37-year-old man in Hanoi dies after following TikTok unverified cancer treatment by self-proclaimed doctor
Summary
A 37-year-old man in Hanoi, Vietnam, died in early 2025 after following a TikTok video promoting unverified cancer treatments by a self-proclaimed doctor. His family paid VND40 million for a month of treatment based on the video, but his condition worsened, leading to his hospitalization and eventual death. Another woman in Hanoi, who refused hospital treatment for a breast tumor and instead used a product advertised on TikTok, saw her tumor grow to 20–25 cm before seeking medical help. A 21-year-old girl in Hanoi fell into a coma after taking weight-loss pills from TikTok, which were later found to contain the banned substance sibutramine. Doctors and medical professionals have raised concerns about fake "doctors" on social media misleading patients, especially those with terminal illnesses, leading to severe health consequences and financial loss.
Incident Details
Deliberate or negligent spread of false or misleading information with harmful real-world effects.
False or misleading content spread without intent to deceive.
Sources
1This incident is documented by a single source. Source count reflects coverage in our monitored feeds, not the totality of reporting, and we do not evaluate publication quality.