A common antiparasitic drug used in dogs and cats may help cure cancer in humans, but doctors recommend caution with this unproven method.
Fenbendazole, known by its brand names Panacur and Safe-Guard, is an antiparasitic used in animals with parasites such as roundworms, hookworms, tapeworms, and giardia.
But in recent studies investigating its effectiveness in treating cancer in humans, researchers said it could be a “potentially safe and effective” alternative treatment.
In a video last month, Dr. John Campbell, a former nursing educator in the United Kingdom, reviewed case studies of 2021 that found that three patients with advanced cancer saw their tumors shrink after taking fenbendazole.
He said: “I think drug regulators need to start looking at this as a matter of urgency because people are dying of cancer now.”
“If something is safe and effective, surely our national licensing agencies can accredit it for human use fairly quickly, if they want to.”
In recent years, several scientific articles have been published suggesting that fenbendazole has anticancer properties, including a review 2020 from Tennessee scientists, who found that the drug slowed the growth of lung cancer in some mice with the disease.
another study this year that reviewed six human cases in which tumors shrank after taking the drug concluded that fenbendazole “stands out” as a potential new cancer therapy.
A common antiparasitic drug used in dogs and cats may help cure cancer in humans, according to studies and anecdotal reports (file image)
The image above shows a package of fenbendazole for animals sold on Amazon. Had 2,000 purchases in the last month
Anecdotal reports from TikTok, YouTube, and X users also suggest the drug may help, with several users crediting it with “curing” their cancer.
But despite the growing body of evidence, nonprofit medical organizations currently warn against using the drug, noting that it has never been tested in large-scale clinical trials in humans, the gold standard for proving a treatment is safe. and cash.
And it is not without risks. Doctors in South Korea, which saw a surge in people taking the cancer-fighting drug in 2019, said it left some patients with intestinal necrosis, a serious medical condition in which part of the intestine dies.
In October this year, it was reported that a 45-year-old British man had died from liver failure after taking the drug for its supposed anti-cancer properties.
Dr Jason Williams, who uses experimental treatments for cancer patients, told DailyMail.com: ‘Fenbendazole may be useful in specific contents, but it is a double-edged sword.
“In some cases, it could even promote cancer growth if not applied properly.
“Its use should be carefully tailored to each patient’s situation and closely monitored.”
Fenbendazole costs about $9 for a one-week supply and is available over the counter and online for dogs in liquid, powder, or paste form.
Owners give it to pets by mixing it with the animal’s food, and veterinarians recommend a two- to three-week treatment to eliminate the infection.
It is not recommended for treating cancer in dogs, although some studies and anecdotal evidence suggest it may also help eliminate the disease in animals.
In animals, the drug works by disrupting the parasites’ cell division by attacking microtubules, or the tubes that separate the cell nucleus to lead to cell division.
Some researchers have suggested that this may also happen in human cancer cells when someone takes the drug, helping to slow or stop the progression of the disease.
UK-based Dr. John Campbell posted online about the drug fenbendazole and called for more research into the treatment.
The graphic above shows the microtubules (red lines) that separate the nucleus of a cell and allow it to divide into two. Fenbendazole is said to disrupt microtubules, stopping cell division in cancer cells.
Fenbendazole belongs to the class of medications called benzimidazoles, which is the same group as a human antiparasitic medication called mebendazole.
This medication has been approved by the FDA for antiparasitic use in humans and is available over the counter and by prescription in chewable tablet form.
It was previously sold as Vermox, available for about $2 per pill, but is now sold under the brand name Emverm for about $53 per pill without insurance.
Despite its increased price, it costs significantly less than traditional cancer treatments, which run into the tens of thousands.
Side effects can include stomach pain and upset, such as bloating, gas, and diarrhea, much less serious than the hair loss, fatigue, vomiting, ulcers, and infertility that result from chemotherapy.
Mebendazole has been tested as a cancer treatment in clinical trials in which it had some success, including in a study 2022 in patients with advanced colon cancer, where it prolonged the life expectancy of patients compared to those not taking the drug.
and in laboratory studies that suggested it could be effective against breast cancer and brain cancer.
However, other studies have raised concerns about the drug, including a Clinical trial 2021 which involved 10 patients with advanced liver or colon cancer who were administered mebendazole twice a day. After eight weeks, treatment was stopped due to cancer progression.
In five cases, patients had “hyperprogression.”
Scientists at the Williams Institute in California say they prescribe mebendazole to patients in some circumstances. In a video, a doctor from the Institute said: ‘Menbendazole, if taken according to its value, is an FDA-approved drug. Fenbendazole is not.
So far, studies on fenbendazole have only considered case studies on the use of the drug and laboratory studies, but have not considered a scientific review.
The above shows the cancerous pancreas of mice before (left) and after (right) being treated with mebendazole, which is an antiparasitic agent approved for use in humans.
The cases include an 83-year-old man with stage four lymphoma, a blood cancer, who took up to six pills a day for a year. Evidence showed that the patient’s cancer improved during this time and did not spread.
In another case, a 63-year-old man with advanced renal cell carcinoma began taking fenbendazole three days a week after standard treatments caused serious side effects. Subsequent scans showed that the tumor on his left kidney had almost completely disappeared, while a tumor on his pancreas had also shrunk.
Doctors have suggested that these, as well as other cases, may be due to fenbendazole, but they emphasize that they are also anecdotal and that patients are simultaneously taking other standard treatments, which may be behind the change.
The use of fenbendazole to treat cancer was first popularized by Joe Tippens of Oklahoma, who took the drug once a day for three consecutive days to combat his lung cancer.
He credited the drug with making the disease subside, but at the same time he was also in a clinical trial for the immunotherapy drug Keytruda, which is approved to fight lung cancer.
His claims went viral in South Korea and were shared by local singer Kim Chul-min, who was also battling lung cancer.
Veterinarians at the time reported that they were being inundated with phone calls from people seeking doses of the drug.
The country’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety warned at the time: “High doses of the drug given over a long period of time can cause serious damage to the blood, nerves and liver.”
The Korean Medical Association also warned: “We cannot recommend the use of the drug as no clinical trials have been conducted on humans and its safety has not been confirmed.”
To be approved for use in humans, fenbendazole would have to go through at least three expensive clinical trials.
The video above, posted on TikTok, suggests that some people can take fenbendazole, which is available in powder form, by mixing it with olive oil.
The FDA would then have to evaluate the results before the drug could be approved for use in humans to treat cancer.
The process would likely take years and cost more than $30 million.
Caroline Geraghty, cancer information nurse at Cancer Research UK, told DailyMail.com: ‘There is not enough evidence that fenbendazole can cure cancer.
“The drug has not gone through any clinical trials to determine whether it is a safe or effective treatment.”
He added: “Unsubstantiated claims that fenbendazole can cure cancer are misleading and can cause harm.”
“Cancer patients should treat any information that promotes unconventional treatments online with caution and always consult with their doctor before considering new therapies.”
Resurfacing claims about the drug on YouTube, Dr Campbell said: “Of course, researchers and writers here say more research is needed… we always need more details.”
‘But there you have three patients basically, basically… cured of their cancers. Read the newspaper yourself, that’s what they seem to say to me.
Regardless, people continue to post online about the anti-cancer benefits of fenbendazole.
One user said on X: ‘A good friend of mine was diagnosed with incurable terminal cancer and given less than six months to live.
‘I convinced him to start taking fenbendazole and apricot seeds. He was diagnosed over a year ago and is now cancer-free.’
Another user said: ‘Absolutely cured my prostate cancer. The cancer had grown outside the wall. They were giving me a death sentence. I took fenbendazole. The cancer disappeared.
And a third said on YouTube: ‘Fenbendazole cured my dog of “terminal” squamous cell carcinoma. Fantastic stuff!
‘My dog had two months to live, I gave her fenben and, two and a half years later, she’s fine!’