Cancer and Homeopathy: How to Alleviate the Side Effects of Chemotherapy, Radiation, Surgery and Hormone Therapy – A Practical Guide by Jean-Lionel Bagot

Cancer and Homeopathy: How to Alleviate the Side Effects of Chemotherapy, Radiation, Surgery and Hormone Therapy – A Practical Guide (2019; Jean-Lionel Bagot, MD) 318pp; 6”x8.5”; Quality Paperback; approx. 40 USD. ISBN: 978-3-944125-21-3; Unimedica/Narayana Verlag. www.unimedica.com

Until now there has never been a book specifically devoted to the side effects caused by the allopathic treatment of cancer.

Why hasn't there been? Perhaps it was waiting for Dr Bagot, the right person, to write one.

Dr med. Jean-Lionel Bagot (b. 1957) is a noted oncologist from Strasbourg, France, who, with his team, sees approximately 4,000 cancer patients yearly. He has been working for over 20 years in an oncology department in Strasbourg (France) and in his private practice. At the beginning of his medical practice, he specialised in homeopathy and, from that beginning, was impressed by the good results with no serious side effects nor interaction with conventional medications.

In 300 pages, the author covers it all in cookbook style. From the prefunctory chapter introducing homeopathy (why is it placed at the book's end and not at the beginning is one of my questions), to discussions of radiotherapy and the latest chemotherapeutic drugs, he manages to cover it all.

After several introductory chapters, the main ones are surgery, chemotherapy, hetero-isotherapy, homeopathic support protocols, radiotherapy, hormone therapy, pain management, palliative care and several small, concluding chapters. Each contains a brief comparative materia medica presented in ‘chart’ form for various topics such as, blood disorders, neurological disorders, dermatological disorders, immune system disorders, oedema, gynaecological and sexual disorders, urinary tract disorders, disorders of the respiratory system, cardiovascular disorders, eye disorders and side effects of corticotherapy.

To combat the ill effects of several allopathic medicines (tamoxifen, anastrozole, bevacizumab, cisplatin, cyclophosphamide, fluorouracil etc.), Bagot has developed protocols. In the following, he offers ‘Support Treatment for FOLFIRI Protocol’:

‘FOLFIRI is used to treat cancer of the colon and rectum. It combines two active components: fluorouracil (5FU) and irinotecan. This takes place over two and a half days, the first day for irinotecan and 5FU infusion, the second day again an infusion of 5FU and the fitting of a box that is worn by the patient, allowing a regular and continuous diffusion of 5FU for 36 hours connected to the site (implantable subcutaneous port). This chemotherapy is relatively well tolerated in terms of nausea, fatigue and drop in blood cell count. On the other hand, it frequently causes delayed diarrhoea occurring approximately 6 days after the treatment and requiring while clay (diosmectite or attapulgite) or a powerful anti-diarrhoeic medicine (loperamide). If diarrhoea persists or causes a high temperature, the doctor should be called. Diarrhoea can sometimes occur at the beginning of the treatment. It can be dealt with by injecting atropine during chemotherapy’.–p. 181.

Bagot, in this protocol, which is decidedly French (low potencies given frequently), suggests the use of 6C doses of irinotecan and fluorouracil on days 3 to 7 (day 1 is considered the first day of chemotherapy) and suggests, if necessary, several of the usual remedies we are familiar with, e.g. Nux vomica, Ars. alb., Podophyllum, Phos. ac. and Meduloss.

The above material can generally be found on one page in tabular or chart form.

This book is written in clear language making it accessible to the layperson or patient. There are several indices: type of cancer, type of anticancer treatment, symptoms and homeopathic remedies, a glossary and footnote section containing 76 citings.

Perhaps in a future edition there will be a bibliography section as there are any number of other good works on the general subject of cancer, i.e. A Homoeopathic Approach to Cancer (2001; A. U. Ramakrishnan and Catherine R. Coulter), Homeopathic Cancer Drugs: Oncology Materia Medica (Manfred Mueller; 2017, 2nd- 2019) and of course, the late Robin Murphy's, Homeopathic Medicine and Cancer: the philosophy and clinical experiences of Dr A. H. Grimmer, M.D. (1979). In 2021 a new, comprehensive book appeared concerning mistletoe therapy, Mistletoe and the Emerging Future of Integrative Oncology (2021; Steven Johnson, Nasha Winters, editors). Additionally, you might be interested in this recently published paper, ‘Use of Homeopathy in Integrative Oncology in Strasbourg, France: Multi-center Cross-Sectional Descriptive Study of Patients Undergoing Cancer Treatment’ (Homeopathy, 110:03, August 2021, pp. 168–173) by Bagot and his team.

While the cookbook style and French approach to prescribing may not appeal to all, the allopath should be quite happy to have such a well organised and accessible homeopathic reference. This book does have utility for the classical homeopath as the remedies and techniques described can provide helpful ideas, stimulate one's thinking or act as reminders.

Publication History

Article published online:
21 January 2023