No Single Magic Formula For Cancer, Oncologists Slam Sidhu For ‘Sensationalism’

New Delhi: 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, said.

“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.