Crowds seek ‘last hope’ cancer cures from herbal ‘doctor’ in Prachin Buri

[webfact]

Crowds seek ‘last hope’ cancer cures from herbal ‘doctor’ in Prachin Buri

By SAICHON NUDAENG 
THE NATION 

 

 

ON THE first Sunday of every month, thousands of people queue in front of the house of “Mor Saeng” in Prachin Buri for what is believed to be a herbal cure to cancer.

Mor means “doctor” in Thai but Saengchai Haelerttrakul, who is widely known as Mor Saeng, has never received formal training as a physician. 

 

“I have seriously studied herbs, though,” Saengchai said. “Also, I have herbal formulas from a Cambodian doctor. They can be used to treat a swollen brain and liver abscesses, etc.” 

 

 

Saengchai said he had experimented with the formulas and tried to improve them on his own, initially by treating sick dogs. 

 

After years of experiments with encouraging results, he started distributing the herbal mixtures to terminally ill patients. 

 

Saengchai said word-of-mouth had since spread that his herbal concoctions could fight cancer. 

 

 

“If you ask me, I can tell you that people who come to me are looking for a last hope. They are terminally ill patients who now receive just palliative care,” he said. 

 

To treat the patients, Saengchai has distributed herbal concoctions for free over the past decade on the first Sunday of each month with the help of sponsors who believe in the effectiveness of his formulas.

 

The concoctions have apparently worked well for some patients, Saengchai said, with patients including people from all social classes and family backgrounds. 

 

 

Only people who can produce doctor certificates stating that they have cancer can get the free herbal concoctions. 

 

He estimated the number of recipients to be about 5,000 each month. 

 

“But because these patients come to my place with their relatives, there are really big crowds,” he said. 

 

With so many people heading to Saengchai’s house in Prachin Buri province on the first weekend of every month, local police have had to help facilitate the flow of traffic. 

 

 

Saengchai said he hoped that relevant authorities would help to prove the effectiveness of his herbal concoctions with scientifically tested research. 

 

A senior health official in Prachin Buri province said a sample of the concoctions had already been tested and it did not contain steroids. 

 

Saengchai said his mixture consisted of fermented rice bran, Smilacaceae plants, Smilax glabra, which is also known as Chinaroot, and pollen. 

 

“I am willing to share my formulas with people who are not profit-minded,” he said. 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30331154

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-11-09

[leeneeds]

My old boy died this morning at 1 am from lung cancer 

doubt very much that the herbs would have done anything for him,

 

 

[ChrisY1]

I agree herbal remedies have their place....but this self acclaimed "doctor" has really only tested his magic formular on sick dogs!

Quackery alive and strong in Thailand...if only people had access to good education.

[ryane66]

I really hope that the people don't give up the chemotherapy and radiation therapy available in government hospitals from trained oncologists and doctors trained for radiation therapy.  If these people have no hope left , then great, this individual is at least offering them some peace and hope. Hope he is not counseling them to give up treatments in the hospital.

 

[borisloosebrain]

Read the article guys. He offers help to those who recieve palliatiave care ..ie the Drs have given up on them. Its not been tested only on dogs <deleted>. He states clearly it works for some , it hasnt for others. Not unlike chemo. The last seven people I know who had cancer six had chemo...and died very very sick. One with leukemia totally changed her diet and against her Brit Drs advice didnt do chemo and she is alive and very well now living in Chiang Mai. I had a ping pong ball sized tumour in my neck - no not something i that got stuck there after a night in patpong ( initially diagnosed by chinese dr and confirmed by western oncologists) I decided against surgery and radiation & used Chinese herbs from a Dr in Yaowarat - it went away completely nearly 12 years ago and hasnt returned. So those who call all non western treatments qwackery....qwack bloody qwack. 

Edited November 9, 2017 by borisloosebrain

[George Bowman]

Jaew  was one of our general workers for about a year. She was a decent worker and showed up most of the time. She was part of the wife's extended Thai family, 40ish, divorced and raising three children. Unfortunately, Jaew had a lump in her throat, the local village doctors thought was related to her thyroid. She was enrolled in the B30 medical scheme and went to the hospital occasionally.  

 

One day, Jaew approached the wife and wanted a few days off and a month's pay (B5,000) in advance. Why? She had heard of a monk in a nearby province that could cure diseases.  Apparently, he had some special wooden sticks which he would use to tap on the patient's 'cancer' site. Donations were accepted.

 

My wife gave her B500 and said take all the time off needed.  I heard through the bamboo grapevine that Jaew borrowed money from other family members and went to see the healer.

 

She quit working for us shortly thereafter but I still see her in the village from time to time. The lump in her neck has gotten larger...

 

Edited November 9, 2017 by missoura

[hgma]

2 hours ago, ChrisY1 said:

I agree herbal remedies have their place....but this self acclaimed "doctor" has really only tested his magic formular on sick dogs!

Quackery alive and strong in Thailand...if only people had access to good education.

free and last resort, no harm done.....and probably all patients are been through the regular medical mainstream.....what is the problem then, it would be a different matter if he claims and enriches himself.

[smedly]

1 hour ago, borisloosebrain said:

Read the article guys. He offers help to those who recieve palliatiave care ..ie the Drs have given up on them. Its not been tested only on dogs <deleted>. He states clearly it works for some , it hasnt for others. Not unlike chemo. The last seven people I know who had cancer six had chemo...and died very very sick. One with leukemia totally changed her diet and against her Brit Drs advice didnt do chemo and she is alive and very well now living in Chiang Mai. I had a ping pong ball sized tumour in my neck - no not something i that got stuck there after a night in patpong ( initially diagnosed by chinese dr and confirmed by western oncologists) I decided against surgery and radiation & used Chinese herbs from a Dr in Yaowarat - it went away completely nearly 12 years ago and hasnt returned. So those who call all non western treatments qwackery....qwack bloody qwack. 

This is a quack preying on the ill and infirm with false claims giving a nonsense belief he can help or cure them, oh yes him and his sponsors believe it works, lets interview those that were cured and see what they have to say .........oh wait there aren't any that can be found - lets see the stats, very hard to pin down and reveal the truth without a proper scientific study,

 

and before anyone says his treatment is free - read the article again, there is only one Sunday per month when this is free and how many of the thousands actually get the free treatment on that Sunday "ONE DAY PER MONTH" the other 29/30 days per month ARE NOT FREE, this quack and his sponsors likely make a very lucrative huge pile of money from the sick and dying, sorry but that is the reality of this scam and that is exactly what it is    

[sanemax]

9 minutes ago, hgma said:

free and last resort, no harm done.....and probably all patients are been through the regular medical mainstream.....what is the problem then, it would be a different matter if he claims and enriches himself.

Although he only gives them away free on one day per month, with the help of sponsors , which suggests that he charges for them on other days and he receives money from the sponsors to enabling him to give them away for free

[nausea]

Spontaneous regression is not unheard of with cancer, so if you treat a large enough base you're probably going to get some successes whatever the treatment.

 

The whole thing reminds me of a quote:

 

"The last thing to come out of Pandora's Box was hope, and that can be the most terrible of all."

 

Don't remember the source.

 

Regarding the guy himself, seems well-intentioned, if he's not receiving any direct financial benefit:

 

To treat the patients, Saengchai has distributed herbal concoctions for free over the past decade on the first Sunday of each month with the help of sponsors who believe in the effectiveness of his formulas.

 

No doubt the kudos is an incentive and I would guess the sponsors are financially supporting him and his activities. Also, some posters suggest he might be charging on other days, which would change the picture somewhat, leaving the first Sunday thing as a marketing ploy.

 

"Saengchai said he hoped that relevant authorities would help to prove the effectiveness of his herbal concoctions with scientifically tested research."

 

I can see the headline now: "Thailand Discovers The Cure for Cancer", but don't hold your breath.

 

[sweatalot]

1 hour ago, hgma said:

free and last resort, no harm done.....and probably all patients are been through the regular medical mainstream.....what is the problem then, it would be a different matter if he claims and enriches himself.

agree.

Even if it does not work pharmacologically the treatment can give hope. Science (Psychoneuroimmunology) has proven that a better mood (hope e.g.) improves the immune system, this way having an impact on cancer.

He seems not to enrich himself, he should continue - after making sure his drugs are not dangerous

[xylophone]

I am usually against all things like this and we have seen many of them in the past like the clinics in Mexico using amygdalin and suchlike, all to no avail it would seem.

 

However as others have pointed out these patients are in palliative care, which basically means that nothing else can be done for them apart from giving them medicines which ease their suffering whilst they are waiting to die.

 

Ask yourself what you would do if you were seemingly given a chance at life?

 

Having said that, it would appear that one of the ingredients in this herbal concoction, Smilax glabra, has shown activity against some form of cancers, and this in clinical trials, with supposedly more being undertaken.

 

 

[smedly]

4 minutes ago, xylophone said:

I am usually against all things like this and we have seen many of them in the past like the clinics in Mexico using amygdalin and suchlike, all to no avail it would seem.

 

However as others have pointed out these patients are in palliative care, which basically means that nothing else can be done for them apart from giving them medicines which ease their suffering whilst they are waiting to die.

 

Ask yourself what you would do if you were seemingly given a chance at life?

 

Having said that, it would appear that one of the ingredients in this herbal concoction, Smilax glabra, has shown activity against some form of cancers, and this in clinical trials, with supposedly more being undertaken.

 

 

well yes that is all well and good but I would like to know more about the other 29/30 days per month when the service is not free, out of the thousands that turn up on the free day how many actually get to use the free service ? maybe a couple of hundred at most.

 

Sorry I am not convinced, the OP article does not go far enough to expose what exactly is going on, 12 days a year this guy offers free herbs to a desperate few and charges for the other 353 days of the year, that is what the article is saying when you read between the lines

 

is he a hero or a scammer  

[Bluespunk]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

“I have seriously studied herbs, though,” Saengchai said.

So have I [well 1 herb anyway], doesn't qualify me as a doctor though...

[toolpush]

2 hours ago, nausea said:

Spontaneous regression is not unheard of with cancer, so if you treat a large enough base you're probably going to get some successes whatever the treatment.

 

The whole thing reminds me of a quote:

 

"The last thing to come out of Pandora's Box was hope, and that can be the most terrible of all."

 

Don't remember the source.

 

Regarding the guy himself, seems well-intentioned, if he's not receiving any direct financial benefit:

 

To treat the patients, Saengchai has distributed herbal concoctions for free over the past decade on the first Sunday of each month with the help of sponsors who believe in the effectiveness of his formulas.

 

No doubt the kudos is an incentive and I would guess the sponsors are financially supporting him and his activities. Also, some posters suggest he might be charging on other days, which would change the picture somewhat, leaving the first Sunday thing as a marketing ploy.

 

"Saengchai said he hoped that relevant authorities would help to prove the effectiveness of his herbal concoctions with scientifically tested research."

 

I can see the headline now: "Thailand Discovers The Cure for Cancer", but don't hold your breath.

 

Actually Qbiotics out of Australia have a cure for certain cancers

[Bluespunk]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Saengchai said he hoped that relevant authorities would help to prove the effectiveness of his herbal concoctions with scientifically tested research. 

 

Doing so would certainly reduce the crowds on the first Sunday of every month...

[Bluespunk]

4 hours ago, missoura said:

Jaew  was one of our general workers for about a year. She was a decent worker and showed up most of the time. She was part of the wife's extended Thai family, 40ish, divorced and raising three children. Unfortunately, Jaew had a lump in her throat, the local village doctors thought was related to her thyroid. She was enrolled in the B30 medical scheme and went to the hospital occasionally.  

 

One day, Jaew approached the wife and wanted a few days off and a month's pay (B5,000) in advance. Why? She had heard of a monk in a nearby province that could cure diseases.  Apparently, he had some special wooden sticks which he would use to tap on the patient's 'cancer' site. Donations were accepted.

 

My wife gave her B500 and said take all the time off needed.  I heard through the bamboo grapevine that Jaew borrowed money from other family members and went to see the healer.

 

She quit working for us shortly thereafter but I still see her in the village from time to time. The lump in her neck has gotten larger...

 

 

Do you have her permission to post her picture?

[Lucky mike]

4 hours ago, borisloosebrain said:

Read the article guys. He offers help to those who recieve palliatiave care ..ie the Drs have given up on them. Its not been tested only on dogs <deleted>. He states clearly it works for some , it hasnt for others. Not unlike chemo. The last seven people I know who had cancer six had chemo...and died very very sick. One with leukemia totally changed her diet and against her Brit Drs advice didnt do chemo and she is alive and very well now living in Chiang Mai. I had a ping pong ball sized tumour in my neck - no not something i that got stuck there after a night in patpong ( initially diagnosed by chinese dr and confirmed by western oncologists) I decided against surgery and radiation & used Chinese herbs from a Dr in Yaowarat - it went away completely nearly 12 years ago and hasnt returned. So those who call all non western treatments qwackery....qwack bloody qwack. 

Agree, how little we know how little we know, the pharmaceutical companies are driven by money not care or compassion. If you are offered a last chance who wouldn't take it ?

[xylophone]

32 minutes ago, toolpush said:

Actually Qbiotics out of Australia have a cure for certain cancers

More trials needed, but it seems promising.

 

 

[anon789561]

well he'd need to go through the thai FDA to get it approved. but then it would cost money. lots of money. let the guy hand it out for free. no harm done, they're dying anyway. maybe it works maybe it doesn't. sometimes i think people just want to believe it helps. if that's all they require then fine

[HerbalEd]

7 hours ago, ChrisY1 said:

I agree herbal remedies have their place....but this self acclaimed "doctor" has really only tested his magic formular on sick dogs!

Quackery alive and strong in Thailand...if only people had access to good education.

Sick dogs? What about the use of mice and guinea pigs in western medical research?  Also, sounds like he's treated tens-of-thousands of people.

[Jonnapat]

10 hours ago, leeneeds said:

My old boy died this morning at 1 am from lung cancer 

doubt very much that the herbs would have done anything for him,

 

 

Sorry to hear this

[leeneeds]

5 hours ago, Jonnapat said:

Sorry to hear this

thank you

[Chris Lawrence]

If it eases the pain and suffering all are going through, its free and the concoctions are not hurting anyone; sometimes its that last hope that may ease pain and prepare a person for their death. I have no problem with that.

 

I suffer with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Plenty of Quacks out there that say they can cure, reduce or just make you plain better. They do more harm than good as it confuses main stream medical process. Most of these claims are not documented in medical journals but may appear as a paper in a far out self help site. 

 

Horses for courses. The old block may just put a smile on some of these people that have lost all hope.

[Monomial]

The rhizome from the Smilax Glabara he is using is well known to have a history of suppressing some kinds of cancer in vitro, however it has never been shown to be effective in vivo to my knowledge.

 

Thus, it is entirely possible that his concoction may actually help a percentage of patients, but it is unlikely he understands why or which people it will help. Major pharmaceutical companies have not been successful in making a usable drug out of this plant, so it is unlikely he has found anything truly novel, but there is enough evidence that I can believe the conditions would randomly exist to work for some given a large enough sample.

 

I looked into this plant a few years back when trying to help a friend dying of bone cancer.

 

[smedly]

4 hours ago, Chris Lawrence said:

If it eases the pain and suffering all are going through, its free and the concoctions are not hurting anyone; sometimes its that last hope that may ease pain and prepare a person for their death. I have no problem with that.

 

I suffer with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Plenty of Quacks out there that say they can cure, reduce or just make you plain better. They do more harm than good as it confuses main stream medical process. Most of these claims are not documented in medical journals but may appear as a paper in a far out self help site. 

 

Horses for courses. The old block may just put a smile on some of these people that have lost all hope.

it is not free, it is free one day a month 12 days a year, the other 350 days a year you have to pay for this scam

[GreasyFingers]

On 11/9/2017 at 12:14 PM, Lucky mike said:

Agree, how little we know how little we know, the pharmaceutical companies are driven by money not care or compassion. If you are offered a last chance who wouldn't take it ?

I lost my wife (40 yo) from cancer. She was a very intelligent woman but when the doctors gave up after radiation and chemo she enrolled in a "hope" course that entailed moving to Melbourne for 2 weeks and it was not cheap. It had apparently been successful on some people buy not for her. You should not deny them their last hope even if it quacks.

[xylophone]

2 hours ago, GreasyFingers said:

I lost my wife (40 yo) from cancer.

 

2 hours ago, GreasyFingers said:

You should not deny them their last hope even if it quacks.

Sorry to hear about your wife.........and you make a good point re "last hope", this esp as the people are in palliative care.

 

Even though I am very much anti non-medical, non-proven ""treatment" I would try something different if I was in palliative care, until I drew my last breath.

[Denim]

'A drowning man clutches at straws '

 

So the saying goes , and who can blame people with a life threatening disease for grabbing at any chance for a longer life when doctors and conventional treatments have failed.

 

We often read about people , both the famous and common people , contracting an illness that they had not been interested in before. Once diagnosed , they spend a lot of time doing sponsored events to raise cash and awareness for their particular illness.

 

It is human nature. When our own demise is far from our thoughts we do not fret but when our own imminent death is staring us in the face it doubtless has a very sobering effect.