A London clinic, led by a former artisanal ice cream maker, is controversially treating stage 4 cancer patients with a dangerous method involving chlorine dioxide gas, a substance widely considered a toxic industrial bleach. The clinic's operator, Alastair Jessel, has admitted the protocol is "dangerous" and that he may be the first in the UK to administer it.
Jessel, who runs the Battersea Park Clinic, detailed the extreme treatment on a podcast popular among proponents of chlorine dioxide as a miracle cure. The protocol, based on an idea from German proponent Andreas Kalcker, involves sealing patients naked from the neck down in a plastic bag and exposing them to undiluted gaseous chlorine dioxide. Jessel stated that this "Protocol G" is likely the most dangerous of all chlorine dioxide protocols and that he is unaware of anyone else having performed it.
Cancer Research UK has strongly refuted any claims of safety or efficacy regarding chlorine dioxide gas exposure for cancer treatment. Caroline Geraghty, a senior specialist information nurse at the organization, emphasized that pursuing unproven treatments instead of medically approved ones can compromise treatment effectiveness and lead to dangerous side effects. She urged patients to consult with their doctors before considering any alternative remedies.
Despite the lack of scientific evidence and warnings from health organizations, Jessel claims his clinic has become a primary destination for holistic cancer care in the UK. He believes cancer is caused by factors like stress and poor relationships, not solely by biological processes. Jessel has a varied background, including roles as a stockbroker and a tile business owner, before venturing into ice cream and then alternative therapies without formal medical or scientific training.
Pseudoscience purveyors have long marketed chlorine dioxide solutions under various names as cures for numerous illnesses, despite a complete lack of credible evidence. Recently, there has been a resurgence of interest in the substance, partly fueled by past mentions by public figures and a subsequent removal of FDA warnings from its website, which has emboldened its proponents. Activists like Fiona O’Leary have raised alarms, calling the treatment of vulnerable cancer patients with bleach "hugely upsetting."
Concerns have also been raised by families of former patients. Natalie Passant stated her father spent thousands of dollars on treatments at Jessel's clinic for advanced prostate cancer before his death, feeling that vulnerable people are being manipulated and steered away from essential medical advice. While Jessel denies encouraging patients to forgo conventional treatment, his statements on podcasts often contradict this, as he openly discusses treating, healing, and curing clients, with about half of his clientele reportedly having cancer.
