A controversial cancer treatment will be given experimentally to 2600 patients with cancer in 21 hospitals around Italy after massive pressure from patients and the media. The treatment—based on a cocktail of drugs, including somatostatin and melatonin—has been developed by Professor Luigi Di Bella.

Professor Di Bella, aged 86, formerly held a temporary position as professor of physiology at the University of Modena. He has presented his protocol at a few meetings but has not published his research in a peer reviewed journal. Professor Di Bella says that he has been using the approach for more than 25 years and it is effective against all cancers without any side effects. He …