The Krebiozen Hoax

How a Mysterious Cancer Drug Shook Organized Medicine

Matthew C. Ehrlich

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English

University of Illinois Press
20 August 2024

True crime; History of the Americas; Popular beliefs & controversial knowledge; Oncology; Coping with illness

The brainchild of an obscure Yugoslav physician, Krebiozen emerged in 1951 as an alleged cancer treatment. Andrew Ivy, a University of Illinois vice president and a famed physiologist dubbed “the conscience of U.S. science,” wholeheartedly embraced Krebiozen. Ivy’s impeccable credentials and reputation made the treatment seem like another midcentury medical miracle. But after years of controversy, the improbable saga ended with Krebiozen proved a sham, its inventor fleeing the country, and Ivy’s reputation and legacy in ruins.

Matthew C. Ehrlich’s history of Krebiozen tells a quintessential story of quackery. Though most experts dismissed the treatment, it found passionate public support not only among cancer patients but also people in good health. The treatment’s rise and fall took place against the backdrop of America’s never-ending suspicion of educational, scientific, and medical expertise. In addition, Ehrlich examines why people readily believe misinformation and struggle to maintain hope in the face of grave threats to well-being.

A dramatic account of fraud and misplaced trust, The Krebiozen Hoax shines a light on a forgotten medical scandal and its all-too-familiar relevance in the twenty-first century.

By: Matthew C. Ehrlich
Imprint: University of Illinois Press
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm, Spine: 23mm
Weight: 399g
ISBN: 9780252088117
ISBN 10: 0252088115
Pages: 248
Publication Date: 20 August 2024
Audience: General/trade , Professional and scholarly , ELT Advanced , Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Acknowledgments Introduction: Cancer, Quackery, and Hope Substance X Krebiozen Does Not Exist Conspiracies and Circuses A Fair Test Nothing but Creatine The Emperor’s New Clothes Conclusion: What Ever Happened to Doctor Ivy? Notes Index

Matthew C. Ehrlich is professor emeritus of journalism at the University of Illinois. He has previously published five books including Dangerous Ideas on Campus: Sex, Conspiracy, and Academic Freedom in the Age of JFK and Kansas City vs. Oakland: The Bitter Sports Rivalry That Defined an Era.

Reviews for The Krebiozen Hoax: How a Mysterious Cancer Drug Shook Organized Medicine

“A riveting presentation of a distinct and unusual story. The history of Krebiozen almost comes across as far-fetched. But Ehrlich’s excellent re-creation of time and place, alongside his incisive portraits of characters and institutional milieus, ground it in truth. Though the story lays bare the abuse of medicines and medical treatments, it is also a hard-to-believe mystery that shows the potential uses and abuses of the modern research university.”--John Thelin, author of A History of American Higher Education, third edition “A compelling and fair-minded account aimed at anyone who likes a good story about white collar schemes and scams. Ehrlich’s in-depth examination of the years-long Krebiozen brouhaha follows the case from its shady origins to its unsettling conclusion. It foreshadows contemporary activities of false medical prophets, their disciples, and demagogic politicians who enable quackery.”--William M. London, editor of Quackwatch’s Consumer Health Digest