CLAIM: Cancer can be cured without using chemotherapy

FACT:  The claim is not supported by scientific evidence

An Instagram reel posted by @chikitsaguru and @healthknowledgeindia with over 2.7 lakh views features a conversation with an alleged former cancer patient advocating alternative approaches to cancer treatment. The interviewer asks the woman how she managed to overcome the disease through Ayurveda. The woman replies that she chose not to undergo chemotherapy despite her oncologist's advice. 

"I decided against chemo after doing my research. I learned it creates many problems in the body, so I stopped after six radiation sessions," she explains.

The interviewer agrees with her and also highlights her commitment to one-hour daily exercise, allegedly playing a role in her recovery. He also attributes her decision to give up chemo and conventional video to his videos, which the woman is reported to have followed for six to seven years. 

"If she had taken those medicines, she might not have been recognizable today," the interviewer claims, applauding her resilience and adherence to Ayurvedic principles.

What is the fact?

Dr. Kanika Sood Sharma, an oncologist based in New Delhi, with 22 years of experience,  dismissed the claim in the video, saying that chemotherapy is required to treat malignancies with its use determined by the cancer's type and stage.

“There are certain cancers, like early-stage larynx or base-of-throat cancers, where radiation alone can be curative,” Dr. Sharma told First Check. Skin cancers and specific cases of lymphomas, such as stage 1A Hodgkin's lymphoma, might also be treated effectively with radiation alone.” 

Claim Vs Fact- true Facebook Post (1)

For most cancers, treatments like chemotherapy, radiation, or surgery are often recommended in combination to reduce the risk of recurrence.

Dr. Sharma expressed skepticism about the efficacy of alternative treatments, saying she hasn’t seen any miraculous cure where alternative medicine alone has effectively treated cancer. 

“Often, these treatments offer a transient sense of well-being, but the tumor load eventually surpasses the body's immunity, and the cancer progresses,” she pointed out. “Some alternative practices might involve undisclosed use of conventional drugs like steroids or methotrexate disguised as Ayurvedic powders, making the efficacy claims dubious.”

Dr. Sharma mentioned the growing interest in integrating conventional cancer treatments with alternative therapies to enhance patient outcomes. “There is growing interest in combining conventional cancer treatments with alternative therapies for better patient outcomes, but that approach is strictly managed in institutions like AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences), where doctors are actively researching integrative approaches, combining conventional treatments with complementary therapies such as Ayurveda, acupuncture, or yoga,” she said, emphasizing that these therapies are strictly supervised and never used in isolation for cancer treatment. "It is only used as a supportive treatment to alleviate side effects or improve quality of life, not as a cure."

Studies on the subject have warned against relying solely on alternative approaches to treat cancer. A study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) found that patients pursuing alternative treatments faced a 2.5 times higher risk of death than those receiving evidence-based therapies.

“Our findings highlight the importance of timely, proven medical care for cancer,”  the lead researcher Skyler Johnson, M.D., of the Yale School of Medicine, said, quoted by the NCI. “There’s an increased risk of death with choosing alternative medicine, and that’s something patients should consider when making their treatment decisions.”

Thus, the claim that cancer can be treated without chemotherapy or conventional treatments is not substantiated by scientific evidence. While some cancers may not require chemotherapy, this decision depends on the type and stage of the disease, identified through a thorough medical assessment. Alternative treatments may serve as complementary approaches for symptom management but lack the rigor and validation required to replace evidence-based cancer therapies.

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