What Is Autophagy? The Natural Process That Helped Sonali Bendre In Her Cancer Treatment

Bollywood actress and cancer survivor, Sonali Bendre, has inadvertently ignited a major controversy following a social media post where she credited Autophagy, a natural healing process, for her cancer recovery. Within hours of her post, the medical fraternity slammed Bendre for promoting therapies without enough scientific validation. However, Bendre has issued a clarification, stating that what she shared was her personal experience and she is not a doctor.

The ensuing social media row has prompted a broader discussion about the biological mechanism of autophagy and its role in the fight against cancer. To provide clarity, we spoke to Dr Sai Vivek V, Consultant - Medical Oncology and Haemato-Oncology at Aster Whitefield Hospital, Bengaluru. Read ahead to know what he shared.

What Drags Sonali Bendre Into Criticism?

The 50-year-old actor, renowned for her roles in films such as 'Sarfarosh' and 'Hum Saath Saath Hain', was diagnosed with stage four metastatic cancer in 2018. The debate began on November 21, when she posted on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “In 2018, when I was diagnosed with cancer, this study really helped me. My naturopath introduced me to it, I researched it, and this is what I followed - Autophagy for healing. And I continue to follow it to date.”

In 2018, when I was diagnosed with cancer, this study really helped me. My naturopath introduced me to it, I researched it, and this is what I followed - Autophagy for healing. And I continue to follow it till date. https://t.co/LYNbsz09Hh

— Sonali Bendre Behl (@iamsonalibendre) November 21, 2025

Her post was linked to an Instagram post about Dr Yoshinori Ohsumi, receiving the Nobel Prize for discovering a self-healing process, medically known as autophagy. In this process, the body eats its own damaged cells when deprived of nutrients. While the fundamental process was first documented in the 1960s, Dr Ohsumi's research came in 2016.

After receiving severe backlash, Bendre took to X, clarifying, “No two cancers are the same, and no treatment path is identical. One of the many protocols I personally explored, after thorough research and medical guidance, was autophagy. It made a difference for me then, and continues to do so today... for me.”

https://t.co/zvurHrdE6G pic.twitter.com/oble5wQomC

— Sonali Bendre Behl (@iamsonalibendre) November 24, 2025

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Understanding Autophagy

Autophagy refers to 'self-eating', an essential and natural biological process. In this process, the body breaks down and reuses old, damaged cellular components. As described in a report from the Cleveland Clinic, it is a cellular self-cleaning system that begins when cells are stressed or deprived of nutrients.

Dr Sai Vivek V explained, “Autophagy is an essential and natural process in your organism during which the body disposes of defective and malfunctioning cells and later on reuses the parts of these cells. It is often referred to as the body's cellular housekeeping system."

Basically, when one is in a state of fasting, calorie restriction, or under some kind of stress, the body by itself gets rid of the old cell fragments and uses them to fix or build up new cells.

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Can Autophagy Help In Cancer Treatment?

The relationship between cancer and autophagy is quite complicated. “In some occurrences, autophagy carried out at healthy levels can shield cells from damage, the kind of damage that eventually causes cancer,” Dr Vivek V noted.

However, in cancer patients, autophagy can operate in different ways. Dr Vivek V shared, “At times, it may empower cancer cells to endure treatment by allowing them to get used to the stress resulting from the treatment. There may be times also when it makes cancer cells more susceptible to treatment.”

Due to these contradictory effects, autophagy is not considered a stand-alone cancer treatment. Physicians may explore methods of controlling autophagy alongside chemotherapeutic or targeted therapy use, but it must never be the case that a person forgoes the oncologist-prescribed cancer treatment and instead relies on autophagy regulation.

Oncologist Comments On Sonali Bendre's Claim

Addressing the claims circulating after Bendre's post, Dr Vivek V emphasised, “Sonali Bendre’s sharing of her experience with autophagy treatment is reflective of her individual journey and choices related to health during recovery. The scientific community asserts that there is no proof that autophagy on its own has the power to heal or cure cancer.”

He further debunked a persistent myth that inducing autophagy through fasting or similar methods can starve cancer or even work as a cure. “The truth is far from this. Cancer cells are usually the ones which can make quick adaptations under stress conditions as they are stronger than normal cells,” he clarified.

Oncologist strongly advises that patients should keep up with their doctor's treatment recommendations rather than opting for fasting or solely focusing on autophagy during the active phase of treatment.

Bottomline

Autophagy is a complex biological pathway that depends on various individual factors. While the process may have helped Sonali Bendre in her cancer recovery, this will not work as a universal cure for all cancer patients. One should not consider this process as a detoxification process or a complete treatment, as it is supposed to be there for cellular health support, not to be considered as a magic firearm against cancer or some other serious illness.