Two weeks after taking an online “liver cancer cure,” a 37-year-old man was brought back to hospital in a near-terminal state.
Diagnosed with liver cancer in early 2025, the patient’s doctor had recommended medical treatment combined with palliative care, given the poor prognosis. However, his family declined the advice and opted instead for a treatment advertised on social media.
The advertisement, on TikTok, promised “a medicine that can destroy tumors and prolong life” at a cost of several tens of millions of dong. Two weeks into this “treatment,” the man was hospitalized with severe liver failure, and all efforts to save him failed.
“This is an unfortunate case because you bet your health on unverified medical advertisements, and then the disease progresses severely, with no treatment options left,” Dr. Ngo Van Ty of the Hanoi Medical University Hospital’s oncology center says.
“I was truly heartbroken at seeing the sorrow of the patient’s relatives. But this is an inevitable outcome when the patient turns himself into a victim of baseless promises.”
According to doctors, this is not an isolated incident. They have seen numerous other cancer patients return to the hospital, often when it is too late, after falling prey to misleading medical claims on social media.
In one case, a 40-year-old woman with breast cancer stopped her prescribed treatment and followed a regimen she discovered online, drinking papaya leaf juice and asparagus juice to “naturally reduce tumors.”
Two months later, when her tumor ruptured and the pain became unbearable, she returned to the hospital. But at that stage all doctors could do was provide palliative care, helping her endure her final days with less pain.
A 47-year-old man with late-stage stomach cancer refused chemotherapy recommended by doctors at K Hospital. Instead, he turned to an online-promoted alkaline water therapy, hoping it would improve his resistance, detoxify his body and shrink his tumor.
Within three weeks he deteriorated badly and died.
Dr. Ha Hai Nam, deputy head of the department of abdominal surgery 1, K Hospital, says: “This is the patient’s choice and faith. It is very difficult to convince them if they don’t trust their doctor from the beginning.”
Cancer is a growing health challenge in Vietnam, with more than 300,000 people currently living with the disease.
The number of cases has been increasing steadily: There were 182,000 in 2020 with 122,690 of the patients dying.
The three most common cancers—lung, liver and stomach—have among the highest mortality rates.
On being diagnosed with cancer, many patients or their families turn to “miracle” treatments they find online, fueled by a combination of fear, despair and misinformation.
Concerns about chemotherapy’s side effects, fears of tumors spreading during surgery and blind trust in unscientific claims often lead patients away from evidence-based medical care.
There is no credible medical research supporting the idea that herbal remedies, macrobiotic diets or alkaline foods can cure cancer, doctors say.
Yet social media, particularly TikTok, has become a fertile ground for unlicensed practitioners to exploit patients’ vulnerabilities.
In short videos, these “online quacks” often wear white coats to appear credible as they promote unproven methods like fasting or consuming blood-alkalinizing foods to dissolve tumors.
These videos often get thousands of views and shares, enticing patients to abandon standard treatments in favor of sham remedies that jeopardize their lives.
While there are no official statistics on how many patients have fallen victim to TikTok-promoted “cures,” cancer hospitals report a troubling rise in their incidence.
“Most patients only come back to doctors for help when they are past the treatment stage, at the cost of their lives,” Ty says.
Medical professionals point out that modern medicine offers hope for millions of cancer patients worldwide.
Data from the U.S. National Cancer Institute shows cancer mortality rates have decreased by nearly 30% since 1991 thanks to advancements in treatment and early screening.
In Vietnam, early detection and proper treatment have led to cure rates exceeding 90% for thyroid, breast, prostate, and colon cancers.
“Cancer detected early can be completely cured,” Ty stresses.
He urges patients to remain clear-headed, trust their doctors and adhere to established treatment protocols.
Families should remain calm and consult with medical professionals to ensure their loved ones receive the best care available, he adds.
