The story of Hoxsey therapy has been told by both advocates and critics. This page
provides access to primary sources—the original documents, court records, government
reports, and direct quotes that allow you to examine the evidence firsthand.
Key Quotes from Primary Sources
Before exploring the full documents, here are the most significant statements from
the historical record—words that shaped the Hoxsey controversy.
"Now you have the power to heal the sick and save lives."
John Hoxsey's deathbed words to his seventeen-year-old son Harry, passing down the
family formula.
He also warned: "They will persecute you, slander you and try to drive you off
the face of the earth."
"The clinic is successfully treating pathologically proven cases of cancer, both
internal and external, without the use of surgery, radium, or x-ray."
"We as a committee feel that the Hoxsey treatment is superior to such conventional
methods of treatment as x-ray, radium, or surgery. We are willing to assist this
clinic in any way possible in bringing this treatment to the American public."
"A conspiracy does exist to stop the free flow and use of drugs in interstate
commerce which allegedly has solid therapeutic value."
"Public and private funds have been thrown around...to close up and destroy clinics,
hospitals, and scientific research laboratories which do not conform to the viewpoint
of medical associations."
"Orthodox scientific research has identified antitumor activity of one sort or another
in all but three of Hoxsey's plants."
"More recent literature leaves no doubt that Hoxsey's formula...does indeed contain
many plant substances of marked therapeutic activity."
"When you really get right down to the whole scope of medicine, the only stable drugs
we have today are a product of the herbs."
"Not being scientifically minded, and being a nurse at heart, I have found that it is
more important to have results than scientific proof."
Books
"You Don't Have to Die" (1956)
By Harry M. Hoxsey | 310 pages | Milestone Books
Harry Hoxsey's autobiography and the primary source for understanding his perspective.
Contains the origin story of the formula, detailed accounts of his battles with the AMA,
patient testimonials, and the full text of court proceedings. The book jacket promised:
"thousands of patients—many of them declared 'hopeless' by their own doctors—have taken
the Hoxsey treatment. Today, five, ten, in some instances twenty years later, a surprising
number of them are still alive."
The companion book to Ausubel's award-winning documentary. Provides extensive historical
context, argues for reconsideration of Hoxsey therapy, and documents the broader pattern
of suppression of alternative cancer treatments. Based on years of research and interviews.
An academic treatment examining Hoxsey alongside other controversial medical figures
of the early 20th century—Norman Baker and John Brinkley. Provides critical analysis
within the context of American medical history and the rise of regulatory authority.
"The Medical Messiahs"
By James Harvey Young | Princeton University Press
A history of medical quackery in America from a conventional medical history perspective.
Chapter 17 covers Hoxsey in detail, providing the viewpoint of historians critical of
alternative cancer treatments. Useful for understanding the establishment perspective.
Documentary
"Hoxsey: How Healing Becomes a Crime" (1987/1988)
Directed by Kenny Ausubel | 83 minutes
The definitive documentary on Hoxsey therapy, winner of the "Best Censored Stories"
journalism award. Features rare historical footage, patient testimonials, and interviews
with both supporters and critics. Covers Harry Hoxsey's rise from his first clinic
in 1924 to the largest private cancer center in the U.S., his 25-year battle with
Morris Fishbein and the AMA, the FDA shutdown, and the continuation of treatment in Mexico.
The film includes interviews with Mildred Nelson at the Bio-Medical Center in Tijuana,
footage from the Dallas clinic, and excerpts from FDA and court proceedings.
After Senator Charles Tobey's son recovered from cancer using alternative treatment,
Tobey launched a congressional investigation into the suppression of cancer therapies.
Special Counsel Benedict Fitzgerald's report concluded that a conspiracy existed to
suppress treatments with "solid therapeutic value" and that public funds were used
to destroy clinics that didn't conform to medical association viewpoints.
"The jury, after listening to leading pathologists, radiologists, physicians, surgeons,
and scores of witnesses...concluded that Dr. Fishbein was wrong; that his published
statements were false, and that the Hoxsey method of treating cancer did have therapeutic value."
OTA Report: "Unconventional Cancer Treatments" (1990)
U.S. Congress, Office of Technology Assessment
The most comprehensive government review of Hoxsey therapy ever conducted. Commissioned
by Congress and prepared by the Office of Technology Assessment. Chapter 4 covers herbal
treatments including detailed analysis of Hoxsey. Concludes that while individual herbs
show antitumor activity, the complete formula has never been properly tested. Includes
medical historian Patricia Spain Ward's assessment that "Hoxsey's treatment has never
actually been tested, either in animals or in humans."
Historical interview transcript providing Dr. Morris Fishbein's perspective on the
Hoxsey controversy. Fishbein served as editor of JAMA and chief critic of Hoxsey
for decades. Essential for understanding the AMA's position.
U.S. District Court, N.D. Texas, Dallas Division | Judge William H. Atwell
The landmark libel case in which Harry Hoxsey sued the AMA and Morris Fishbein for
defamation. Under cross-examination, Fishbein made several damaging admissions:
He had flunked anatomy in medical school
He had never practiced medicine a single day after his brief residency
He had never had a private patient
The Hoxsey external paste DID cure external/skin cancer
The court found Fishbein's statements "false, slanderous and libelous." Hoxsey won
symbolic damages: $1.00 for himself and $1.00 for the slander of his father.
Detailed assessment from one of the world's leading cancer treatment centers. While
the overall assessment is negative, the page provides useful information on individual
herbs and their mechanisms. Notable for acknowledging laboratory activity of several
ingredients while maintaining the position that clinical evidence is lacking.
Critical analysis examining the historical and scientific claims around Hoxsey therapy.
Represents the skeptical perspective. Useful for understanding counterarguments.
The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology (2020) + 6-year follow-up (2024)
The largest randomized controlled trial ever conducted on a Hoxsey ingredient.
1,108 participants across 7 hospitals in China. Found 36% vs. 47% colorectal
adenoma recurrence (RR 0.77, p=0.001). Six-year follow-up confirmed lasting benefits.
First-in-human clinical trial of arctigenin (from burdock root) in pancreatic cancer
patients. Conducted at Japan's National Cancer Center Hospital East. 15 patients,
doses of 3-12g orally. Achieved 1 partial response, 4 stable disease, with no
dose-limiting toxicities.
Analysis by the Chief of USDA's Plant Taxonomy Laboratory. Found 8 of 9 Hoxsey
herbs demonstrated antitumor activity in animal models. Concluded the formula
showed "very significant chemical and biological anticancer activity."
Historical Resources
Texas State Historical Association
Handbook of Texas: Harry M. Hoxsey
Biographical entry providing historical context for Hoxsey's Texas-based operations,
including the Dallas clinic that became the largest private cancer center in the world.
Historical narrative of the conflict between Hoxsey and federal authorities, including
the unprecedented FDA public denunciation in 1956—the first time the agency had ever
publicly declared a cancer treatment to be fraudulent.
Contemporary coverage from the height of the Hoxsey controversy. Notes that "some
40 new patients a day keep coming to the Hoxsey Cancer Clinic in Dallas" despite
the AMA declaring "the whole thing reeks of fraud."
Biographical Details
Harry M. Hoxsey (1901-1974)
Born in Taylorville, Illinois
Received formula from his father at age 17
Opened first clinic in 1924
Arrested over 100 times for practicing medicine without a license
Built largest private cancer center in the world (Dallas)
Won libel suit against AMA (1949)
Forced to move operations to Mexico (1963)
Developed prostate cancer (1967)
Died in 1974, an invalid for his final seven years
Mildred Nelson, RN (1919-1999)
Started working with Hoxsey in 1946
Her mother was diagnosed with "incurable" cancer
Originally came to Dallas "to take her mother away from that quack"
After her mother's recovery, became a true believer
Founded Bio-Medical Center in Tijuana (1963)
Treated approximately 30,000 patients
Ran the clinic until her death on January 28, 1999
The Tragic Irony
In 1967, Harry Hoxsey was diagnosed with prostate cancer. His own herbal treatment
failed to cure him. He underwent conventional surgery and standard medical treatment.
He spent his final seven years as an invalid and died in 1974, without obituary or
newspaper tribute—forgotten by the media that had once made him front-page news.
Whether this proves the treatment never worked, or simply that even Hoxsey couldn't
cure every case, remains a matter of interpretation.