Heman Bekele, a 14-year-old from Annandale, Virginia, was just named “America’s Top Young Scientist.” The distinction comes along with winning 3M’s annual Young Scientist Challenge and $25,000 dollars.
Bekele combined salicylic acid, glycolic acid, and tretinoin, three common skin care molecules, into a “cancer-fighting” soap. All three are keratolytic agents that slowly reactivate dendritic cells, which help protect the skin and boost immune responses. Cosmetically, they also help remove the dead, outer skin layer and bring younger skin cells to the surface.
Keratolytic drugs have been used to treat psoriasis and have been shown to decrease solar keratosis, a precursor to some skin cancers, aka sun damage. However, the soap cannot be recommended to treat frank skin cancer. More research is needed to know the role the soap may play.
Even proven topical chemotherapy agents like 5-Fluorouracil and Imiquimod are only indicated for very superficial skin cancers and require close professional follow-up to determine effectiveness. Deeper skin cancers still require surgical excision. If you have squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma and especially melanoma, seek an experienced, board certified Dermatologist or Plastic Surgeon for definitive treatment.
On the other hand, if a $10 bar of soap can eliminate even a small percentage of skin cancers, the potential savings in cost, time and anxiety is well worth it.
https://www.sanfranciscoplasticsurgeryblog.com/cancer-fighting-soap-wins-heman-bekele-the-young-scientist-challenge