Category: Cancer Diet

Can Gerson therapy or alternative treatment cure cancer ?

No !

No one has published any reliable scientific evidence to prove alternative therapies such as Gerson therapy can cure cancer.

When some one is diagnosed with cancer, particularly at a young age, the shock is unimaginable!

People are so shocked they start to question everything.

People can be understandably very worried about side effects of conventional treatments such as chemotherapy.

People with cancer can be frightened about everything.

BUT alternative therapy is not the answer to their worries and concerns.

Alternative therapy has not been shown to cure cancer.

There are lot of scams on social media promoting so called alternative or complimentary therapy. Be careful!

Even worse are the misguided people who promote well-intentioned but dangerous unscientific information.

Any one who has been newly diagnosed with cancer should be aware of the enormous amount of misinformation out there.

Some complementary therapies (eg massage, aromatherapy ) can have palliative and psychological benefits but they do not cure or control the cancer.

The recent BBC news article about a young women, who died of a potentially curable cancer, should be a warning to other people.

References

BBC News. ‘Our sister died of cancer because of our mum’s conspiracy theories’. Published 23 June 2025. Marianna Spring. Social media investigations correspondent

Telegraph. Cambridge graduate ‘killed by mother’s anti-medicine conspiracy theories’. Gwyn Wright. 24 June 2025 6:21am BST

Disclaimer: Please note – This blog is NOT medical advice. This blog is NOT a expert medical opinion on various topics. This blog is purely for information research only and do check the sources where cited. Please DO consult your own doctor to discuss concerns and options, which are relevant and specific to you. The views expressed in this blog are NOT, in any way whatsoever, intended to be a substitute for professional advice. The blog is NOT previewed, commissioned or otherwise endorsed, in any way, by any organisation that the author is associated with. The views expressed in this blog likely represents some of the author’s personal views held at the time of drafting the blog and MAY CHANGE overtime, particularly when new evidence comes to light.

Can Vitamins and anti-oxidants increase the risk of breast cancer coming back?

Yes, Dietary supplements can be harmful.

Vitamins and Minerals are absolutely essential nutrients for a Healthy body and a Healthy mind. Anyone not eating a healthy balanced should look what nutrients they might be missing.

But on the other hand, taking too much of vitamins and minerals, when they are not needed, could be harmful to the body.

There is widespread use of dietary supplements during cancer treatment, in the hope they can reduce side effects but many do not think about the disadvantages.

An American study of Breast cancer patients undergoing Chemotherapy looked at the effect of taking dietary supplements such as anti-oxidants, iron, vitamin B12, and omega-3 fatty acids.

Breast cancer patients who took the dietary supplements during chemotherapy were found be harmed by them. They had a higher chance of cancer coming back compared to people who did not take these supplements. The supplements also increased risk of death in those the supplements.

Beware supplements when used improperly, can be harmful.

Dietary Supplement Use During Chemotherapy and Survival Outcomes of Patients With Breast Cancer Enrolled in a Cooperative Group Clinical Trial (SWOG S0221)

Christine B. Ambrosone, PhD1; Gary R. Zirpoli, PhD2; Alan D. Hutson, PhD1; William E. McCann1; Susan E. McCann, PhD, RD1; William E. Barlow, PhD3; Kara M. Kelly, MD1; Rikki Cannioto, PhD, EdD1; Lara E. Sucheston-Campbell, PhD4; Dawn L. Hershman, MD5; Joseph M. Unger, PhD3; Halle C.F. Moore, MD6; James A. Stewart, MD7; Claudine Isaacs, MD8; Timothy J. Hobday, MD9; Muhammad Salim, MD10; Gabriel N. Hortobagyi, MD11; Julie R. Gralow, MD12; George T. Budd, MD6; and Kathy S. Albain, MD13

Disclaimer: Please note- This blog is NOT medical advice. This blog is purely for information only and do check the the sources where cited. Please consult your own doctor to discuss concerns and options relevant to you.

The views expressed in this blog represent the author’s views held at the time of drafting the blog and is likely to change overtime, particularly when new evidence comes to light. The blog is not necessarily endorsed by any organisation the author is associated with and views are not substitute for professional advice.

Selenium can be harmful for Skin cancer patients

Nutritional supplements are often tried to prevent cancer. But well- designed rigorously conducted clinical trials have NOT shown any benefit in prevention of many cancers.

Selenium was suggested as a preventative supplement for skin cancer.

A clinical trial compared Selenium against placebo in United States. The results were disappointing.

Selenium supplementation was found to be ineffective at preventing Skin cancers.

To make matters worse, Selenium was found to Harmful and increased the the risk of getting some skin cancers such as squamous cell carcinoma.

Selenium Supplementation and Secondary Prevention of Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer in a Randomized Trial. Anna J. Duffield-Lillico, Elizabeth H. Slate, Mary E. Reid, Bruce W. Turnbull, Patricia A. Wilkins, Gerald F. Combs, Jr., H. Kim Park, Earl G. Gross, Gloria F. Graham, M. Suzanne Stratton… Show moreJNCI: Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Volume 95, Issue 19, 1 October 2003, Pages 1477–1481, https://doi.org/10.1093/jnci/djg061

Disclaimer: Please note- This blog is NOT medical advice. This blog is purely for information only and do check the the sources where cited. Please consult your own doctor to discuss concerns and options relevant to you.

The views expressed in this blog represent the author’s views held at the time of drafting the blog and is likely to change overtime, particularly when new evidence comes to light. The blog is not necessarily endorsed by any organisation the author is associated with and views are not substitute for professional advice.

Dietary advice: take it with a pinch of salt

Official dietary advice as well as various “Diets” promoted by various celebrities tend to be very prescriptive. They often give the impression that the evidence behind everything they promote is very clear cut.

But truth is far more murkier ( I might say more “mish mash “).

A new study analysis of old data comes to a different conclusion about “red meat”. This is in fact not surprising as the evidence for various Dietary guidelines and “Diets” are not usually robust and watertight and involves lot of assumptions.

What is the take home message:

Eat “everything you like” in moderation and try to make it as balanced as possible with substitutes for things you avoid !!

Avoid processed food as much as possible and eat fresh.

Don’t be surprised if the next two studies on this topic reach three different conclusions.

References

1. BBC news. Is red meat back on the menu?

2. New York Times. Eat Less Red Meat, Scientists Said. Now Some Believe That Was Bad Advice.

3. The original study article from Annals of Internal Medicine. Unprocessed Red Meat and Processed Meat Consumption: Dietary Guideline Recommendations From the Nutritional Recommendations (NutriRECS) Consortium.

4. Daily Mail. You DON’T need to cut out red meat: Scientists say official advice on eating less beef, pork and lamb is based on bad evidence and having it four times a week poses ‘NO cancer risk’ 

Disclaimer: Please note- This blog is NOT medical advice. This blog is purely for information only. See your own doctor to discuss concerns and options relevant for you.

Surprising Number of Americans Believe Alternative Therapies Can Cure Cancer

woman holding white laptop between women

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A recent National Cancer Opinion Survey found that a significant Number of Americans Believe Alternative Therapies Can Cure Cancer.

Nearly four in 10 Americans (39%) believe cancer can be cured solely through alternative therapies such as enzyme and oxygen therapy, diet, vitamins, and minerals.

Even many of the respondents with direct cancer experience—people who have or had cancer and family caregivers—believe cancer can be cured solely through alternative medicine.(22% and 38%, respectively).

The American survey also found that younger people are the group most likely to hold these views: 47% of people ages 18 to 37 and 44% of people ages 38 to 53.

It is counterintuitive that the generation with access to vast online information at the swipe of a finger holds such unscientific views. One wonders whether the social media is inadvertently promoting misinformation.

References

1.American Society of Clinical Oncology : Second National Cancer Opinion Survey.

 

Disclaimer: Please note- This blog is NOT medical advice. This blog is purely for information only. See your own doctor to discuss concerns and options relevant for you.

Can Turmeric control cancer ?

Turmeric powder

 

Turmeric is an orange coloured spice widely used in Indian dishes.

Turmeric has been used in Indian traditional medicine (Siddha and Ayurveda).

Turmeric has anti-inflammatory and anti-Cancer properties when tested in laboratories.

Remember – a potential to be beneficial (based on lab studies) is not the same as being proven to work in humans. Lot of substances which are promising in the laboratory eventually turn out to be useless in humans.

If you search PUBMED database- which is an online database of scientific papers- you will find hundreds of papers pertaining to medicinal use of turmeric and its key ingredients such as curcumin. But unfortunately among the many hundreds of published papers, there are very few human trials which have explored turmeric as a anti-cancer treatment.

Inspite of the positive anectodal reports on various internet sites, the available scientific evidence for use of turmeric as an anti-cancer treatment is very spare. ( references below).

Hence it is not worthwhile using turmeric as a cancer treatment.

If you do like Indian dishes, use turmeric as a spice in your normal diet.

But do stay away from the supplements which are sold with health claims.

 

ginger and turmeric powder

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

References

The EssentialMedicinal Chemistry of Curcumin.Nelson KM, Dahlin JL, Bisson J, Graham J, Pauli GF, Walters MA. J Med Chem. 2017 Mar 9;60(5):1620-1637.

Phase I clinical trial of oralcurcumin: biomarkers of systemic activity and compliance.Sharma RA, Euden SA, Platton SL, Cooke DN, Shafayat A, Hewitt HR, Marczylo TH, Morgan B, Hemingway D, Plummer SM, Pirmohamed M, Gescher AJ, Steward WP. Clin Cancer Res. 2004 Oct 15;10(20):6847-54.

A Placebo-Controlled Double-Blinded Randomized Pilot Study of Combination Phytotherapy in Biochemically Recurrent Prostate Cancer.van Die MD, Williams SG, Emery J, Bone KM, Taylor JM, Lusk E, Pirotta MV. Prostate. 2017 May;77(7):765-775.

Efficacy and Safety of Curcumin in Treatment of Intestinal Adenomas in Patients With Familial Adenomatous Polyposis.Cruz-Correa M, Hylind LM, Marrero JH, Zahurak ML, Murray-Stewart T, Casero RA Jr, Montgomery EA, Iacobuzio-Donahue C, Brosens LA, Offerhaus GJ, Umar A, Rodriguez LM, Giardiello FM. Gastroenterology. 2018 Sep;155(3):668-673.

Effect on prostatic specific antigen by a short time treatment with a Curcuma extract: A real life experience and implications for prostate biopsy.Fabiani A, Morosetti C, Filosa A, Principi E, Lepri L, Maurelli V, Fioretti F, Servi L. Arch Ital Urol Androl. 2018 Jun 30;90(2):107-111.

Pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic study of oral Curcuma extract in patients with colorectal cancer.Sharma RA, McLelland HR, Hill KA, Ireson CR, Euden SA, Manson MM, Pirmohamed M, Marnett LJ, Gescher AJ, Steward WP. Clin Cancer Res. 2001 Jul;7(7):1894.

Consumption of the putative chemopreventive agent curcumin by cancer patients: assessment of curcumin levels in the colorectum and their pharmacodynamic consequences.Garcea G, Berry DP, Jones DJ, Singh R, Dennison AR, Farmer PB, Sharma RA, Steward WP, Gescher AJ. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2005 Jan;14(1):120-5.

A double-blind, placebo-controlled randomised trial evaluating the effect of a polyphenol-rich whole food supplement on PSA progression in men with prostate cancer–the U.K. NCRN Pomi-T study.Thomas R, Williams M, Sharma H, Chaudry A, Bellamy P. Prostate Cancer Prostatic Dis. 2014 Jun;17(2):180-6

Consumption of the putative chemopreventive agent curcumin by cancer patients: assessment of curcumin levels in the colorectum and their pharmacodynamic consequences.Garcea G, Berry DP, Jones DJ, Singh R, Dennison AR, Farmer PB, Sharma RA, Steward WP, Gescher AJ. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2005 Jan;14(1):120-5.

A phase I/II study of gemcitabine-based chemotherapy plus curcumin for patients with gemcitabine-resistant pancreatic cancer.Kanai M, Yoshimura K, Asada M, Imaizumi A, Suzuki C, Matsumoto S, Nishimura T, Mori Y, Masui T, Kawaguchi Y, Yanagihara K, Yazumi S, Chiba T, Guha S, Aggarwal BB. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol. 2011 Jul;68(1):157.

Phytosome complex of curcumin as complementary therapy of advanced pancreatic cancer improves safety and efficacy of gemcitabine: Results of a prospective phase II trial.Pastorelli D, Fabricio ASC, Giovanis P, D’Ippolito S, Fiduccia P, Soldà C, Buda A, Sperti C, Bardini R, Da Dalt G, Rainato G, Gion M, Ursini F. Pharmacol Res. 2018 Jun;132:72-79.

Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance, smoldering multiple myeloma, and curcumin: a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled cross-over 4g study and an open-label 8g extension study.Golombick T, Diamond TH, Manoharan A, Ramakrishna R. Am J Hematol. 2012 May;87(5):455-60.

 

Image credit: Simon A. Eugster. Turmeric (Curcuma longa):fresh rhizome and powder.

Disclaimer: Please note- This blog is NOT medical advice. This blog is purely for information only. See your own doctor to discuss concerns and options relevant for you.

Can milk cause cancer?

blur calcium close up dairy

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A vegan group’s recent advertisement claimed that “cow’s milk contains 35 hormones, including oestrogen … some of these are linked to cancer”.

Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) in U.K banned the vegan group’s advert  as it found the groups claims misleading.

Does the evidence stack up?

First of all, I have to emphasize that “Human Mothers milk” is the best nutrition a new born baby can have…even though it might have various natural hormones.

But “mass produced diary milk” is a different matter.

A large observational study from ” Central Sweden”  found that “High milk intake was associated with higher risk of death and higher fracture incidence in women”. The paper was published in the prestigious BMJ journal in 2014. I suspect the substances used in mass production of diary milk might be the culprit rather than natural milk itself.

So the jury is out on this question. In the mean time, moderation is the key as Cows’ milk does contain many beneficial substances.  Switching to sugary, fizzy drinks or other artifically produed milk alternatives is not sensible either.

Related Links

Milk intake and risk of mortality and fractures in women and men: cohort studies

BMJ Letter: S Sundar. Milk and mortality: the potential effects of modern milk production

Telegraph: Vegan group’s advert wrongly linking cow’s milk to cancer is banned.

Independent: Vegan group’s advert wrongly linking cow’s milk to cancer gets UK ban