‘Don’t get fooled...’: Tata Memorial Hospital warn patients after Navjot Singh Sidhu’s claims on cancer cure 

Oncologists from Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, refuted claims made by Navjot Singh Sidhu regarding his wife’s recovery from stage 4 breast cancer.  

Cancer patients should not delay or stop their treatment by following unproven remedies, the oncologists said after former India cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu claimed in a press conference that his wife Navjot Kaur defeated stage 4 cancer with dietary and lifestyle changes. 

In a statement on X, the Director of Tata Memorial Hospital, Dr C S Pramesh, said, “Parts of the video imply that starving the cancer by not eating dairy products and sugar, consuming haldi (turmeric) and neem helped cure her ‘incurable’ cancer.” 

These comments have no high-quality evidence to support them, the statement signed by 262 oncologists from the Tata Memorial Hospital said. 

While research is going on for some of these products, currently there is no clinical data to recommend their use as anti-cancer agents, the statement added. 

“We urge the public to not delay their treatment by following unproven remedies, but rather to consult a doctor, preferably a cancer specialist, if they have any symptoms of cancer. Cancer is curable if detected early and proven treatments for cancer include surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy,” the statement issued in ‘public interest’ read. 

Posting a clip of from Sidhu’s press conference on X, Dr Pramesh said, “Please don’t believe and get fooled by these statements regardless of who it comes from. These are unscientific and baseless recommendations. She got surgery and chemotherapy that were evidence based, which is what made her cancer-free. Not the haldi, neem etc.” 

In the press conference, Sidhu elaborated on his wife’s regimen, claiming that she consumed lemon water, raw turmeric and apple cider vinegar. This was followed by neem leaves, tulsi, and juices from pumpkin, pomegranate, carrot, amla, beetroot, and walnuts. He also emphasised the use of water with a pH level of 7 as a critical component of her treatment. 

According to Sidhu, these dietary measures were instrumental in starving cancer cells, but his assertions lacked citation of scientific evidence. 

Dr Pramesh addressed the potential damage caused by such claims and highlighted the collective responsibility to counter misinformation.  

(With inputs from PTI)