Runner baffles doctors by curing his cancer without drugs or surgery - using an unconventional method

Daily Mail​

27-06-2025

A 103-year-old marathon runner claims he halted the spread of his cancer with a radical diet overhaul.
Mike Fremont, from Cincinnati, Ohio, went against doctors' advice and rejected drugs and surgery when he was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer at age 69.
Doctors at the Cleveland Clinic told him the disease would kill him within three months unless he began chemotherapy and radiotherapy, followed by surgery to remove the main tumor.
At that point, the cancer had already spread to his lymph nodes — a stage known as metastasis — when the disease is still potentially curable, but at high risk of becoming terminal.
Typically, doctors use drugs to shrink the tumor so it can be surgically removed.
But instead of opting for proven treatments, Fremont switched to a strict vegan diet centered on whole foods like sweet and white potatoes (without oil), tofu, leafy greens, legumes, vegetables, fruit, and non-dairy milks.
He claims the plant-based lifestyle cured his metastases. Two years later, he underwent surgery to remove the tumor and says he has been cancer-free ever since.
But doctors remain fiercely skeptical, warning that even the strictest vegan diet cannot replace chemotherapy or immunotherapy.
'While a healthy diet plays a supportive role in cancer care, doctors argue it must be combined with medical treatments. Nutrition alone cannot eliminate cancer.'
Cancer experts previously told the Daily Mail they are seeing a 'concerning' rise of patients using controversial treatments.
A 2023 study found 70 percent of cancer patients use alternative medicine, one in three of that share use it as their sole method of treatment and 27 percent hid it from their oncologists.
Dr Heber added: 'A nutritious diet should be used along with proper treatments in cancer patients, but diet alone absolutely cannot cure cancer.'
Around 75 percent of colorectal cancer patients will be alive five years after their diagnosis with treatment.
Without treatment, survival rates drop to just 44 percent after three years, making medical intervention absolutely crucial.
A former Yale University wrestler, Fremont had been an avid runner since the 70s when he was grieving the death of his wife.
His first of more than a dozen marathons was the 1972 Boston Marathon.
At 103, the retired engineer and climate activist still holds multiple world records as the fastest marathoner in the 88, 90, and 91-year-old age categories.
That's why it was so shocking when Fremont got the world-upending news in 1991.
He said: 'I contracted a cancer which the Cleveland Clinic said would kill me in 3 months unless operated upon.
'I said no, I was going on a diet!
'The tumor had metastasized into my lymphatic system and would have required efforts to treat the metastases with radiation and/or chemotherapy.'
Two years later he underwent an operation to remove the tumor from his colon when it began to bleed.
After the procedure, doctors checked for cancer spread in 35 places around Fremont's body, he said, and found zero signs of cancer spread to other parts of the body.
Fremont believes that his stellar health and advanced age are primarily due to his habits, rather than genetics. His father died of liver cancer, and his mother of a heart attack.
He said: 'The results of the diet have been perfect and it has been since that diet that all my world records have come about as well as such distinction in the US.'
And he doesn't plan on slowing down.
'My route is 5 miles long, through a scenic park near Cincinnati with mixed surface, lots of hills,' he said.
'The first mile is at my maximum speed, the other four under pressure to run fast. I resolved at age 98 to run 5 miles rather than 10, but to do it at speed.'
Fremont has always followed a disciplined fitness plan, saying he runs five miles three times a week and incorporating push-ups and pull-ups.
A typical day of eating for Fremont begins with oatmeal, syrup, and blueberries for breakfast.
Lunch consists of beans, while dinner includes broccoli florets topped with ketchup.
Fremont also lives a low-stress lifestyle, using exercise as a form of emotional release.
He also does not drink or smoke.
His healthy lifestyle has been shown to prevent cancer and its recurrence.
Research has shown that a structured exercise program for stage II and III colon cancer patients reduced recurrence by 28 percent, lowered mortality risk by 37 percent over eight years, and showed benefits with just 1.5 to 2.25 hours of brisk walking weekly.
Focusing on whole, unprocessed plant foods increases the amount of beneficial nutrients and compounds taken in that help reduce inflammation, a key factor in cancer development.
Additionally, these dietary choices can support healthy weight, cholesterol levels, and blood sugar control, all of which contribute to a lower cancer risk
But there is no concrete evidence diet alone can reverse cancer.