Dr Tran Kien Binh from Can Tho Oncology Hospital said that he had recently encountered many cancer patients such as this doctor in worsened, exhausted states. 

He said these patients shared a common trait: despite doctors' advice to follow Western medical treatments, they left the hospital to use herbal medicines and follow macrobiotic diets and similar methods at home. Later, when returning to the hospital, their cancer had metastasized with no chance for recovery.

One notable case is that of a 31-year-old female doctor working at a major local hospital, diagnosed with stomach cancer. According to Binh, the patient discovered a large tumor that couldn’t be operated on immediately and required chemotherapy to shrink it.

After a period of treatment, the tumor had reduced in size sufficient for surgery. She was then referred to a specialized medical facility in HCM City. However, she did not go to the recommended hospital. Instead, she returned home to use herbal medicines and follow a macrobiotic diet combined with other healing methods.

Two months later, she returned to the hospital in a serious state, with her liver and kidneys failing and cancer cells having metastasized. Despite the doctors’ efforts, she passed away shortly after.

Binh said the case was truly regrettable because the patient was a medical professional, knowledgeable about disease, and had initially followed Western medicine. Had she stuck to her colleagues’ treatment plan, her chances of survival would have been much higher.

Another case involved a man in his early 30s diagnosed with early-stage lung cancer. Doctors recommended chemotherapy, but he left during mid-treatment. 

He followed advice from a community advocating against drugs, relying solely on dietary restrictions and detox water. Two or three months later, he returned to the hospital in a state of "all skin and bones," with the tumor having metastasized to his brain and bones, leaving no treatment options.

In another instance, a 46-year-old patient was diagnosed with liver cancer. Doctors assessed a good prognosis with promising recovery potential and recommended surgery, but the family refused.

Binh explained that methods like surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation are the classic foundations of medical science for treating cancer. However, it remains common for cancer patients to turn to folk healers and superstition, complicating doctors’ efforts.

“Patients fear the side effects of Western medicine and they self-treat with unscientific methods, effectively shortening their own lives. Never believe anyone claiming herbal medicine can cure cancer,” Binh said.

Moreover, treating cancer with herbal medicine isn’t cheap as many assume; sometimes, each dose can cost millions of VND. 

Phuong Thuy