No, this is not a joke or bullshit post.
Scientists have been using the herpes virus to treat people suffering from skin cancer.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/s...d-its-working/

In a few months time, those suffering from skin cancer may find an unlikely hero in their treatment regimen: herpes. A modified version of the Herpes Simplex 1 virus (known for causing cold sores and some cases of genital herpes) called T-Vec has successfully been used to treat melanoma in a phase III clinical trial. That means it's just waiting for a final okay from the FDA before the Amgen product can hit the market. The results of the trial were published Tuesday in Journal of Clinical Oncology.

In a study of 436 patients with inoperable melanoma, Talimogene Laherparepvec had 16.3 percent of patients showing results at the six-month mark, compared to 2.1 percent taking the control therapy. Some patients were continuing to respond to T-VEC three years later.