Tom Hanks has blasted "absolute quacks" who prey on sick people.
Tom Hanks
The 'Bridge of Spies' actor's wife Rita Wilson was diagnosed with breast cancer last December and he is horrified at the number of self-proclaimed experts who claim to offer miracle cures and "false hopes".
He said: "It's funny. As soon as you come out about cancer there's this odd kind of backlash that goes along with it.
""here's a predatorily philosophy that happens where people find out that you have a certain illness, particularly cancer, and they will try and make money off of you, pushing procedures that might have a degree of science to them and there are others that are absolute quacks just trying to make money."
"You should Google the word (cancer). Everything from 'You must eat peach pits' to 'Go to this clinic in Bolivia and you'll be cured!' will come up.
"S*** goes on like that and it's astounding to me. It all adds to the difficulty, and we are lucky we can afford good medical care, but there are people who are dealing and selling in false hopes."
The 59-year-old actor admits it was "hell" watching his spouse go through treatment, including a bilateral mastectomy and reconstruction, and is proud of how Rita coped with her ordeal.
Speaking to News.com.au, he said: "The only thing you can do when something like that comes along is drop everything and pay attention to it. It's a health crises that we all know is hell and however you deal with it, it's bold to keep the information close to the heart and it's also bold to say: 'Here's the deal, here comes breast cancer!'
"And after nine months of medical treatment she's finally finished... All I can say is God bless my wife and God bless her courage."
Tagged in Tom Hanks Rita Wilson