AS a cancer researcher, I am often the designated recipient of “miracle cure” articles shared by friends and relatives. Every few weeks, someone sends me a headline claiming that a particular fruit, herb or traditional remedy can kill cancer cells.
The question that follows is usually the same: “Is this true?”
My answer often surprises people: “Yes and no.”
Many of these claims are based on genuine scientific studies. What is often left out, however, is an important detail: most of the evidence comes from laboratory experiments rather than studies involving actual patients. Behind every exciting headline lies a much longer scientific journey.
In cancer research laboratories, scientists routinely grow cancer cells in small plastic dishes and expose them to various substances, including plant extracts, natural compounds and newly developed drugs.
Sometimes the results are remarkable. Cancer cells stop growing or even die completely. This is often the point at which headlines begin to appear claiming that a particular plant or food can “cure cancer”.
But killing cancer cells in a laboratory dish is only the first step.
Cancer cells grown in a laboratory are isolated and highly vulnerable. They do not face the complex biological processes that exist within the human body. A compound can reach them directly at high concentrations and produce dramatic effects.
National Cancer Institute)
The real challenge is determining whether the same compound can work safely and effectively inside a living person.
When we consume food or herbal products, their active compounds must survive stomach acid, digestive enzymes and the liver’s filtering system before entering the bloodstream. By the time they reach the intended tissue, only a small amount may remain.
Scientists refer to this as bioavailability, which describes the proportion of a substance that reaches the body’s tissues and is available to exert its effects.
A compound that performs exceptionally well in a laboratory dish may be far less effective when consumed as food.
Does this mean natural products are useless? Not at all.
Nature has long been one of medicine’s most important sources of inspiration. Researchers estimate that more than half of approved cancer drugs are linked, directly or indirectly, to natural compounds derived from plants, fungi and other organisms.
One well-known example is paclitaxel, a chemotherapy drug used to treat breast, ovarian and lung cancers. It was originally discovered in the bark of the Pacific yew tree.
However, this does not mean a patient can treat cancer simply by consuming tree bark. The amount required to achieve a therapeutic effect would be unrealistic and potentially dangerous.
Instead, scientists isolate, purify and refine active compounds so that they can be delivered safely and effectively as medicines.
This distinction is crucial. A promising natural compound is not the same as a proven treatment.
Another common misconception is that cancer is a single disease with a single cure waiting to be discovered.
In reality, cancer is a collection of hundreds of diseases. Even two patients diagnosed with the same type of cancer may have tumours driven by different genetic and molecular changes.
This is one reason why modern cancer care is increasingly moving towards personalised medicine, where treatments are selected based on the unique characteristics of an individual’s tumour.
Natural compounds may play an important role in future cancer treatments, but only after rigorous scientific testing.
In our laboratory, we investigate how natural products affect both cancerous and healthy cells. When a promising result emerges, it raises many important questions.
How does the compound work? Which biological pathways does it affect? Is it harmful to healthy tissue? What dose is safe? Can it reach the tumour in sufficient amounts?
Answering these questions requires years of careful research involving laboratory studies, animal experiments and, eventually, clinical trials in humans.
Many promising compounds fail somewhere along this journey. That is not failure. It is science doing exactly what it is supposed to do: separating hope from evidence.
So the next time you encounter a headline claiming that a particular food “kills cancer”, approach it with curiosity, but also with caution. The science behind the claim may be real, but it is often only the beginning of the story.
Can you eat your way out of cancer? Probably not.
But maintaining a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables and other nutritious foods remains one of the best ways to support overall health and reduce the risk of many chronic diseases, including certain cancers.
The truth may not be as sensational as a miracle cure, but it is far more valuable. ‒ June 22, 2026
The author is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Biomedical Science, Pusat Kanser Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Universiti Sains Malaysia.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
Main image: Pexels/Sarah
