1. a substance derived from apricot pits and other plant sources, promoted as an alternative cancer treatment but not approved by medical authorities
Usage: medical; controversial

Examples

• Laetrile was once promoted as a cancer cure in the 1970s.
• The FDA has not approved laetrile for cancer treatment.
• Some patients traveled to Mexico to obtain laetrile therapy.
• Clinical studies failed to show that laetrile was effective against cancer.
• Laetrile is extracted from bitter almonds and apricot kernels.
• The controversy over laetrile continues in alternative medicine circles.