I’ve heard of a cancer treatment called hydrazine. Is it effective? T.D.

Dear T.D.: Hydrazine Sulfate has been shown to be of benefit in preventing rapid weight loss and wasting and thereby increasing survival time. Although a few people have advocated it as a cancer treatment I have seen no evidence that it has any direct effect on stopping tumor growth. I have prescribed it for individuals who are losing weight rapidly, hoping to buy time for other measures to have an effect. Its effects seem to be cancelled by chemotherapeutic agents.

While it has been shown to significantly slow weight loss in individuals who have not previously undergone chemotherapy, studies have not shown any benefit in individuals following chemotherapy. I do not have an explanation for why this is so. -Dr. Peterson