Fenbendazole is a medication that is used to treat parasites and worms in animals. Some research suggests that anthelmintics, such as fenbendazole, could potentially have anti-cancer effects in humans.
However, there isn’t enough evidence from randomized clinical trials to confirm that fenbendazole cures cancer. Here are some reasons why.
1. It kills parasites
Fenbendazole is an animal anthelmintic that was discovered to have anti-cancer effects in lab experiments. The drug disrupts the cellular metabolism of parasites and cancer cells, slowing their growth.
It is also an effective treatment for intestinal parasites, such as nematodes (roundworms), hookworms, whipworms, the tapeworm genus Taenia, pinworms, and aelurostrongylus. It works by interrupting the parasites’ energy metabolism and destroying their cell walls, so that they die.
In a series of experiments, tumor growth was measured in EMT6 mice as they were treated with either three daily i.p. injections of fenbendazole, a fenbendazole-containing diet, or fenbendazole plus 10 Gy of radiation. Results showed that neither the fenbendazole dose nor the duration of treatment significantly altered tumor growth or radiation response.
Your pet may experience frequent, loose stools as the fenbendazole kills the parasites in their gut. This is normal and should subside within a few days. Your veterinarian will likely recommend that you test a fecal sample for giardia 2-4 weeks after finishing the medication to confirm that the worms are dead.
2. It kills cancer cells
The drug mebendazole, which is used to treat roundworm and hookworm parasitic infections by cutting off the parasites’ supply of nutrition by collapsing their microscopic “skeleton” and highways for transport, works similarly on cancer cells, according to researchers. Specifically, it interferes with the formation of tubulin, which is both a micro-skeleton for the cell and a highway for transporting proteins to the cell’s interior.
When tubulin is disrupted, cancer cells cannot transport nutrients to their interior, and the cell dies. Researchers found that fenbendazole also kills cancer cells by interfering with mitosis, the process of splitting a single cell into two.
While anthelmintics (drugs that treat parasites in animals) are being studied as potential cancer treatments, no peer-reviewed study has yet found evidence to confirm that they could cure human cancer. Health Canada lists fenbendazole as a veterinary drug and advises consumers to seek a licensed veterinarian’s advice before buying the medication.
3. It prevents recurrence
A 2021 study published in Scientific Reports found that fenbendazole — and another drug in the same class of antiparasitic drugs called benzimidazole carbamates — could significantly reduce tumor size in mice. Unlike single-target cancer drugs, which have limited efficacy and are easily evaded by resistance, the benzimidazole carbamates have multiple cellular targets, meaning they’re more likely to succeed in treating tumors and preventing their recurrence.
Researchers found that fenbendazole prevents the growth of cancer cells by inhibiting glucose uptake, which cancer cells depend on for energy. The anthelmintic drug is also known to interfere with cellular signaling pathways, including PI3K/AKT and MAPK/ERK, which help regulate cell growth.
A video circulating on TikTok and Facebook features a Canadian veterinarian, Andrew Jones, who claims that the dog deworming medication fenbendazole cures advanced lung cancer. While some preclinical studies are examining anthelmintic drugs’ potential as cancer treatments, Health Canada lists fenbendazole for veterinary use only and Singh tells AFP that there’s no evidence to support Jones’ claim.
4. It’s safe
Fenbendazole, an antiparasitic drug, has been shown to slow down cancer cell growth in cell cultures and animals. It also has the potential to trigger apoptosis through glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) activation. However, there’s currently not enough evidence from randomized clinical trials showing that fenbendazole can cure cancer in humans.
A veterinarian named Andrew Jones posted videos on TikTok and Facebook in 2019 in which he claimed that fenbendazole cured his cancer. Jones later resigned from the College of Veterinarians of British Columbia.
In the TikTok and Facebook videos, Jones discussed Joe Tippens’ story. Tippens claims that he used a combination of conventional cancer treatments in addition to fenbendazole. But this wasn’t mentioned in the videos, so it’s impossible to reliably attribute his remission to fenbendazole alone.