Essiac is an herbal remedy that was prescribed
and promoted for about 50 years by Rene M. Caisse, a Canadian nurse who died
in 1978. Shortly before her death, she turned over the formula and
manufacturing rights to the Resperin Corporation, a Canadian company that has
provided it to patients under a special agreement with Canadian health
officials. Several reports state that the formula contains burdock, Indian
rhubarb, sorrel, and slippery elm, but there may be additional ingredients.
Essiac tea claimed to be Caisse's original formulation is also marketed in
the United States. Several animal tests using samples of Essiac have shown no
antitumor activity. Nor did a review of data on 86 patients performed by the
Canadian federal health department during the early
1980s.
