This complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) information summary provides an overview of the use of hydrazine sulfate as a treatment for cancer. The summary includes a brief history of hydrazine sulfate research, results of clinical trials, and possible side effects of hydrazine sulfate use.

This summary contains the following key information:

• Hydrazine sulfate is a chemical that has been studied as a treatment for cancer and as a treatment for the body wasting (i.e., cachexia) associated with this disease.
• It has been claimed that hydrazine sulfate limits the ability of tumors to obtain glucose, which is a type of sugar used by cells to create energy.
• Hydrazine sulfate has been shown to increase the incidence of lung, liver, and breast tumors in laboratory animals, suggesting it causes cancer.
• There is only limited evidence from animal studies that hydrazine sulfate has anticancer activity.
• Hydrazine sulfate has shown no anticancer activity in randomized clinical trials, and data concerning its effectiveness in treating cancer-related cachexia are inconclusive.
• Hydrazine sulfate has been marketed in the United States as a dietary supplement or a nutraceutical by some companies; however, its use as an anticancer drug outside of clinical trials has not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Many of the medical and scientific terms used in the summary are hypertext linked (at first use in each section) to the NCI Web site Dictionary, which is oriented toward nonexperts. When a linked term is clicked, a definition will appear in a separate window. All linked terms and their corresponding definitions will appear in a glossary in the printable version of the summary.

Reference citations in some PDQ CAM information summaries may include links to external Web sites that are operated by individuals or organizations for the purpose of marketing or advocating the use of specific treatments or products. These reference citations are included for informational purposes only. Their inclusion should not be viewed as an endorsement of the content of the Web sites, or of any treatment or product, by the PDQ Cancer CAM Editorial Board or the National Cancer Institute.

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