My wife and I are getting more occurrences of skin cancer these days so I am doing more research on using essential oils for this disease. It took 5 months of topical application of frankincense to get rid of the cancer in this test case.
Introduction
Basal-cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common form of skin cancer. Incidence of BCC is rising rapidly worldwide associated with a significant increase in health care costs. Various treatment options are available for patients diagnosed with BCC ranging from surgery, electrodessication, radiation, photodynamic therapy to non-invasive therapeutic approaches.
Traditionally being used for aromatherapy, based on the abundance of highly volatile, aromatic compounds, frankincense essential oil prepared by hydrodistillation of Boswellia sacra gum resins, also possesses anti-cancer activity that can potentially provide non-surgical and non-invasive treatment option for BCC by topical application.
This case report discusses the management of BCC of the skin using frankincense ( Boswellia sacra ) essential oil.
Case report
We present a case of a male patient, with two foci (arm and chest) of BCC, treated with local and topical application of frankincense essential oil several times a day, for a period of 20 weeks. Biopsies were performed before and after frankincense essential oil treatment. Pathological study demonstrated total resolution of the BCC on the arm and substantial resolution in the BCC of the chest after treatment. Significant increase in apoptotic cells was observed in the residual carcinoma in the chest. Topical application of frankincense essential oil did not cause redness, swelling, erosion, crusts, vesicles, squamae, itching, tingling, or any other local or systemic side effects in this patient.
Conclusion
Local application of frankincense essential oil may provide a non-surgical treatment alternative, with no or minimal side effect for carcinoma in situ, minimally invasive carcinoma and pre-cancerous conditions such as actinic keratosis.
