Cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu's recent claim that his wife, Navjot Kaur Sidhu, overcame stage four cancer through a strict diet regimen has sparked controversy, with medical professionals cautioning that such statements risk spreading misinformation and offering false hope to patients battling the disease.

First Check consulted leading medical experts including Dr. Sameer Kaul, Senior Consultant in Surgical and Clinical Oncology at Apollo Cancer Institute, New Delhi, and Dr. Shahin Nooreyezdan, a renowned plastic surgeon, and sought their insights on the issue.

Dr Kaul described Sidhu’s claims as a “dangerous form of misinformation.”

 “The information which the cricketer has spread among the general public will have profound impact as they don’t have that discerning power. People tend to go by celebrity status,” Dr. Kaul said. 

“Well, diet is important in every ailment, including cancer. But claiming that diet alone cured metastatic cancer is a fallacy and it is misinformation,” 

Dr. Kaul said it was important to distinguish between credible medical treatments and disinformation, saying unverified health advice has huge consequences. 

"The issue that has to be discussed is the health information and disinformation scenario," Dr. Kaul added. He also criticized the media for failing to thoroughly vet Sidhu’s claims, which he argued had the potential to mislead vulnerable people seeking alternative treatments for serious conditions like cancer.

Dr. Shahin Nooreyezdan expressed grave concern over Sidhu’s claims, saying such statements hold significant weight due to Sidhu's celebrity status. "He (Sidhu) is not an ordinary person. He is a celebrated cricketer, and his claims will have a lot of takers among people. It will cost people their lives,” Dr. Nooreyezdan said. “I think it is sad to say that cancer can be cured through diet.” 

Despite the backlash from the medical community, Sidhu has continued to promote the dietary plan on social media, offering detailed instructions for followers. The plan includes recommendations for consuming alkaline water, as well as a concoction of cardamom, holy basil, mint, ginger, and cinnamon as a substitute for tea. Sidhu maintains that these dietary changes, along with conventional treatments, played a crucial role in his wife’s recovery.

Earlier 262 oncologists of from Tata Memorial Hospital issued a statement asking people “not to delay their treatment by following unproven remedies, but rather to consult a doctor, preferably a cancer specialist, if they have any symptoms of cancer.” Besides, Medical Council of India and many senior other cancer specialists in the country have issued swift rebuttals to Sidhu’s claims. 

Also read: Sidhu shares controversial diet plan for cancer recovery amid expert backlash - First Check