No single magic formula for cancer, say oncologists slamming Sidhu for ‘sensationalism’

New Delhi, Nov 25 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.