How DMSO Makes Cancer Treatments More Effective and Much Less Toxic
A budget friendly additive surgeons stash in back rooms may shield healthy cells while letting gentler chemo hammer the real enemy.
STORY AT-A-GLANCE
Versatile therapeutic benefits — Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is a potent compound known for treating a wide range of conditions, including chronic pain, stroke recovery, tissue damage, autoimmune disorders, various skin conditions, and complex infections
Unique role in cancer care — DMSO’s distinctive properties enable it to support the body in combating cancer while safeguarding healthy cells from the harmful effects of chemotherapy and radiation
Enhanced chemotherapy delivery — When paired with chemotherapy, DMSO improves the drug’s ability to penetrate cancer cells that are typically inaccessible, significantly boosting treatment effectiveness
Lower doses, reduced toxicity — By enhancing the potency of chemotherapy, DMSO allows for the use of lower doses, substantially reducing the toxic side effects associated with conventional cancer treatments
Synergistic potential — DMSO demonstrates promising results when combined with various pharmaceutical agents, amplifying their cancer-fighting capabilities
DMSO is a naturally occurring substance that has a variety of unique properties that have immense therapeutic potential. In turn, thousands of studies show DMSO safely treats a wide range of:
Injuries such as sprains, concussions, burns, surgical incisions, and spinal cord trauma — discussed here.
Strokes, paralysis, many neurological disorders (e.g., Down syndrome and dementia), and numerous circulatory disorders (e.g., Raynaud's, varicose veins, or hemorrhoids) — discussed here.
Chronic pain (e.g., from a bad disc, bursitis, arthritis, or complex regional pain syndrome) — discussed here.
Many autoimmune, protein, and contractile disorders such as scleroderma, amyloidosis, and interstitial cystitis — discussed here.
Head conditions including tinnitus, vision loss, dental problems, and sinusitis — discussed here.
Internal organ diseases such as pancreatitis, infertility, liver cirrhosis, and endometriosis — discussed here.
A wide range of skin conditions such as burns, varicose veins, acne, hair loss, ulcers, skin cancer, and many autoimmune dermatologic diseases — discussed here.
Many challenging infections such as shingles, herpes, chronic ear or dental infections, and osteomyelitis — discussed here.
Sadly, once the FDA realized the extent to which DMSO would transform medicine, the agency made the decision to erase it from history. As a result, millions of patients whom it helped and the thousands of studies on its therapeutic potential have been largely forgotten. Consider for example, this 1980 60 Minutes program:
Fortunately, because DMSO is effective for a wide range of conditions, it's caught on like wildfire over the last six months (e.g., I've already received over 2,000 reports of remarkable responses to DMSO, many for a variety of "incurable" conditions).
Potentiating Chemotherapy
Due to the controversy around DMSO, its pioneers chose to downplay its anticancer potential to avoid backlash against "unproven" treatments. As a result, its cancer-fighting properties remain largely unknown. For example, earlier in this series, I presented hundreds of studies that show:
DMSO effectively treats cancer pain (which is often very challenging to address).
Dramatically reduces many of the complications experienced from radiation therapy and chemotherapy.
DMSO stops cancers from growing.
DMSO causes cancerous cells to transform back into normal cells.
One of DMSO's well recognized properties is its ability to dissolve a wide range of other substances and transport them throughout the body thereby allowing topical applications of medications that would otherwise require injection once they are dissolved in DMSO.
More importantly, once inside the body, DMSO allows substances it has dissolved to reach otherwise inaccessible places within the body (e.g., a chronic infection within the bones) and to enter cells that have shielded themselves from medications (e.g., DMSO has been shown to remove the resistance many bacteria have to antibiotics).
Many of these same challenges exist with treating cancer. Fortunately, in the same manner DMSO increases the potency of many antimicrobial therapies, it does the same for chemotherapy. This is extremely important because:
It increases the likelihood that a cancer therapy protocol will be successful, particularly in resistant cancers.
It allows lower chemotherapy doses to be used, which significantly decreases the toxicity to normal cells and thereby addresses one of the largest issues with conventional cancer treatments.
For example, since the blood-brain barrier shields brain cancers from chemotherapies, higher (toxic) chemotherapy doses need to be used to treat those cancers.
In turn, since DMSO passes through the blood brain barrier and concentrates inside tumors (e.g., one study found DMSO had a 1.5X increase in brain tumors1 while another found it can detect brain tumors that cannot be detected with conventional contrast agents),2 independent physicians have mixed chemotherapy with DMSO to treat brain cancers.3
Note: Since the toxicity of normal doses of chemotherapy is such a pressing issue, a variety of approaches have been developed over the years to increase its potency (a few of which we've found to be very helpful). One of the most well-known approaches is insulin potentiation therapy, which uses the higher concentrations of insulin receptors cancer cells have to trick cancer cells into consuming more of the chemotherapy.4 5
Cytoplasmic Barriers
One of the major issues with treating cancers is that cancer cells can become resistant to chemotherapy. After observing that cancerous epidermal cells (unlike normal cells) were able to resist cytotoxic (chemotherapy) drugs entering them by creating a fibrin-like "cytoplasmic barrier," three different studies discovered that mixing the drugs with DMSO allowed them to penetrate cancerous cells.6 7 8 Furthermore:
Another study found that cancer cells had a disordered cytoskeleton (which is now well recognized) and an impermeable barrier around the cell that resisted chemotherapy drugs from entering.9
When DMSO was added, it allowed cytoskeleton-targeting drugs to enter the cells and dramatically increased their potency (e.g., making a dose of 1/30th to 1/1000th of their usual dose needed).10
A later 2022 study found that 1% DMSO significantly altered the cytoskeleton of melanoma cells (e.g., how they attached to their extracellular surroundings) but not normal cells,11 and that when DMSO was combined with CaS (which releases ions that can trigger programmed cell death), the there was no noticeable effect on the skeleton of normal cells, but there was heavy disruption to the cytoskeleton of cancerous cells.
Cancer Treatment Studies
Many animal and human studies (which I compiled here) have also demonstrated that DMSO enhances the potency of chemotherapy. For example:
A 1975 study of 65 patients with incurable cancers (most of which had received conventional therapies) were injected with a low dose of cyclophosphamide mixed in DMSO with GABA, GABOB, and acetylglutamine.12
Objective or subjective remissions were obtained in 57 of the 65 patients (e.g., many went from being in extreme pain to being pain free), and almost all of those with lymphomas or breast cancers had complete recoveries, while about half of those with other incurable cancers recovered.
Note: This study also found that patients who could not otherwise tolerate cyclophosphamide were able to with DMSO.
A 1975 rat study found that oral DMSO increased the potency of cyclophosphamide,13 which in turn required lowering the cyclophosphamide dose to avoid creating toxicity (which the authors felt could potentially make a safer and more effective dosing regimen for cyclophosphamide).
They also found DMSO increased the survival times in advanced cancers by potentiating the following drugs 6-mercaptopurine, Methotrexate, Chlorambucil, Vinblastine, Procarbazine, CCNU, MCCNU, BCNU, Daunomycin, Nitrogen mustard, Dianhydrogalactitol, Norbornyl, and Adriamycin.
In contrast, no benefit was seen with cytosine arabinoside, vincristine, and 5-fluorouracil, all of which did not have the lowered toxicity threshold observed with cyclophosphamide.
Note: An ambitious follow-up project was made to test various other anticancer drugs. However, just as clinical trials were scheduled to start, they were halted by a jurisdictional dispute within the FDA.14
A follow-up 1983 study then determined that DMSO did not increase the toxicity of any chemotherapy drug, but with oral administrations, did temporarily increase (for 2 to 3 hours) its initial levels in the body, thereby increasing their effectiveness.15 It also found that DMSO being added reduced the overall growth of the tumors and that certain cancers had a higher response to DMSO being added in than others.
A 1987 study of patients with cervical cancer found that applying metronidazole dissolved in DMSO to the cervix increased the tumor's regression following radiation therapy.16
A 1988 study provides the most detailed data on how DMSO potentiated chemotherapy agents (particularly against breast cancers) along with shedding light on the innate anticancer activity of DMSO:17
Note: A follow-up study by those authors found that 10% DMSO greatly enhanced the potency of a variety of anticancer drugs on ovarian cancer cells.18
In rats treated for bladder cancer with doxorubicin, adding 10% DMSO caused a 7.1 fold increase in bladder concentration (while 50% caused a 12.1 fold increase) and a 9.3 to 9.6 fold increase in the lymph nodes. Mixing doxorubicin in 5% DMSO reduced the amount of doxorubicin needed to eliminate cancer by 44%.19
A 2021 Ukrainian study of 52 patients with bladder cancer who had it surgically removed found that giving intravesical DMSO in conjunction with chemotherapy significantly reduced the 5-year recurrence, and there were no side effects from doing so.20
Specific Chemotherapies
Cisplatin studies — One of the most extensively tested DMSO combinations is with cisplatin, a drug that has shown significant promise for pairing with DMSO. However, it is also a concern because DMSO can bind to platinum-containing drugs (such as cisplatin, carboplatin, and oxaliplatin) and partially inactivate them.21
However, when tested in cell cultures and animals, DMSO typically increases the efficacy and reduces the toxicity of Cisplatin (but in some cases reduces Cisplatin's efficacy). For example:
In a 1982 study of dogs with bladder cancer, mixing DMSO with cisplatin caused a threefold increase in how much was absorbed into the bladder muscle22 (which is similar to what this study found).23
A 1991 rat study found that giving DMSO with cisplatin reduced its kidney toxicity (and weight loss) but did not reduce its toxicity to carcinosarcoma.24
A 1995 study of rats with experimentally induced bladder cancer found that combining DMSO with cisplatin decreased the depth of cancer invasion compared to cisplatin alone or to placebo.25
A 2008 study found that mixing cisplatin with DMSO reduced both its neurotoxicity and toxicity to cancer cells,26 with the decrease in neurotoxicity being approximately twice the reduction in cancer cell toxicity. It also significantly decreased cisplatin's toxicity to the kidneys and slowed its elimination from the body.
A 2015 mouse study showed DMSO reduced the kidney toxicity of cisplatin, increased its reduction in tumor size,27 and increased the survival time in animals who received it. Likewise, another study found that DMSO increased cisplatin's efficacy and decreased its toxicity.28
A 2019 study found that DMSO doubled the toxicity of cisplatin to lung cancer cells (thereby making a much lower therapeutic dose needed) and reduced the cancer cells' resistance to chemotherapy drugs.29
Other chemotherapy studies — DMSO has also been shown to enhance the efficacy of a variety of other cancer drugs:
A 1986 study found DMSO increased acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) sensitivity to nitrogen mustard in a dose-dependent fashion (the compound cyclophosphamide is derived from).30
A 1989 study found that DMSO enhanced the ability of cisplatin, 5-FU, and cyclophosphamide to slow aggressive (implanted) prostate cancers.31
A 1994 case report detailed two AIDS patients with Kaposi's sarcoma who were successfully treated with topical DMSO mixed with bleomycin, with no toxicity being observed.32
A 1998 study found that DMSO increased the potency of 5-fluorouracil and doxorubicin.33
A 2001 study found that DMSO induced differentiation in human breast cancer cells and increased their sensitivity to doxorubicin.34
A 2004 study found that DMSO caused a 71.7% growth inhibition of breast cancer cells at 96 hours and improved the safety and efficacy of the cancer drug gemcitabine.35
A recent study found that DMSO significantly reduced the growth of prostate cancer cells, and this effect increased when it was given concurrently with nelfinavir.36
Lastly, DMSO when combined with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), has repeatedly been found to treat skin cancers and warts. For example, a 1967 study found DMSO significantly increased 5-FU's potency and made 5% able to locally treat keratoacanthoma, superficial basal cell, and early stage squamous cell carcinoma without causing any adverse effects37 and likewise, this study used DMSO to enhance 5-FU's ability to treat seborrheic keratosis.38
Photodynamic therapy — Photodynamic therapy works by combining a photosensitizer (e.g., 5-ALA) with light in tumors, generating a reactive chemical that destroys the cancer. DMSO has also repeatedly been found to enhance this treatment:
A 1995 study found that mixing 5-ALA with 2% EDTA and 2% DMSO eliminated 85.4% of basal cell carcinomas (BCC) in 48 patients, 100% of superficial squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) in 5 patients, partially improved 2 ulcerated SCCs, and overall to more than double the response to 5-ALA photodynamic therapy.39
Another 1995 study treated 763 BCCs in 122 patients, using either 5-ALA, 5-ALA with DMSO as a pretreatment, or 5-ALA plus DMSO plus EDTA. DMSO plus EDTA was shown to improve 5-ALA penetration depth significantly, doubled ALA-induced porphyrin production (a key part of photodynamic therapy), and almost doubled the response to treatment.40
A 2009 study found DMSO plus 5-ALA photodynamic therapy entirely eliminated 55 out of 60 basal cell cancers (with a good cosmetic outcome), of which 81% did not recur after 6 years (with 91% not recurring if two rather than one treatment was given).41
In another 2009 study, 19 cases of Bowen's disease (early SCC) and 15 BCCs received a single course of photodynamic therapy with DMSO and EDTA. At 3 months, 91.2% of the tumors were gone, while at 60 months, 57.7% of Bowen's disease and 63.3% of BCCs had not recurred.42
Other pharmaceutical combinations — Other (less toxic) drugs have also shown promise for cancer when combined with DMSO. For example:
Since cervical cells can easily be gently scraped off and examined, a team of researchers evaluated how a variety of substances caused them to transform into cancers or caused cancerous cells to differentiate into normal cells.43
From this, they found that while DMSO alone did very little, if it was combined with a small amount of dexamethasone, within 2 to 3 weeks, it rapidly transformed the cancerous cells (e.g., carcinomas in situ or metastatic cervical cancers lesions) to normal ones and healed the surrounding tissue (e.g., malignant tissues, typically red, granular, and friable, became smooth, pink, and resilient with diminished bleeding and vascularity), and at the time of publication, reported successfully treating six out of six patients, including one with metastatic cancer.
Note: DMSO in combination with colchicine has also been used to treat skin cancer.44
A 2015 study found that DMSO significantly increased the toxicity of organotin polyethers on various cancer cells.45
One approach to eliminating cancer is using a magnetic molecule that can be heated with a magnetic field. When a 2021 study attached that substance to DMSO,46 it was found to be an effective treatment for cervical cancer and significantly enhance the potency of the cancer drug carmustine.47
Note: There are also many papers that found DMSO containing drugs (e.g., ruthenium-based ones) effectively eliminate cancers48 and in some cases will selectively target metastatic tumors.49
Natural Combination Therapies
In the same way that DMSO potentiates chemotherapy, it can also enhance the effects of natural compounds. For example:
A 1969 study found that DMSO, when combined with heat and vitamin A, selectively targeted cancer cells.50
A 2018 study found that DMSO and a plant extract selectively arrested cell growth and induced cell death of colon cancer cells.51
A 2023 study found that when fatty acids were isolated from the urine of healthy cows and mixed with DMSO, it was an effective therapy against breast cancer cells.52
Currently, I believe the most promising use of DMSO is to potentiate a natural therapy, as these compounds have minimal toxicity (so little risk exists when potentiating them). Some of the most extraordinary benefits I have seen from DMSO combination therapy came from combining it with a natural therapy, which was known to be effective against cancer.
For example, numerous clinical trials have shown that when DMSO is combined with baking soda,53 it not only treats cancer but also significantly decreases the pain and symptomatology experienced from advanced cancers being treated with chemotherapy, with these benefits greatly exceeding those available in the existing medical arsenal. Likewise, other natural therapies used to treat cancer (e.g., vitamin C) have also demonstrated synergistic efficacy with DMSO.
Since there are so many potential combinations with DMSO, most of them have never been tested, and many synergistic combinations remain to be discovered. Fortunately however, one remarkable one has been, DMSO mixed hematoxylin (a dye commonly used in pathology, which like DMSO, comes from a tree).
This combination selectively targets cancer cells (as it will only stain cancerous tissues once injected), has virtually no toxicity, and over the decades has shown a success rate of between 80% to 90% in treating a variety of otherwise challenging (and often "incurable") cancers.
Note: This combination was discovered roughly 60 years ago, but despite the FDA receiving remarkable data on its safety and efficacy over the years, like many other promising cancer cures, it was buried. Fortunately, an underground network of practitioners kept the treatment alive, and recently one doctor who spent fifteen years refining the therapy shared all of his remarkable data with me (which is discussed here).
Conclusion
The practice of medicine is shaped by a set of deeply ingrained assumptions — many of which can be harmful to patients. For example, the blanket belief that all vaccines are "safe and effective" persists despite a vast body of evidence linking childhood vaccinations to a wide range of chronic illnesses.
In oncology, one such assumption is that cancer is an unstoppable disease that demands brutal treatments merely to offer a chance at survival. As I've aimed to show here, this belief rests on a shaky foundation, as even when conventional cancer therapies — often highly toxic — are deemed necessary, their damaging effects can be significantly reduced when combined with compounds like DMSO (while simultaneously their efficacy can be increased).
The medical establishment's excessive greed and overreach during the COVID-19 era opened many eyes, leading people to question long-held narratives. If effective treatments for COVID were actively suppressed, it's only natural to wonder: could the same be true for cancer?
This wave of critical thinking helped spark the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Movement, which is now working to overturn decades of harmful public health policies that have consistently prioritized profit over people. I believe we are facing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reexamine the flawed foundations of modern medicine — and that this series has shown how a single, overlooked compound could dramatically reshape the way we treat cancer.
Author's Note: This is an abridged version of a longer article that reviews the point mentioned here in more detail. It also discusses how DMSO reduces cancer pain, the complications of radiation therapy and chemotherapy, and how it greatly enhances the effectiveness of both conventional and natural cancer treatments.
That article (along with guidance for using DMSO) can be read here. Additionally, a companion article on how DMSO and a natural dye can transform cancer treatment can be read here.
A Note from Dr. Mercola About the Author
A Midwestern Doctor (AMD) is a board-certified physician from the Midwest and a longtime reader of Mercola.com. I appreciate AMD's exceptional insight on a wide range of topics and am grateful to share it. I also respect AMD's desire to remain anonymous since AMD is still on the front lines treating patients. To find more of AMD's work, be sure to check out The Forgotten Side of Medicine on Substack.
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Dr Mercola, are there any studies on DMSO in the treatment of Cerebral Palsy?