The Issels Treatment, or Issels Combination Therapy, refers to an alternative cancer treatment based on the ideas of Josef Issels. The Issels Treatment is considered ineffective against cancer by the American Cancer Society,[1] and is listed as a "Dubious Treatment" by the alternative medicine watchdog website, Quackwatch.[2]
In Issels Combination Therapy, patients are asked to remove any teeth containing metal fillings, to follow a strict diet, and to eliminate various substances, such as alcohol and caffeine, which are considered harmful.[3] The treatment makes use of holistic and orthomolecular principles, utilizing certain specialized vaccines, chelation and enzymatic therapies, along with nutraceutical supplementation, such as laetrile and vitamin C.[4] The Issels Treatment is not approved for treatment in the United Kingdom, but is available in the United States at a reported cost, in 2005, of £45,000 (or about US$65,000).[5]