Doctor issues warning after influencer claimed she cured her husband’s cancer with £13 herbal supplement

A doctor has urged people not to jump to conclusions after a video of a woman claiming that she cured her husband’s cancer with a herbal tincture went viral. 

Pegi Robinson believes that adding a few drops of dandelion extract—which retails at around £13 a bottle—to her 64-year-old husband Jim’s water every day helped him overcome he disease. 

Dr Joe Whittington, who posts as @drjoe_md to a combined nearly 3million followers across TikTok and Instagram said that there are multiple reasons why her account needs to be taken with a pinch of salt.

The California-based medic said: ‘Stories like this always catch people’s attention, and I completely understand why, but it’s important to be careful about jumping to conclusions. 

‘While some early lab studies have shown that dandelion root extracts may have anti-cancer properties in cell cultures or animal models, there’s currently no clinical evidence that taking dandelion root can cure or reverse cancer in humans. 

‘In medicine, we sometimes see spontaneous remission or response to other factors like prior treatments, immune reactions, or even imaging interpretation differences.

‘Without controlled studies, it’s impossible to credit a supplement alone for such dramatic results.’ 

A 2016 study found that dandelion root extract effectively ‘killed’ bowel cancer cells, with the authors suggesting it could one day be used as an alternative to chemotherapy—after a lot more research.

There are around 44,100 new cases of bowel cancer diagnosed every year in the UK, and 142,000 in the US, making it the fourth most common cancer in both countries.

A number of factors are thought to be behind the rise, such as an increase in screening and testing, diets high in ultra-processed foods, and even antibiotic use. 

Treatment depends on whether the cancer started in the large bowel, known as colon cancer, or the rectum, but patients are usually offered a combination of treatments including surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and targeted medicines.

Just 15 per cent of bowel cancers are thought to respond well to immunotherapy—which is sometimes used to treat advanced bowel cancer that has spread to other parts of the body. 

Pegi claims that Jim believed blood in his stool was caused by haemorrhoids, but tests revealed that he actually had colon cancer that had already spread to his liver and lymph nodes.

‘Because of his prognosis, we were told many patients chose not to have any treatment and let the cancer run its course.’

Jim underwent gruelling rounds of chemotherapy and surgery and went into remission—but, in March this year he was diagnosed with cancer again, now terminal, in his small intestine and peritoneal cancer that had spread throughout his body.

‘It was aggressive and incurable, Pegi said.

Pegi bought a vial of dandelion extract after seeing it advertised online and learning that research had been done into its reported cancer-fighting properties.

She claims that within two weeks, all of her husband’s lesions were ‘either undetectable or had shrunk.’ 

‘Before, I would have rolled my eyes and dismissed it,’ Pegi, from Ohio, US, said.

‘[But] I did some research and came across laboratory studies, which had successful results.

‘I ran to the local health store to pick it up and put a full dropper into his water three times a day.

‘In two days, the blood protein levels measuring his cancer dropped from 14 to two.

‘And then two weeks later, he had a CT scan and all of his lesions were either undetectable or had shrunk.

‘Jim’s oncologists can’t believe that he’s doing so well.

‘He’s gone back to his happy-go-lucky, energetic and grateful self.

‘I didn’t think it was possible; but all we had to do was turn to the hidden secrets of Mother Nature.

‘Thanks to dandelion root, it offers a chance of hope that it’s not the end.

‘Jim was given a death sentence, with no hope.

‘Now, life isn’t over for us, it’s only just beginning.’  

For Pegi the most important thing is that her husband has once again been declared cancer-free as of 6 October.

He’s now on maintenance chemotherapy, but Pegi says both he and his doctors remain amazed at his recovery. 

Dr Joe believes that there can be a place for herbal supplements in cancer care, but it’s vital to be guided by doctors.

He said: ‘I think it’s great when people are proactive about their health, but anyone dealing with a diagnosis like cancer should always discuss supplements or alternative therapies with their oncology team to make sure they’re safe and don’t interfere with proven treatments.’

Cancer Research UK estimates that over half (54 per cent) of bowel cancer cases in the UK are preventable.