Health experts dismiss posts touting coral tree leaves as cancer cure

"The remedy cured his cancer," reads a Burmese-language Facebook post shared more than 700 times since it was published on June 26.

The post tells the story of a man with liver cancer who was told to go home by his hospital, only to be cured of the disease after taking a remedy made from coral tree leaves.

Coral trees, which belong to the genus Erythrina, are known for their bark, leaves and bright red flowers which are used in traditional medicine in India, China and Southeast Asia (archived link).

"Wash some mature coral tree leaves with clean water," the Facebook post says. "Then put them into a mortar and pound them until the leaves and thorns are completely crushed. Filter the liquid into a tea cup using a clean white cloth. Then drink it three times a day: morning, noon and night."

"Please share this if you know anyone suffering from cancer. It has no side effects."

Image

Screenshot of the false post, taken on July 5, 2023

Similar Facebook posts circulated in Myanmar, including here and here and on a page with more than 465,000 followers.

Home remedies soared in popularity in Myanmar after medical staff joined a civil disobedience movement to protest the military coup (archived here).

"Those who are sick should take this remedy. I wish all cancer patients may be healthy and wealthy," a Facebook user commented on one of the posts.

"There are a lot of these plants in our village, I can deliver them if anyone needs," another wrote.

However, medical experts told AFP there is insufficient evidence to prove consuming coral tree leaves can cure cancer.

"There is currently no good evidence that erythrina (coral tree) effectively treats cancer," Caroline Geraghty, specialist cancer information nurse from Cancer Research UK, told AFP.

"Research is currently at an extremely early stage, and we will need more studies, including clinical trials, before we know whether it is safe and useful."

Jenna Sherman, programme manager for Meedan's Digital Health Lab, told AFP there was no medication made from erythrina leaves that had been approved by any federal drug administration to treat cancer.

She warned against online advertisements touting unproven cancer treatments.

According to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), cancer treatments include surgery and medication (archived here and here).

Meanwhile, a reverse image search found the photo in the false Facebook posts was published on an online gallery which says it shows a floss silk tree known as Ceiba speciosa -- not a coral tree (archived here and here).