As a cancer survivor, watching Netflix’s new show “Apple Cider Vinegar” felt like a gut punch. The show captures the exhaustion and desperation many cancer patients feel, and the seductive allure of ditching traditional medicine for the promise of a “natural” cure. It also exposes the dark underbelly of the alternative health industry — a world where quacks and influencers prey on the vulnerable. They speak with unwavering confidence, yet their claims are backed by zero peer-reviewed evidence.
I know this all too well … because I almost fell for it myself.
I was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer in December 2022. I immediately began scheduling consultations with surgeons, but most appointments were pushed to mid- or late January because of the holidays. With weeks to wait, I decided to use the time proactively — or so I thought — and met with Dr. T, an integrative medical doctor, to explore if supplements could support my health while I waited for treatment.
While Dr. T fully backed my decision to pursue surgery, she mentioned another holistic practitioner, Dr. D, who specialized in thermography. She explained that thermography — a thermal imaging technique that maps blood flow on the breast’s surface — potentially can identify areas of abnormal heat linked to inflammation or tumors.
What caught my attention, though, was her offhand remark that Dr. D had allegedly “healed” a breast cancer patient without surgery, radiation or chemotherapy. As a science writer curious about holistic medicine, I was intrigued. Could thermography detect my cancer? I decided to find out.
When I arrived at Dr. D’s office, I noticed that it felt more like a spa than a medical clinic — a welcome change from the windowless rooms with fluorescent lighting where I’d gotten my breast screens.
The thermogram process involved nine thermal images taken with a special camera, followed by a “cold challenge” where I submerged my hands in icy water to test how my body responded. I was told that healthy tissue cools in sync with the brain’s signals, while cancerous or inflamed areas resist the change and show up as hot spots on the thermogram.
I was fascinated, but I couldn’t ignore the red flags: thermograms aren’t FDA approved as standalone tests for detecting breast cancer, and the technician operating the machine turned out to be the doctor’s wife.
After waiting for 30 minutes for my results — an eternity that left me uneasy — Dr. D finally called me into his office. And then, things took a bizarre turn.
First, he showed me the rainbow-colored thermogram report and acknowledged that it hadn’t detected my cancer — in fact, he seemed visibly flustered by the imaging fail. Instead, it had only revealed “extra heat” in the area, putting me in the “high-risk” category.
Then, he revealed his theory: My cancer was caused by “too many COVID vaccines,” and I shouldn’t get another. I was too stunned to respond. Not only is there zero evidence linking COVID vaccines to breast cancer or other “turbo cancers,” the claim flew in the face of my personal history.
“What about the fact that my mom had the same type of cancer, in the same breast, at the same age?” I asked.
He dismissed this outright. “No, it’s definitely the vaccines,” he insisted, before pivoting to his next pitch: Super Mineral Water, a product he sold in his clinic, which he claimed could “detox” my body and possibly help cure me.
By then, I was equally horrified and embarrassed — not just by his quackery, but by my naiveté for walking into this mess. I grabbed my things and left as quickly as I could.
After my experience, I turned to the internet and stumbled on some comment boards about thermograms. One post led me to the story of Morganne Delian, a believer in homeopathic medicine who opted for a thermogram instead of a mammogram to detect cancer when she felt a lump in her breast. The thermogram practitioner reportedly told Delian that he couldn’t see a lump but warned she had “mild to moderate risk of developing aggressive breast tissue.” Months later, after finally undergoing a mammogram and a biopsy, she was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer.
Stories like Delian’s are chilling reminders of the potential dangers posed by unproven screening tools and alternative therapies. From coffee enemas and Gerson therapy (a real-life version of the Hirsch method in “Apple Cider Vinegar”), to black salve, intravenous vitamin C, alkaline diets, homeopathy and energy healing, these practices are aggressively marketed by doctors, chiropractors and clinicians, even though they lack the necessary scientific testing and evidence to prove they work.
So why are so many people still drawn to these alternatives? Part of it, I think, is the allure of control in a moment when you feel paralyzed with terror. A cancer diagnosis strips you of your agency — your body feels like a traitor and your treatment plan is dictated by a team of experts that you’ve just met. Alternative medicine offers the illusion of empowerment and personalized care. Quacks don’t bog you down with statistics, side effects or limitations — they offer hope and simplicity. In a world where cancer treatments are scary or difficult to understand, that simplicity and hope can become irresistible.
After my diagnosis, one of the best things I did was learn to trust my cancer team and the science that guided them. I abandoned my wishful thinking — the fantasy of the “lovely healing experience,” like Milla’s tropical Hirsch retreat in “Apple Cider Vinegar.” Instead, I embraced the stark reality of white hospital walls and a windowless operating room, where my surgeon skillfully removed my tumor and left me cancer free.
Now, I get an annual mammogram and breast MRI, the recommended screening protocol for women like me who are high risk and have dense breasts. I also take tamoxifen daily, a preventative medicine that I’ll take for at least five years, or for as long as my oncologist advises. Why? Because she’s the expert — not me.
Science saved my life. It saves lives every day. Yet, we’re in a dangerous moment when people distrust the regulators and science communities tasked with protecting them, while placing blind faith in politicians and influencers who profit from our vulnerability. ”Apple Cider Vinegar” exposes the dark side of these charismatic characters — people who lie as easily as they breathe. It’s a stark reminder why we need to trust science now, more than ever.
The question is: Will we listen?
Note: Some names and identifying characteristics have been changed to protect the privacy of individuals in this essay.
Jennie Durant is a science writer, researcher and breast cancer survivor with a book on bee declines coming out with Island Press in 2026. Her work has appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle, Grist, The Conversation, Salon and other outlets. Connect with her on Liinks, jenniedurant.com or check out her research on Google Scholar.
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