Hydrazine Sulfate

by National Cancer Institute

Hydrazine sulfate is a chemical compound that has been studied as a treatment for cancer, cancer-related anorexia (loss of appetite), and cachexia (loss of muscle mass and body weight).

Hydrazine sulfate is thought to limit the tumor's ability to obtain glucose, which is a type of sugar used by cells to create energy.

Hydrazine sulfate has not shown antitumor activity in randomized clinical trials (a type of research study). Data concerning its effectiveness in treating cancer-related anorexia and cachexia are inconclusive.

Hydrazine sulfate is commercially available in the United States, but its use outside clinical trials has not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Questions and Answers About Hydrazine Sulfate

1. What is hydrazine sulfate?

Hydrazine sulfate is a compound that has been studied as an anticancer agent and as a treatment for cancer-related anorexia (loss of appetite) and cachexia (loss of muscle mass and body weight).

2. What is the history of the discovery and use of hydrazine sulfate as a complementary or alternative treatment for cancer?

Even though it has been known since the early 1900s that hydrazine compounds are toxic to animals and to humans, more than 400 hydrazine-related compounds have been tested for their ability to kill cancer cells. One of these compounds, procarbazine, was used to treat Hodgkin's disease, melanoma, and lung cancer in the 1960s.

In view of procarbazine's anticancer activity, hydrazine sulfate (a compound similar in chemical composition to procarbazine) was studied for its effectiveness in fighting cancer beginning in the 1970s. Investigation of hydrazine sulfate as a treatment for cancer-related cachexia also began during this time.

In addition to their use for medicinal purposes, hydrazine compounds have been used in industry and agriculture as components of rocket fuel, as herbicides (chemicals that kill plants), and as chemical agents in boiler and cooling-tower water systems. Many scientists consider hydrazine sulfate and other similar substances to be cancer-causing agents and have expressed concern about the safety of these compounds.

3. What is the theory behind the claim that hydrazine sulfate is useful in treating cancer?

Two mechanisms of action have been proposed to explain the potential anticancer and anticachexia properties of hydrazine sulfate. Both mechanisms involve the production and use of glucose, which is a type of sugar that the body's cells use for energy.

In one proposed mechanism, hydrazine sulfate prevents the body from producing sugar. It has been suggested that cachexia occurs because the body must use increasing amounts of its other resources to meet the cancer's demand for sugar. Blocking the process of making sugar and interfering with the supply of nutrients to the cancer has been proposed as one way to stop cancer growth and prevent cachexia.

In the other suggested mechanism, hydrazine sulfate stops the activity of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). This substance is produced by the body's white blood cells in response to infection or tissue damage. High levels of TNF-alpha have been found in cancer patients. It has been suggested that these high levels can cause anorexia, increased energy use, and increased muscle breakdown in cancer patients. Some of the products of muscle breakdown then become available for sugar production by the body. Therefore, stopping the activity of TNF-alpha might stop tumor growth and prevent cachexia.

4. How is hydrazine sulfate administered?

Hydrazine sulfate is taken by mouth in the form of pills or capsules. The dose and duration of hydrazine sulfate treatment vary.

5. Have any preclinical (laboratory or animal) studies been conducted using hydrazine sulfate?

Studies of hydrazine compounds, including hydrazine sulfate, have been conducted to determine whether they could cause cancer in healthy laboratory animals. Substantial increases in lung, liver, or breast cancers have been observed in most studies conducted with rats, mice, or hamsters.

Researchers conducting animal studies of hydrazine sulfate as a treatment for cancer have tested the compound by itself and in combination with standard anticancer drugs. When used alone against some types of cancer, hydrazine sulfate slowed tumor growth in some animal studies. Other studies showed no effect. The most significant reductions in tumor size (approximately 50% or more) were accompanied by substantial losses in the animal's body weight. This finding appears to be inconsistent with the proposed use of hydrazine sulfate to treat cancer-related cachexia.

Improved effects against certain tumors in rats and mice were observed when hydrazine sulfate was combined with individual anticancer drugs. Mixed results were found, however, when hydrazine sulfate was tested in combination with drugs that affect the way cells use sugar.

In the 1980s, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) conducted preclinical studies of hydrazine sulfate. Because no evidence of anticancer activity was found except for one type of cancer in rats, NCI recommended against further evaluation of hydrazine sulfate as an anticancer agent. Clinical studies of this compound continued, however, largely because of its potential as a treatment for cancer-related anorexia and cachexia.

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