In-depth
First an aphrodisiac, now a cancer cure
  • | vietnamnet, dtinews.vn | August 22, 2015 08:28 AM

Many patients in Vietnam still bizarrely think rhino horn is an all-around medical cure for various illnesses including cancer, said Nguyen Ba Duc, Vice President of the Vietnam Cancer Association.

Delusional people still wrongly believe rhino horn has medicinal properties

Duc said desperately ill, gullible people were prone to try anything.

The rumour that rhino horn could cure cancer appeared seven years ago and became a new trend even though hospitals and doctors have repeatedly stated that rhino horn has no medical advantages and is of the same characteristic as keratin – the substance human nails are made of.

"I was shocked," Duc said, "I told them that unorthodox methods are only rumours circulated by ignorant people."

He went on to say that doctors are very frustrated by patients attempting to use such quackery to cure themselves. The patients are wasting their time and let their condition worsen when believing in rumours.

Despite a supposed increase in illegal rhino horn imports, a report from the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources showed that 70% of rhino horns consumed in Vietnam are fake.

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