Black salve composition: An evaluation of the potential for normal tissue toxicity and treatment failure from black salve products

Black salve, used as an alternative skin cancer therapy, contains both herbal and chemical constituents, including extracts of the rhizomes of Sanguinaria canadensis and zinc chloride. Black salves may be ordered online and have been associated with cases of extensive tissue necrosis and treatment failures that have resulted in patient fatalities. Despite these adverse outcomes and continued use by patients, black salve products have not been quantitatively assessed to determine their constituent concentrations.