What Was the Miracle: Surgery and Radiotherapy, or a Vegan Diet?

“He married his girlfriend on his deathbed! 3 weeks later, the miracle happened...” What a compelling headline! This story is making waves in the media. American Rob Mooberry, who developed advanced colon cancer and lost 30 kilos in 1 year, reportedly recovered through a strict vegan diet after several oncological treatments and through falling in love. Reports also emphasize how Rob and Amanda, whom he married during his illness, work to tell other patients about the miracles of veganism. But what really happened? Did he recover through diet and love, as claimed, or through extensive surgery followed by concurrent chemotherapy and radiotherapy?

• What You Should Know About Colon and Rectal Cancer

Rob learned he had colon cancer after frequent abdominal pain and weight loss. Extensive surgery removed as much tumor as possible, but it had reached nearby lymph nodes and his bladder. In oncology, this is called stage 3C colon cancer. After surgery, patients receive adjuvant (protective) treatment to reduce recurrence risk. Rob began concurrent chemotherapy and radiotherapy for this purpose. Before starting postoperative treatment, he and Amanda married. According to the report, they abandoned radiotherapy and chemotherapy because they were not working, changed their diet, and tried veganism and herbal treatments. After 3 weeks, 80% of his cancer cells reportedly disappeared, and Rob later defeated cancer completely. The story ends with an ostensibly modest warning: “Although Rob does not want to misinform people, he believes a vegan diet will beat cancer. He wants everyone to take inspiration from him and eat more healthily.”

Now, the Inconsistencies in the Story:

• If Rob’s cancer was advanced as claimed, meaning it had spread throughout the body, why was surgery performed first? Initial treatment for stage 4 colon cancer is not surgery unless bowel obstruction is present. If there is bowel obstruction, surgery is generally directed only at relieving it, rather than the extensive operation Rob underwent.
• Postoperative protective treatments reduce microscopic metastases in patients with no visible cancer remaining. We believe this was the purpose in Rob’s case. However, he could not tolerate treatment because of side effects or other reasons and stopped before completion. If the tumor had been entirely removed in stage 3 colon cancer, what cancer was reduced by 80% through veganism and herbal treatments?
• The report says adjuvant treatment was stopped because it did not work. Oncology professionals and our many patients receiving adjuvant therapy know that its effectiveness cannot be measured immediately after 2-3 weeks. There is no detectable disease to measure; its benefit is reducing recurrence risk over the longer term. Yet the article declares it ineffective. How was this measured?

Conclusion Despite these inconsistencies, Rob’s recovery and happy life with his wife and children are undoubtedly wonderful. We want to highlight the potentially dangerous consequences of reporting his story this way. When all three modern oncology treatments—surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy—were used, attributing the positive outcome to veganism, herbal supplements, and a great love is, at best, deeply unfortunate.

Although he did not experience a great romance, follow a vegan diet, or become a media figure, the story of Mr. Ali, who had advanced rectal cancer, is far more realistic and hopeful.