Chemotherapy, surgery, or radiation forms the backbone of the treatment against cancer and there is no single magic formula against the disease, said oncologists on Monday while slamming former cricketer and Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu’s recent claims of his wife being cured of the deadly disease via diet.
The oncologists slammed Sidhu, a former Member of the Rajya Sabha,
for “creating sensationalism” and misguiding people.
In a recent press
conference in Amritsar, Punjab, Sidhu described his wife, Navjot Kaur's
treatment for her breast cancer as "starving cancer by not eating dairy
products and sugar". In the widely circulated video on social media, Sidhu
said that his wife “consumed haldi (turmeric) and neem which helped cure her
‘incurable’ cancer.
“Cancer is not one
disease, treated by a single magic formula. The treatment strategy is based on
the subtype of cancer, specific genetic changes in the particular cancer cells,
organ of origin, extent of spread of disease at the time of diagnosis and host
of factors,” Dr. Harit Chaturvedi, Chairman - Max Institute of Cancer Care,
told IANS.
“The treatment of
cancer is because of either chemotherapy, surgery, or radiation. This forms the
backbone of the treatment. The other adjuncts, like the diet control or diet
rearrangements or the natural ingredients, cannot replace the treatment,” added
Dr. Pritam Kataria, Consultant, Medical Oncology, Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital.
In the press
conference, Sidhu revealed that his wife was given a 5 per cent chance to
survive. However, she overcame stage 4 cancer following a simple dietary and
lifestyle regimen.
After Sidhu’s
viral video, oncologists claimed that he had done major harm to society by
misguiding people over the disease which claims more than 9 lakh lives annually
in India.
Notably, Sidhu had
in June tweeted about Kaur successfully undergoing chemotherapy sessions under
“Dr.Rupinder Batra (Former Tata Memorial Oncologist) at Waryam Singh Hospital,
Yamunanagar”.
In an open letter,
posted on LinkedIn, Dr. Abhishek Shankar, Assistant Professor, Department of
Radiation Oncology, Dr BR Ambedkar Institute Rotary Cancer Hospital at AIIMS,
Delhi called out the former cricketer for spreading misinformation.
“We expect a lot
from a public figure like you when it comes to overcoming the myth among the
general population to boost cancer care in India. Despite the best efforts,
more than 9 lakh people are dying from cancer every year in India, and the
reason for many deaths is misinformation,” Shankar said.
“The general
public might lose the best opportunities to get cured by just adopting your
advice seriously,” Shankar said.
He noted that
“neem and turmeric may have potential health benefits, but there is no
scientific evidence that they can cure cancer”.
“The idea that
‘sugar feeds cancer’ oversimplifies how the body and cancer cells use energy.
Eliminating sugar from the diet will not starve cancer cells but may lead to
nutritional imbalances and that may be fatal for cancer patients. A balanced
diet is crucial for maintaining strength and supporting treatment outcomes and
may contain sugar and dairy products,” he added in the letter.
Many other
oncologists claimed that Sidhu’s video promoting home remedies for cancer has
done “long-term harm to society”. With the video going viral in WhatsApp
groups, more people are likely to choose home remedies over proper cancer
treatment, resulting in countless preventable deaths.
“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,” Dr. Mandeep
Singh Malhotra, Director of Surgical Oncology at CK Birla Hospital, Delhi, told
IANS.
“We appeal to the
people not to get misguided by such stories that lack scientific and data
scrutiny. Such anecdotes are generally not shared with honesty for any good but
are shared to create sensationalism,” Chaturvedi said.
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