evidence: Discussion of the cancer-fighting properties of a chemical (variously referred to as amygdalin, laetrile, or "vitamin B17") has been a fixture of the so-called alternative medicine movement for decades. Despite an exhaustive body of research demonstrating that its use is both ineffective and potentially dangerous, these claims still make their way onto the internet’s most popular "natural health" blogs and continue to fuel anti-government conspiracies. [...] Perhaps the most prominent force keeping the laetrile myth alive is the book "World Without Cancer: The Story of Vitamin B17" (which was very positively reviewed by "Dr." Ernst Krebs Jr himself!) by G. Edward Griffith, a libertarian activist with no medical training. Despite his book being basis for many pro-laetrile arguments, Griffith himself seems to be less enthused by that notion these days, as evidenced by this fairly convoluted introduction on his web site VitaminB17.org: As webmaster of VitaminB17.org, certainly I believe in B17. I wouldn't have spent my time and personal resources on this site all these years if I didn't believe in it. The thing about life is, you can only go by the best information you have at the time. You don't know what you don't know. While I still believe in B17, new information has come to light that I believe is not only also valid information, but more central to cancer than B17. That said, I still would pursue B17 as a treatment for cancer.