Livingston-Wheeler Therapy

Livingston-Wheeler Therapy is an alternative approach to cancer treatment that gained popularity from the 1970s to early 1990. It used several treatments to stimulate the immune system, including a strict vegetarian diet, BCG vaccine, coffee enemas, autogenous vaccine, vitamins, antibiotics, antioxidants, nutritional counseling, and support groups/counseling. The regimen was based on the theory that cancer was caused by the bacterium Progenitor cryptocides, which developer Virginia Livingston-Wheeler reported to have isolated in a wide variety of cancer tissues ^{(3) (4)}. A weakened immune system would then allow the bacterium to grow, and consequently the therapy’s focus was immune-stimulation. Although a number of viruses and bacteria have been associated with various cancers ⁽⁸⁾, a link between the bacteria named by Livingston-Wheeler and cancer was never confirmed by independent researchers.

A self-selected, matched-cohort, prospective comparison of patients at Livingston-Wheeler Clinic and a conventional cancer center found no difference in survival times between groups, but did find consistently lower quality of life in the Livingston-Wheeler cohort ⁽⁶⁾.

Metabolic diets may result in nutrient deficiencies ⁽⁵⁾. Repeated use of coffee enemas has been linked to several deaths from serious infection and electrolyte imbalance ⁽²⁾. In a 1990 position paper, the American Cancer Society urged cancer patients not to use these treatments ⁽¹⁾.

• Cancer treatment
• HIV, AIDS

Although a number of viruses, bacteria, and parasites have been associated with various cancers ⁽⁸⁾, a link between the bacteria named by Livingston-Wheeler and cancer was never confirmed by independent researchers. Rather, independent analyses of cultures provided by Livingston-Wheeler identified these bacteria as Staph epidermis, Strep faecalis, Staph faecalis, and other unrelated bacteria ⁽¹⁾.

In a 1990 position paper, the American Cancer Society urged cancer patients not to use this treatment, as no evidence supports its efficacy ⁽¹⁾. In addition, although the Livingston-Wheeler diet was similar to recommendations made by the American Cancer Society, its nutrient deficits, especially for calcium, iron, vitamins D and B12, and protein, would be unsuitable for some cancer patients.

Common (metabolic diet): Nutrient deficiencies (calcium, vit B12, protein), anemia, and malabsorption may result from metabolic diets ⁽¹⁾.

Reported (autogenous vaccine): Malaise, aching, slight fever, and tenderness at injection site ⁽¹⁾.

Case Report (Coffee enemas): Death attributable to fluid and electrolyte imbalance causing pleural and pericardial effusions after use of coffee enemas, 4 per day for 8 weeks ⁽²⁾.