Patients warned about corrosive ointment Tarun Weeramanthri, Chief Health Officer of WA Health Department, has warned cancer patients against using a corrosive ointment. CANCER patients in Perth say they've been seriously injured after being conned into using a highly corrosive ointment. Western Australia's department of health has issued an urgent warning not to use the black salve, which is bizarrely being labelled and sold by some retailers as "termite repellent." WA Chief Health Officer Tarun Weeramanthri said today the salve contained potent ingredients otherwise controlled under the state's poisons law. The department had recently received several reports from cancer patients who had suffered significant injuries from using the salve, Dr Weeramanthri said. If used without medical guidance, they can be extremely dangerous. The chemicals are highly corrosive and can essentially burn off layers of the skin and underlying tissue, leading to severe scarring. "Anyone considering a new treatment for a serious condition such as cancer should always seek medical advice rather than try something that has been promoted by word of mouth or through the internet," Dr Weeramanthri said. He said the claims for black salve have been around for decades and amount to dangerous quackery peddled under a false name to vulnerable people. The ointment is also known as red salve, cansema or bloodroot, but all contain the caustic ingredient sanguinarine. Dr Weeramanthri said anyone using or who has used the salve should stop immediately and seek medical advice. He also warned that immediate action would be taken against anyone found selling black salve products. The Therapeutic Goods Administration advised last year that the salve was not registered for use in Australia.