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Featuring Demian Dressler, DVM and Sue Ettinger, DVM, Dip. ACVIM (Oncology), authors of The Dog Cancer Survival Guide

Neoplasine Update

Updated: October 12th, 2018

Full Spectrum Cancer Care is a way of thinking about treatment for a disease that goes beyond what is conventional. This idea was put forth to try to help normal people get an edge on canine cancer. When we are faced with a problem that lacks real solutions, it is time to start thinking outside the box.  We critically examine all possibilities, avoiding personal bias, to capitalize on what helps.

One of the most interesting examples of Full Spectrum Cancer Care is Neoplasene, a product that was developed by Dr. Terrance Fox. Is he an oncologist?  In other words, is his focus on conventional chemotherapy, surgery or radiation?  Nope.

The Full Spectrum Approach includes oncology, but also encompasses other options in our war against cancer.  In spite of all of the research, cancer has proved to be more than formidable thus far.  Hence, we need people like Terrance Fox to help us make sideways steps in treatment evolution. Instead of relentless forging down rabbit holes, vectoring laterally can be a wise option before advancing.

Dr. Fox is one of those whose prime motive is results, and results now.  Using this precept, he put Neoplasene together.

What is this stuff, anyway?

Neoplasene comes in three forms.  First, the topical product, which is a reddish preparation that is applied to the tumor and the surrounding skin.  After about 12 hours, it is removed.  And guess what?  Roughly 7-10 days later, the tumor sloughs off. Second, there is an oral preparation to help keep the cancer cells as bay.  Lastly, there is an injectable product made for infusions by veterinarians.

I have always advocated data collection before decision making.  This is central to being your dog’s primary health advocate, and I harp on this endlessly in The Dog Cancer Survival Guide.  In systemic cancers, outcomes are uncertain, and we have no crystal ball.  So it becomes critical for you to make up your mind after gathering facts from reliable sources.  Then, using a combination of analysis, compassion, and your own personal ethics, carry out a plan that feels right.

At any rate, I’ve been using Neoplasene for a while now for appropriate patients.  And those pictures on the Neoplasene website are the real deal, folks. I’ve seen it myself in my own patients.

Neoplasene does indeed cause cancer cells to commit suicide.  The tumors shrivel up and die.  Next, it may stimulate the immune response to help combat the cancer cells.

Now, in the spirit of this blog, and staying objective as I can, I cannot say that this is the cure for cancer. We’ll still get recurrence from time to time, and the users of Neoplasene had better be ready for a possibly large open tissue bed where the tumor used to be.  This open area may require surgical closure if it is too sizable.  The more cancer cells, the larger the open tissue bed may be.

Every single treatment in medicine has secondary effects that need to be considered, and you should know what they are before starting.  Occasionally, like many oral products, some digestive upset is possible.  And like anything, allergies are conceivable.

But, is Neoplasene an option for those who do not want surgery, after considering all the choices,  as their initial approach to canine cancer?  Yes.  Is this product a possibility for those who need a more economical option to discuss with their vets? Yes.  Should Neoplasene be part of this conversation when the tumor is in a position where surgery is difficult? It should.

Now, please have your veterinarian contact Buck Mountain Botanicals, not you.  Your veterinarian needs to be involved with use of this product.  Only a DVM is allowed to purchase Neoplasene. There are legal and liability reasons for this.  Your vet has the skills and knowledge needed for your dog’s best treatment.

It is up to you to either get your vet to check it out, or find one that already is in the know, if you would like to consider Neoplasene for your dog.  It is inexpensive and easy to deal with, so most vets will have no difficulty with it and can help you.

Neoplasene is made from plant extracts containing sanguinarine alkaloids. These molecules are combined in a preparation that is apoptogenic. Something that causes cells that are old, damaged, infected, or deranged to commit suicide is an apoptogen. This process is called apoptosis, and is an idea that is central in more cutting edge thoughts on cancer.

Bottom line? Bad cells commit suicide while good cells do not.

Neoplasene definitely has a place in Full Spectrum Cancer Care.  Team up with your vet, get your data, and be your dog’s number one health advocate.

Best to all,

Dr D

Leave a Comment





  1. susan fournier on October 6, 2022 at 10:04 am

    my vet say that neoplasene production has stopped and she cant get anymore of it.
    is there any place out of country it can be aquired?
    or do i have to grow my own root and make it myself?

    • Molly Jacobson on October 10, 2022 at 3:53 pm

      Hi Susan, Neoplasene is only manufactured by Buck Mountain Botanicals, and they only work with veterinarians — so if your veterinarian isn’t able to source it from them, I’m afraid you might not be able to use that strategy. I know that they are deeply affected by weather, as it is made from a plant … so some years the yield is greater than others.

  2. Mary on March 17, 2019 at 2:00 pm

    My dog is being treated with the topical neoplasene after the tumor was removed. 12 days ago my vet did surgery on my dog and removed a tumor, he then put the topical neoplasene on and around where the tumor was. My dogs skin is falling off like crazy, every day more and more skin falls off. The location of the tumor was behind his right shoulder, well the hole in his body where his skin has fallen off is his entire side and now today there is also a hole on his leg. Is this normal to lose this much skin? When will it stop? Thank you for any insight you can give me

    • Dog Cancer Vet Team on March 18, 2019 at 6:46 am

      Hey Mary,

      Thanks for writing. In this article this article, Dr D writes that, “When the tumor cells die, the tissue tends to slough off. A hole is left which needs medical attention.”

      Consult with your vet on what to do, and how you can help your particular dog 🙂

  3. debbie scoccia on November 2, 2017 at 1:02 pm

    If you give neoplasene via pills is it just going to search out the cancer cells and will it still involve eating away more flesh around where the cancer was initially?

  4. Susan Kazara Harper on September 22, 2014 at 12:58 pm

    We share your concerns about the evidence for neoplasene remaining anecdotal. While it may have some beneficial impact in reducing tumor size, and may be an option particularly with nasal tumors and those which are more difficult or impossible to excise through conventional surgery, it bears a whole load of cautions, many of which you’ve addressed. Dr. Dressler always urges any use of neoplasene to be coordinated with a DVM and advises extreme caution when used in any manner. The Dog Cancer Survival Guide discusses this in more depth.

  5. K. L. Ponce, DVM on September 22, 2014 at 9:20 am

    Is there any proof that this product ONLY destroys neoplastic tissue? I ask this question because I have read case studies or clients’ anecdotes stating that tissue sloughed that had not previously been known to be cancerous. Also, inflammation is considered (according to the information on the Buck Mountain website) vital for the proper functioning of Neoplasene. However, inflammation occurs can damage healthy tissue (hence the rational for treating joint injuries with anti-inflammatories). Since inflammation can cause healthy cells to become unhealthy, won’t those non-neoplastic cells also be susceptible, by your own definition, to apoptosis? Might some of these bone-deep lesions we are seeing be caused not by the primary neoplastic process itself, but by over-zealous application of what is basically a caustic agent? I agree that we need to keep searching for ways to treat cancer, but I do NOT agree that we can accept anecdotes as proof of safety. I can let proof of efficacy slide when dealing with a disease that is expected to be fatal where there is no treatment that has been proven 100% effective. However, I will not compromise on safety, and what I have read so far has done nothing to convince me that this product is safe. Furthermore, it is ridiculous to claim that Dr. Fox’s only motivation here is results. He is not giving this stuff away; he profits financially from the sale of it, as well as the “Wound Balm” that he recommends applying to the open wounds that the product causes. The anecdotal reports of efficacy indicate that this product holds promise, but much more research needs to be done before reputable veterinarians enthusiastically advocate its use.

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