Social media is filled with an overload of health and wellness information, as anyone can claim to be an expert. With that, unfortunately, comes a lot of misinformation. A big area of interest seems to be natural or alternative cancer remedies – but opting to follow alternative advice can be dangerous, as there aren’t any natural or alternative treatments that have been proven to work in people who have cancer.
“Supplements don’t have to be FDA-approved, so you don’t always know what you’re getting,” says Philip A. Philip, M.D., Ph.D., a medical oncologist at Henry Ford Health. “And supplements, along with other alternative cancer treatments, haven’t been scientifically proven to be effective. They could even have harmful side effects. Or if you’re taking something alongside a conventional cancer treatment, it could reduce the efficacy of the treatment or exacerbate the side effects. We just don’t know enough because we don’t have the peer-reviewed studies on alternative treatments, like we do conventional cancer treatments like chemotherapy, radiation, immunotherapy and targeted therapy.”
4 Trending Alternative Cancer Treatments To Be Wary Of
Here, four alternative treatments that have been gaining popularity on social media – but that don’t have the evidence to back up their efficacy.
1. Taking turmeric as a supplement.
Turmeric is a spice that’s often used in South Asian cuisine. It contains curcumin, which is a powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant, meaning it protects your cells from damage. (Inflammation is one theory that’s thought to be at the root of cancer.)
But many companies are packaging and selling turmeric in supplement form – so you’re ingesting it in much higher quantities than you’d get from cooking. As is the case with many supplements, your body likely can’t absorb that much turmeric – not to mention the fact that high amounts of turmeric could cause stomach upset and have other unforeseen side effects while undergoing cancer treatment.
While certain, preliminary animal studies have linked curcumin to slowing tumor growth, there isn’t enough research in humans to give this any credibility. At most, adding turmeric into your cooking can be part of a healthy, anti-inflammatory diet (which is beneficial for cancer prevention but not as a cancer treatment itself).
2. Completely cutting out all sugar and carbs.
Some people think cutting out all carbs can effectively starve cancer cells – but this isn’t true and will deprive a lot of cancer patients from getting needed calories. It’s already common to lose weight during treatment and losing too much weight with a restricted diet is simply unhealthy, leading to poorer recovery and worsened outcomes.
While undergoing cancer treatment, it’s best to eat a diet high in protein, healthy fats and complex carbohydrates – think multigrain bread, whole wheat pasta, fruit and brown rice, for example.
Cancer Care at Henry Ford Health
3. Ivermectin.
Ivermectin is FDA-approved to treat certain parasitic infections, but there’s not any clinical data to show it can treat cancer in people. “Ivermectin helps cells die. It doesn’t let cells proliferate, which is why people have thought it may help as a cancer treatment,” says Dr. Philip. “But it hasn’t been used in what we call a prospective clinical trial – meaning all patients get the standard of care treatment and half of them also get the additional drug that's being tested. If and until we have this clinical data, we can’t say that it could work as a cancer treatment.”
In one small study – that included just eight people with triple negative breast cancer – immunotherapy (a widely studied cancer treatment) was given in conjunction with ivermectin, yet only one patient experienced any tumor shrinkage.
4. CBD oil.
CBD, or cannabidiol, is derived from marijuana and hemp plants but does not have psychoactive effects. (THC does, which is found in marijuana and is what most people think of when they think of marijuana.) Anecdotally, CBD oil is thought to reduce anxiety, nausea and insomnia – which is what some who have cancer use it for. But there’s no hard evidence that it works to relieve side effects from cancer treatment.
There’s also no clinical evidence that it works as a treatment for cancer itself. In fact, lab studies show CBD may prevent certain drugs like chemotherapy from being processed in the body, affecting how well they work. This may result in chemotherapy either not being as effective as it should or increasing its toxicity, leading to unintended side effects.
Not only that, but as CBD oil is classified as a supplement, it does not need FDA approval. It could have more THC in it than intended (it should only have trace amounts) or it could have heavy metals in it – or other dangerous substances.
“As with all supplements, you should definitely tell your doctor if you’re using CBD oil,” says Dr. Philip. “Just because it’s a supplement and you can get it over the counter doesn’t mean it’s safe – quite the contrary.”
Cancer Treatments That Are Proven To Be Effective
Surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, immunotherapy and targeted treatments are the best, most widely researched treatments for cancer. Depending upon a variety of factors like your type of cancer and stage, your doctor may recommend a few of these treatments at different points throughout your cancer journey. Research is ongoing to find the most effective treatments with the least amount of side effects.
“I know it is scary facing a cancer diagnosis – some people are desperate to try anything,” says Dr. Philip. “But it’s best to work with your doctor and follow a treatment plan they develop for the best outcome. You can always get a second opinion.”
Benefits of Integrative Cancer Treatments
While alternative medicine isn’t effective as a cancer treatment, integrative medicine – or services like acupuncture, art and music therapy, counseling, nutrition guidance and exercise classes – can be helpful alongside conventional cancer treatments to ease side effects and better your mental and physical health, too.
"There was a Canadian study last year that showed exercise improved the survival of people with colon cancer,” says Dr. Philip. “So the way I look at it is that exercise, music therapy – all of these integrative treatments – they’re good for your mind and body. They improve your quality of life and if they improve your quality of life, your body is also more receptive to treatment.”
Reviewed by Philip A. Philip, M.D., Ph.D., F.R.C.P., an internationally renowned medical oncologist specializing in gastrointestinal cancers. He is the Chief, Division of Hematology/Oncology in the Department of Internal Medicine at Henry Ford Health. He has led numerous studies in the areas of gastrointestinal tumors. He sees patients at Henry Ford Cancer – Detroit and Henry Ford Medical Center – Columbus.
