Complementary Support for Cancer

Orthomolecular Medicine and Homeopathy
In Prevention and Therapy

Cancer is a common and a terrible diagnosis. Many patients break down psychologically under this message, as they associate this diagnosis with surgery, chemotherapy, radiation and perhaps a shortened life, which is often true. In addition to conventional cancer therapy, other supportive measures come into question in the field of naturopathy, which will be discussed more exactly here.

If the ominous diagnosis of cancer is communicated with little empathy, a trauma occurs from which the patients must (should) first be released. Only then are they able to look optimistically into the future again and discuss with the doctor they trust – usually the family doctor – how they can counter cancer in an integrative way with various strategies.

Conventional Therapy

On the one hand, there is the regimen of conventional medicine, which will essentially be the surgical removal of the tumor and, if necessary, also some metastases, if they are surgically accessible. Then there often comes chemotherapy, although there are a large number of studies and schemata that will remain largely closed off to a non-oncologist. Perhaps even radiation comes along, for example in the case of brain metastases. Radiation therapy has been very successful here, because metastases in the brain usually respond very well to radiation.

Afterwards, if necessary, a rehabilitation measure is applied in order to initiate regeneration of a weakened body condition, to regain the old body weight from before cancer growth, to strengthen self-esteem and to restore physical and mental strength as best as possible. Ideally, the ability to work should also be restored.

Orthomolecular Medicine

In the field of orthomolecular medicine, it is therefore a matter of providing a sufficient level of trace elements. In the context of cancer therapy, selenium is of primarily important significance here. In a study from 2001 and 2002, I determined the selenium level in patients with treated tumors and found a low selenium level in about two-thirds (approx. 66%) of the patients.

In retrospect, one would assume that with sufficient selenium levels, the tumor perhaps might have developed years later, if selenium supplementation had been sufficient. On the one hand, this is speculation, but on the other hand, it can be statistically seen that the frequency of malignant tumors is very well correlated with selenium levels. This means that the less selenium available in the soil and the lower the selenium level is in a population, the higher the cancer rate. Conversely, it can be seen that in countries with high bioavailability of selenium, the cancer rate is comparatively lower.

Selenium therefore has something to do with the incidence of cancer. Since we also want to talk about prophylactic measures in this article, it can already be said here: An important cancer prophylaxis is to strive for a sufficient selenium level, preferably in the upper third of the norm.

Physiology Of Selenium

Why can selenium be used prophylactically against cancer? How does selenium effect our body? So-called oxygen radicals are produced in our cells every day during countless enzymatic processes. In contrast to the oxygen molecule that we breathe in with every breath, the single oxygen atom is doubly negatively charged and highly reactive*. This single oxygen atom, which is considered aggressive, can now damage the DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) in the cell – the information of our cell nucleus furthermore decides which proteins should be built and synthesized and which are not. For this damage, which is constantly taking place, there are various repair mechanisms in order to “patch” the DNA again. These include glutathione peroxidase, a repair enzyme that intercepts the dangerous oxygen radicals and prevents them from triggering damage.

This protective molecule needs four selenium atoms to function correctly. If the selenium atoms are replaced by mercury atoms, the function of this valuable enzyme decreases and the protective effect is lost. The cell nucleus can be damaged, the DNA can be attacked in such a way that misinformation is given and ultimately other commands are given to protein production than those that are actually meant and would be useful.

The messenger RNA (mRNA) reads a misinformation from the damaged DNA and forwards it to the production site of protein synthesis, where a malproduction of proteins then starts, the start of chaos and an uncontrolled cell growth, so that ultimately cancer cells can develop and proliferate, regardless of the needs of the entire organism.

Even if I have not yet listed numerous intermediate steps, you can imagine the beginning of cancer growth. The chaos thus begins with misinformation of the mRNA, through which information is carried from the cell nucleus into the Golgiappa rate or into the endoplasmic reticulum.

In my example, the antagonism between selenium and mercury is expressed. If we either have too much mercury in the body – for example from old amalgam fillings or from the mercury contained in all vaccines – or if the selenium level is too low, there is an exchange of mercury and selenium and, if there is an imbalance, less cell protection. This lower cell protection would be a kind of risk factor for developing cancer.

How can we reduce this risk? On the one hand, by eliminating mercury, with DMPS (dimercaptopropane sulfonic acid) or homeopathically with Mercurius solubilis D 12 or D 30 and other detoxifying agents such as Ultima Ratio (UR Inject, Burgapotheke, Königstein). On the other hand, we can ensure that our selenium level is always at a high level, for example by taking 100 micrograms of selenium daily in addition to food. This would create a kind of balance that reduces the risk of cancer.

Although the bioavailability of sodium selenite and selenium bound to organic particles differ, both forms of selenium would lead to an increase in selenium levels.

Other Areas Of Selenium In Medicine

The medicinal value of selenium has also been shown in two important diseases that have been exactly studied with regard to selenium.

In the case of heart attacks and necrotizing pancreatitis, the results of surviving a heart attack or pancreatitis with selenium doses on the first day with intake of 2,000 micrograms of selenium (half as a bolus, the other half in a 24-hour infusion) are so enormous that the mortality rate of necrotizing pancreatitis has been reduced from 33 percent (one in three dies from this fulminant pancreatitis) to zero percent (all survive).

Heart attack patients also survive much better with this generous selenium therapy. This shows that selenium not only reduces the risk of cancer, but also has an important role in the survival rate of life-threatening diseases. In order to reduce the risk of cancer, it is therefore worthwhile to maintain the selenium level high.

Dr. med. Heinrich Zeeden

Keywords: Immune System, Integrative Oncology, Orthomolecular Medicine, Selenium

* CLW Footnote: Be sure to reference the work and articles of Prof. Dr. Ivan Engler regarding his work with Inhaled Ionized Oxygen Therapy and the effects of radical oxygen molecules.

An Exclusive Translated Article for P2P Supporters
Published November 2026

From an article in CO’med, Volume 32, July 2026
Translation & redaction by: Carolyn L. Winsor, P2P Consulting
© Copyright 2026, CO’med, Heinrich Zeeden, Germany
AI Digital and online translation assistance utilized.

The Author

Dr, med. Heinrich Zeeden

Dr. med. Heinrich Zeeden studied medicine in Tübingen, Saarbrücken, Vienna and Lübeck. In the early 1980s, he worked as a development aid worker in Tanzania as a doctor. Later he continued his education in various disciplines, including as a homeopath. In 2011, Dr. Zeeden moved to Lübeck after holding positions as chief physician in various clinics and at the medical service to set up his retirement home there. Since then, he has held numerous courses in homeopathy, kinesiology, homeo-kinesiology, de-traumatization techniques and mental techniques. He is the author of various textbooks, including “Abenteuer Homöopathie, Band 1 bis 5”.