It began with a common sore throat—something most of us would brush off with a warm drink or some over-the-counter medication. But for a 40-year-old man in Vietnam, that mild discomfort quickly escalated into a tragedy. After undergoing seven painful rounds of chemotherapy, he ultimately lost his life to throat cancer. His case has sent shockwaves through the medical community, prompting doctors to issue an urgent public warning: get rid of two common items from your refrigerator immediately.

A Silent Threat Hiding in Plain Sight

According to doctors at a leading oncology hospital, the man had no previous history of serious illness. He was active, working, and living a relatively normal life. But within a few months, his sore throat turned into chronic pain, followed by difficulty swallowing and unexplained weight loss. By the time he visited a specialist, he was diagnosed with advanced-stage nasopharyngeal cancer.

Despite aggressive treatment, including seven cycles of chemotherapy and multiple hospitalizations, the cancer had spread. His immune system collapsed, and his body could no longer fight. The man passed away just a few days after his final treatment session.

What shocked his doctors wasn’t just the speed of his decline—it was what they found contributed to his condition. After interviewing the family and reviewing his habits, they discovered a frequent consumption of two common foods stored in his refrigerator: pickled vegetables and processed meats, including cold cuts and sausages.

The 2 Dangerous Items Doctors Urge You to Remove

1. Pickled and Fermented Vegetables (with Preservatives or Stored Too Long)
   Traditional pickled vegetables can be healthy when made naturally, but those preserved with excessive salt, vinegar, or artificial preservatives can produce nitrosamines—a group of compounds that have been linked to throat and stomach cancers. When stored too long in the fridge, especially in plastic containers, these vegetables can become breeding grounds for harmful bacteria and chemical changes.

1. Processed Meats and Cold Cuts
   

   Items like ham, bacon, sausages, and deli meats are often packed with nitrates and nitrites—preservatives that give them their color and shelf life. Unfortunately, in the acidic environment of the human stomach, these compounds can turn into nitrosamines, the very same cancer-causing agents found in poorly fermented foods. Regular consumption has been linked to a significantly increased risk of gastrointestinal and throat cancers.

A Doctor’s Plea: Change Begins at Home

Dr. Tran Minh Hung, one of the oncologists who treated the man, shared a heartfelt plea on social media:

“This was a man with a family, with children waiting for him to come home. If only he had known earlier. Please—check your fridge. Sometimes, prevention starts with what you eat every day.”

Dr. Hung also emphasized that not all fermented or processed foods are dangerous, but that the way they’re made, stored, and consumed matters greatly. He urges people to return to natural, homemade recipes and avoid heavily processed, long-expiry items that are often packed with chemical additives.

Takeaway: Don’t Wait for Symptoms

Throat cancer, like many forms of cancer, often begins silently, with symptoms that seem harmless at first—like a sore throat, mild hoarseness, or a cough. By the time pain sets in or swallowing becomes difficult, the disease may already be in an advanced stage.

Don’t wait. If symptoms persist for more than two weeks, see a doctor. And tonight, when you open your fridge, remember: sometimes what you throw away could save your life.