'No human data' to support use of soursop leaf tea to cure cancer: experts

"The cure for endometrial cancer. Boil 20 soursop leaves in six to eight cups of water for about two hours. Drink two cups of it for three times a day and you will see the benefit within five days," reads part of the Burmese-language post shared on August 30, 2025. 

It goes on to suggest that alternative treatments are better options for patients because cancer treatments are too costly.

The post, which has been reshared 1,200 times, features images of the soursop fruit and leaves steeped in tea.

Endometrial cancer occurs when healthy cells in the uterus mutate or change (archived link). It is the sixth most common cancer affecting women worldwide (archived link).

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Screenshot taken on September 24, 2025 of the false post with an X marked by AFP

Facebook users in Myanmar repeatedly shared the same claim about soursop as a treatment for endometrial cancer. 

Annona muricata is an edible fruit plant usually found in tropical and subtropical regions (archived link). Its leaves, bark and seeds are used in traditional medicine around the world for various illnesses including cancer, but they are not backed by any scientific research (archived link). 

According to the American Cancer Society, the main treatment method for this form of cancer is surgery (archived link).

Caroline Geraghty, a senior specialist information nurse at Cancer Research UK, said "there is no evidence" soursop is an effective or safe treatment for endometrial cancer (archived link). 

"While some early studies in cells or animals have shown anti-cancer effects, these findings have not been proven in people," she told AFP in an email on September 10, 2025. 

Singapore National University Hospital gynaecologic oncologist Dr Joseph Ng also said there is "no human data" to support claims about soursop tea as a cancer treatment (archived link). 

"Soursop tea has not been shown to be effective in treating endometrial cancer in humans and therefore it cannot be recommended as a treatment for this purpose," he told AFP in an email on September 20. 

He also warns anyone who uses soursop tea as a treatment risks disease progression which can lead to death. 

"Women with a diagnosis of endometrial cancer should realise that this is an entirely curable condition, often with just a simple surgery alone. Surgical treatment does not affect a woman’s overall day-to-day function or well-being." 

AFP has previously fact-checked claims in Myanmar about other herbal remedies here, here and here.