Laetrile/Amygdalin (PDQ®)–Health Professional Version

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Changes to This Summary (11/03/2016)

The PDQ cancer information summaries are reviewed regularly and updated as new information becomes available. This section describes the latest changes made to this summary as of the date above.

Overview

Revised text to state that laetrile is another name for the natural product amygdalin, which is a chemical constituent found in the pits of many fruits and in numerous plants. Also added text to state that hydrogen cyanide is thought to be the main anticancer compound formed from laetrile via in situ release.

General Information

Added text to state that in body fluids and at physiological pH, hydrogen cyanide dissolves to form the cyanide anion; the term vitamin B-17 was given to laetrile by E.T. Krebs Jr, but it is not an approved designation by the Committee on Nomenclature of the American Institute of Nutrition Vitamins.

Revised text to state that although the names laetrile, Laetrile, vitamin B-17, and amygdalin are often used interchangeably, they are not the same product. Also revised text to state that mandelonitrile, which contains a cyanide group, is a structural component of both products.

History

Added text to state that proponents of laetrile have proposed four different theories to explain its purported anticancer activity.

This summary is written and maintained by the PDQ Integrative, Alternative, and Complementary Therapies Editorial Board, which is editorially independent of NCI. The summary reflects an independent review of the literature and does not represent a policy statement of NCI or NIH. More information about summary policies and the role of the PDQ Editorial Boards in maintaining the PDQ summaries can be found on the About This PDQ Summary and PDQ® - NCI's Comprehensive Cancer Database pages.

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