At LEMMO Integrated Cancer Care Inc., we use specific medications that have the ability to help remove toxic metals such as lead, mercury, and arsenic that are stored within the body. Chelation which means “to bind”, has become the term which signifies this process. Thus, for example, if a person becomes acutely poisoned from lead, a chelation protocol is used to help remove this toxic metal from the body. While there are many methods or natural-based treatments on the market, which claim to have chelation properties, the intravenous use of select medications that include EDTA and DMPS are considered the more reliable and researched methods. The use of other chelation medications, such as DMSA, also possesses degrees of benefit when used orally.
There is a growing amount of evidence to suggest that a specific intravenous protocol that combines EDTA chelation medicine along with select vitamins may also have positive benefits in cardiovascular disease.
Furthermore, there are also other types of chelation medicines that target minerals such as copper (i.e. tetrathiomolybdate or TM) which, when reduced or lowered, may assist to reduce or delay the grow of some cancers in some preliminary research such as in triple-negative breast cancer.
It is common to first order a specific urine test used along with select chelation medicine(s) to see what levels of toxic metals are chelated or pulled out from the body. This approach helps to establish a baseline level, while not perfect is the best method available at this time. Other tests can also be ordered depending on the type of chelation medicine used.
Studies & further reading
Selected publications for patients who want to explore the research. Each finding applies to the study’s own population, protocol and stage of evidence; your care team can help you understand what may be relevant to you.
This clinical reference explains EDTA’s established role in managing selected heavy-metal toxicities, along with administration, monitoring and clinical considerations.
This review explores possible mechanisms through which EDTA chelation may influence neuronal injury in the context of toxic-metal exposure and neurodegenerative disease.