Five companies which marketed false cancer cures have been sued by the Federal Trade Commission. The agency is asking that they stop marketing products for which there is “no credible evidence” that they “can prevent, cure, or treat cancer of any kind,” said Lydia Parnes, director of the FTC’s bureau of consumer protection.

The products marketed as potential cancer therapies included herbal teas containing a jungle vine from Latin America, saltwater blue-green algae, false medicines made from apricot seeds, digestive enzymes and other ingredients.

According to the Associated Press, Richard Jaffe, a Houston attorney who represents Native Essence Herb Company, one of the companies named by the FTC, says the government is trying to censor his client.

All companies will be required to notify consumers that there is “little to no scientific evidence demonstrating the products’ effectiveness for treating or curing cancer,” the statement read, adding that the companies must urge the customers to consult with their doctors about the products.

The Food and Drug Administration had already sent warning letters to 23 U.S. companies, 1 Canadian, and 1 Australian company asking them to stop selling some 125 products promoted for curing, treating, or preventing cancer. Many of the commercialized products are promoted on the Internet and contain ingredients such as bloodroot, shark cartilage, coral calcium, cesium, ellagic acid, Cat’s Claw, and herbal tea, and mushrooms such as Agaricus Blazeii, Shitake, Maitake, and Reishi.

Many of the products are “scams” and consumers should talk to their doctor about any treatment they are considering before they take it, Parnes said. “When you're battling cancer, the last thing you need is a scam,” she added.