Fact check: Can hot water baths really treat cancer?

CLAIM:

Hot water bath cures cancer.  

 

FACT:

False. Hot water baths do not cure cancer. Experts note that any benefits are limited to symptomatic relief, and there is no evidence that home hot baths can cure cancer. Hot water therapy should not be considered a substitute for medical treatments like chemotherapy, radiation, or clinically supervised hyperthermia therapy. 

 

A reader recently asked us if hot baths cure cancer over our WhatsApp tipline. While they did not share where they came across the fantastical claim, a quick search on the web reveals that several videos are circulating on social media claiming that taking hot water baths, often referred to as hot water immersion therapy, can “cure” cancer.

This video, for instance, shared by a supposed hospital with close to 7 lakh subscribers on YouTube, features 'Dr' Biswaroop Roy Chowdhury, a popular online figure who reportedly has no medical qualification, speaking about how "hot water immersion therapy," along with other treatments, can help "reverse cancer."  Another shows Acharya Manish, who calls himself “an Ayurvedic practitioner and motivational speaker who emphasises prevention rather than cure," appearing on a podcast with comedian Bharti Singh, speaking of the benefits of the therapy for patients of kidney disease, liver disease, heart disease and even cancer.

"I say people get bathtubs installed in their homes, but never use it. I would request you with folded hands that please use your bathtub too," he says, adding that people should sit for about 30 minutes in water that is about 38 to 40 degrees hot, to help cure them of such diseases.  

The same Acharya, on his own YouTube channel, which has over a million subscribers, speaks of "hot water immersion therapy," which he explains  is where a person sits in a tub full of water heated to 40 degrees Celsius. "Sitting in it for some time is equivalent to dialysis. Sitting in can reduce pains also, even of cancer," he says, adding that the treatment is "prescribed" to all kidney disease and cancer patients that come to him for help. 

Does a hot bath cure cancer?

No, a hot bath does not cure cancer. There is no large-scale scientific studies showing that hot water baths can cure cancer. While warm baths may provide temporary comfort or relaxation, they are not a medical therapy for cancer. In fact, if you listen to Acharya Manish in the last video mentioned, he is also speaking of how the therapy helps reduce pain in cancer patients.

  

The confusion regarding the benefits of hot water baths often arises because a specialised medical procedure called hyperthermia therapy uses carefully controlled heat to make cancer cells more sensitive to chemotherapy and radiation. This clinical treatment is completely different from a home hot bath and must be performed only under medical supervision.  

According to the National Cancer Institute in the United States, “Hyperthermia can help other cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy, work better.” The institute also states that “treatment with hyperthermia requires special equipment and expertise and is not widely available. It is also not clear if it helps people live longer.”  

However, while hot baths do not impact survival, warm-water therapies may still provide symptomatic relief. In 20201, a randomised controlled trial was conducted on 75 chemotherapy patients to evaluate whether a warm salt-water foot bath could help manage chemotherapy-induced fatigue. Patients were randomly assigned to either an intervention group or a control group. The intervention group performed a 20-minute warm salt-water foot bath daily for seven days, while both groups received standard information about managing fatigue. 

The study found that “warm salt water footbath can be an effective approach in enhancing fatigue-related quality of life in cancer patients. More studies should be conducted to assess the effectiveness of this intervention.” 

The researchers observed that although overall fatigue scores did not differ significantly at baseline, the decrease in fatigue—especially behavioural, sensory, affective, and cognitive components—was significantly greater in the foot-bath group.  

What is hyperthermia therapy and how does it differ from a hot bath?

Hyperthermia therapy is an experimental cancer treatment in which body tissues are heated up to 113 degrees Fahrenheit or 45 degrees Celsius to damage and shrink tumours. It is usually used alongside chemotherapy or radiation. The heat can be delivered through local hyperthermia, where a small tumour is heated using energy sources such as microwaves, ultrasound or radiofrequency. It can also be delivered through regional hyperthermia, which involves heating an organ, limb or body cavity, for example, in HIPEC, where heated chemotherapy drugs are circulated inside the abdomen during surgery.  

In some cases, whole-body hyperthermia is used, where the temperature of the entire body is raised with a heated blanket, incubator or a bath of warm water when cancer has spread throughout the body. Some patients receive fever-range whole-body hyperthermia, which is a short and controlled fever that may help activate the immune system. None of these techniques can be replicated through hot bathing at home. Hyperthermia therapy requires specialised machines, temperature monitoring and trained oncologists. Researchers still classify hyperthermia as under investigation and in clinical trials, which means it is not widely available and is not yet proven to improve survival on its own.

What do the experts say?

Dr Gaurav Jaswal, Director and Consultant Radiation Oncologist at TGH-Onco Life Cancer Centre, Maharashtra, clarified that regular hot water baths do not cure cancer. He explained that “Hot water treatment is a specialised form of therapy where we can expect some oncological control, but normal baths at home do not reach temperatures sufficient to provide any clinical benefit to the patient.” He emphasised, “It does not have any cancer-clearing effect or cancer-reducing effect.” 

On the role of hyperthermia therapy, Dr Jaswal noted that it is often misunderstood. “Clinical hyperthermia helps increase the temperature of the body and may make cancer cells more sensitive to the oncological treatments we are giving, such as radiation and chemotherapy. It aids these treatments rather than serving as a standalone therapy,” he said.  

Regarding symptomatic relief from warm water baths, Dr Jaswal observed from clinical practice that they can help reduce fatigue and provide relaxation. “Day-to-day, hot water therapy does help with pain relief, relaxation, and decreasing fatigue. But there is no clinical evidence that it can treat cancer,” he said. 

Addressing the claims circulating on social media, Dr Jaswal advised caution. “People should understand that taking hot water baths cannot cure cancer. Warm foot baths or baths may improve fatigue and mood, but they have no curative effect,” he said. He also warned that in some skin conditions, such as atopic dermatitis or cutaneous myelosis, very hot baths can worsen symptoms. He added, “Giving a clandestine opinion on social media about hot water curing cancer is clinically unsound. People should approach such claims with an open mind and make informed decisions rather than following misinformation.” 

This story is done in collaboration with First Check, which is the health journalism vertical of DataLEADS.

 

 

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