Unproven remedies: Tata Memorial Hospital slams Sidhu’s viral ‘diet cure’ cancer claim

New Delhi : After a video of former cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu surfaced in which he described his wife's treatment for her breast cancer as "starving the cancer by not eating dairy products and sugar", Tata Memorial Hospital doctors on Saturday warned that diet alone is no cure for the disease, which requires a range of medical interventions.

Oncologists at Tata Memorial Trust, in a post shared on X, said: "Diet alone is not a cure for cancer. While it plays a crucial role in supporting treatment and improving outcomes, cancer cure typically requires medical interventions like surgery, chemotherapy, and targeted therapies. Nutraceuticals and dietary changes can enhance the effectiveness of these treatments by targeting cancer pathways and improving the patient’s overall health. However, claims of curing cancer through diet alone lack scientific validation. Treatment plans should integrate diet as a complementary approach rather than a standalone solution, tailored to the individual’s cancer type and overall condition."

Sidhu in a video, widely circulated on social media, had said that his wife starved the cancer by not eating dairy products and sugar and consumed haldi (turmeric) and neem which helped cure her "incurable" cancer. He said she ate her first meal of the day at 10 a.m. and the last meal of the day at 6.30 p.m.

To this, the Tata Memorial doctors said: "These statements have no high-quality evidence to support them. While research is ongoing for some of these products, there is no clinical data currently to recommend their use as anti-cancer agents. We urge the public to not delay their treatment by following unproven remedies, but rather to consult a doctor, preferably a cancer specialist, if they have any symptoms of cancer. Cancer is curable if detected early and proven cancer treatments include surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy."

At least 262 oncologists (present and past, from Tata Memorial Hospital) signed the statement.

“Make this go viral. We have to keep fighting misinformation,” the Tata Memorial said.