Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28246541›Full record

ReviewEvidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM2017

A Review of Black Salve: Cancer Specificity, Cure, and Cosmesis.

Andrew Croaker, Graham J King, John H Pyne, Shailendra Anoopkumar-Dukie, Lei Liu

Open access · hybridAbstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
1.3field-weighted citation impact, top 21% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 17 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Black salve: risky escharotic.Scars, burns & healing
    Article
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

Andrew CroakerSouthern Cross Plant Science, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW 2480, Australia; Wesley Medical Research Institute, Wesley Hospital, Auchenflower, QLD 4066, Australia.ORCID 0000-0003-2295-9514
Graham J KingSouthern Cross Plant Science, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW 2480, Australia.
John H PyneSchool of Medicine, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.
Shailendra Anoopkumar-DukieSchool of Pharmacy, Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, Gold Coast, QLD 4222, Australia.
Lei LiuSouthern Cross Plant Science, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW 2480, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-3710-7042
Southern Cross University · AUGriffith University · AUThe University of Queensland · AUWesley Hospital · AU

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Black salve is a topical escharotic used for the treatment of skin cancer. Although promoted as a safe and effective alternative to conventional management by its proponents, limited clinical research has been undertaken to assess its efficacy and potential toxicities. Patients are increasingly utilizing the Internet as a source of health information. As a minimally regulated space, the quality and accuracy of this information vary considerably. This review explores four health claims made by black salve vendors, investigating its natural therapy credentials, tumour specificity, and equivalence to orthodox medicine in relation to skin cancer cure rates and cosmesis. Based upon an analysis of in vitro constituent cytotoxicity, in vivo post black salve histology, and experience with Mohs paste, black salve is likely to possess normal tissue toxicity with some cancer cell lines being relatively resistant to its effects. This may explain the incongruous case study reports of excessive scarring, deformity, and treatment failure.

Identifiers

PMID28246541
PMCPMC5299188
OpenAlexW2581580570

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.