BCC, which is now one whole side of my nose, including most of the tip, and a large portion of my cheek all the way up to just under my eye. Using the cream with micropore tape won't be real easy, but should work better than the dregs of Essiac tea, which dries out quickly.
Here are links to testimonials in pictures.
Watch the YouTube video in the upper right corner of the last link; the last few minutes have some before and after pictures of successful treatments.
I'm currently waiting on my Curaderm order and will be keeping a before, during, and after photo diary during the process. I'll post about it once I have something to report.
I did notice (not surprisingly!) that there was apparently a big spike in Curaderm sales after the Dr. Oz show aired, some sources are now sold out that had it in stock when I was comparison shopping just a few days before.
You've been around here for a long time so I know you're one of us that is a lay person, not here promoting something to increase sales.
The fact that Dr. Oz finds it intriguing and Mercola talks about it doesn't say anything at all to me.
I spent hundreds of dollars on Curaderm with minimal long term success.
Bloodroot paste and Petty Spurge are a lot less expensive and work better.
That said, I did get a minor reaction using the curaderm and I don't doubt some people have knocked out small AK's maybe even small bcc with curaderm. I just believe that unless they have modified the recipe I am less than optimistic about it's effectiveness.
I hope it works for you and if it does I will definitely believe your report back to us. Good Luck!
I appreciate your comments. I know you've been fighting the skin cancer battle with trial and error like I have, and like so many others here. I'm sorry the Curaderm didn't work for you, and I don't know if the recipe is the same or not. I did notice that it hasn't always been called Curaderm BEC5, and it was originally in small bottles instead of a tube.
I'm not a fan of Dr. Oz, rarely watch his show, and did not watch it when it was broadcast on TV. I came across the promo about it while researching Curaderm on the (3rd) link I posted in my reply to Dan. I've only heard of Dr. Mercola from here and around the internet, enough to recognize the name in conjunction with Dr. Oz's show. I realize now that it's not clear in my previous post, but I had already ordered Curaderm before seeing the Dr. Oz/Mercola link. Which is to clarify, I didn't order it based on Dr. Oz's show.
I do think it was interesting that an alternative treatment for skin cancer was featured on a national TV show, considering surgery is the route most doctors want us to take. At least now there's a skin cancer pill, but the cost alone will prevent a large number of people from being able to use it. And we don't know what the long term affects are from taking it.
I've read the posts and info about Bloodroot paste and Petty Spurge, and there have been some great results reported. I considered both of those options, but was scared away from the Bloodroot because of the high pain factor others have experienced. I couldn't use the PDQ for the same reason, even with a high tolerance for pain and taking prescription pain meds (I already deal with chronic pain from a neck injury, so I'm used to pain), the facial pain was just too severe. I found out just how many nerves are in our face, and I think I felt every one of them burn like a hot coal was stuck to my face! And it lasted for hours.
The PDQ did seem to be working, but it was going to take many treatments, and I couldn't deal with the pain to go through it for several weeks of applications. My husband has had great success with using PDQ on two different AK's, and only had a brief period of stinging when first applied. His weren't on his face, or raw wounds, which makes a difference.
Since the upper border of the bcc is close to my eye, I was a little concerned about Petty Spurge, but I would have to be careful with anything I use. So I ordered PS seeds, planted them, babied them, and they grew about 2 inches high, then died. I live in the south, and the heat and humidity is apparently too much for them. That's probably why PS doesn't grow in this region, even though we have an abundance of many other kinds of plants that are considered weeds.
I'm determined to beat this without surgery, before it eats away any more of my face. I still have PS seeds and I'm considering getting a grow light and trying to grow a couple of indoor plants, but it would be awhile before there would be any usable sap. The Curaderm will be something to hit it with in the meantime. It wouldn't hurt to have PS as a back up, or to make sure it's completely gone if the Curaderm seems to work.
Cost has certainly been a factor, and I sure wish I had all the money I've spent on trial and error treatments. Don't we all!! It's still less money than surgery would be, and less risk, as far as I'm concerned. But the bcc has reached a point of being more than just a painful, ugly, everyone-staring-at-me-asking-what-happened-to-my-face, disfiguring, bleeding, seeping mess in the middle of my face. One nostril is almost gone, eaten away, which makes it really hard to deal with sinus allergies or colds. It extends out from my nose onto my cheek, and is moving up closer to my eye. I don't dare cry, because the tears sting like crazy, which makes watery eyes from allergies a pain to deal with too. It's up to the side of the bridge of my nose where my glasses rest, which keeps it irritated there.
Any movement of facial muscles to eat, smile, brush my teeth, yawn, or basically anything except breathing, causes it to split open and bleed, sting, burn, etc. So I've got to keep trying remedies, and keep praying until I get results. Having half of my face cut off just isn't an option.
I'll start the Curaderm BEC5 on Monday, February 27, and will be keeping a photo diary of before and during the application process.
Thanks for the response Grace. I truly hope it works for you.
Grace2go. I really think the Iodine helps when you get in those slumps where nothing is happening. And when It gets to painful go back to twice a day. Keep the tape as small as you can around the cancer. I cant belive how much skin I lost. I could pull it off around the cancer. Oh that reminds me, when it really gets painfull,dry only the cancer spot and dont peel off the skin around it for a while, then it is less painful.
Hi Marsha - I found out what you mean about the tape! As you will see from the pics I'm posting (in a different thread) the top of the tape had to be in the under eye skin, which was really tedious to remove. But even on the cheek and nose area it was painful. That hurt worse than the area treated w/Curaderm! I thought I'd never get the adhesive residue off my skin.
I'm using 1/2 inch tan micropore tape that I ordered when I ordered the Curaderm (couldn't find it offline). The instructions on the tube says to use medicated tape, which was too late, since my tape order came in before the Curaderm. The box says surgical tape, and that might be why it sticks so well.
Thanks for the tip about the iodine, but so far it hasn't gotten into a slump.
When you wrote: "when it really gets painfull,dry only the cancer spot and dont peel off the skin around it for a while, then it is less painful." do you mean leave the skin area around the cancer moist from cleaning it?
Thanks for your advice and input!