While fenbendazole for cancer cells in petri dishes and mice, it hasn’t been proven to work in humans. A specialist cancer information nurse told Full Fact that the drug hasn’t gone through proper clinical trials to show whether it can cure cancer.

The benzimidazole anthelmintic medication is used to treat parasitic infections in animals such as pinworms, giardia, roundworms, lungworms, and certain types of tapeworms. It works by inhibiting the polymerization of tubulin, which forms part of microtubules in cells.

Mechanism of action

Researchers have found that fenbendazole inhibits cancer cell growth in culture. However, there is no evidence that it can cure cancer in humans. The patient in this case report was taking a combination of conventional cancer treatments and self-administered fenbendazole. This makes it difficult to reliably attribute his remission to fenbendazole alone. In addition, this case study was anecdotal and did not use a control group. Moreover, it was reported that the patient received a variety of other natural remedies and supplements in addition to fenbendazole.

According to research published in the journal Scientific Reports, a broad-spectrum anti-parasitic drug used in veterinary medicine might also be effective against human cancers. A team of scientists at the National Centre for Human Genome Studies and Research (NCHGSR), Panjab University, India, found that fenbendazole can inhibit glucose uptake by cancer cells and trigger apoptosis in cultured cancer cells.

The scientists investigated the effect of fenbendazole on the growth and radiation response of EMT6 tumors in mice. They compared the growth of untreated tumors with those of tumors that received three daily i.p. injections of fenbendazole plus 10 Gy of x-rays. The results showed that fenbendazole caused significant inhibition of tumor growth, but did not interfere with the radiation response of the cancers.

The researchers also discovered that fenbendazole activated the necroptosis pathway in colorectal cancer cells, causing apoptosis and reducing the growth of new tumors. They also found that fenbendazole interfered with the activation of autophagy by inhibiting mTOR activity.

Safety

Researchers from Panjab University and Orient Bio have found that the benzimidazole drug fenbendazole, commonly known as dog wormer, can suppress cancer cell growth by targeting microtubules, the protein structures that give cells their shape. Microtubules are involved in the transportation of nutrients and waste throughout the cell, which is crucial for maintaining normal cellular function. Targeting them has become a common approach to killing cancerous cells in the lab.

The team, led by former NCHGSR director Dr Tapas Mukhopadhyay and Nilambra Dogra from Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research Chandigarh, conducted a series of experiments in laboratory animals to test the safety of fenbendazole. They found that the fenbendazole can inhibit the growth of tumors in both xenograft and non-xenograft mice. They also discovered that fenbendazole can block glucose uptake, a process that is important for tumor cells’ ability to fuel their growth.

The researchers also analyzed the effects of fenbendazole on colorectal cancer cells. They found that fenbendazole is highly effective in inhibiting the proliferation of both SNU-C5/5-FUR and SNU-C7/FUR cells. These anti-proliferative effects were mediated by moderate microtubule disruption, p53 stabilization, and interference with glucose metabolism. The results suggest that fenbendazole can be used to effectively treat CRCs by combining it with other established treatment regimens. However, it is important to note that there is currently insufficient evidence to support the claim that fenbendazole can cure cancer or prevent recurrence, which is why patients should continue to seek established treatments for their specific type of cancer.

Side effects

Fenbendazole is a broad-spectrum benzimidazole anthelmintic that has been used in various animal species for decades. It has been shown to have antiparasitic and antitumor properties. It is safe to use at therapeutic dosages in most species. It is also known to have minimal toxicity in humans. It can therefore be a useful drug for cancer therapy.

Researchers discovered that fenbendazole can interfere with the glucose uptake by cancer cells and starve them of their main energy source. This prevents cancer cells from multiplying and dividing, which leads to their death. This effect was found in cell cultures and human cancer patients. It is thought that fenbendazole can be used to treat a variety of different types of cancer.

The Joe Tippens protocol is an anecdotal story of a cancer patient who claimed that fenbendazole cured his metastatic pancreatic cancer. However, this isn’t true, and there are no reliable studies that support the claim. It’s likely that other factors contributed to the success of his treatment, including immuno-cancer treatments he received in a clinical trial and other conventional cancer therapies.

Taking too much fenbendazole can lead to side effects, such as hair loss and fatigue. It is important to follow the recommended dosage and schedule. Fenbendazole is available as oral granules and liquid suspension. It is recommended that patients take 222 mg per day, seven days a week.

Dosage

Fenbendazole is a drug that’s used to treat parasitic worms in animals like dogs. It also has some anticancer effects in animals, but there’s no evidence it can cure cancer. It appears to work by stopping the proper growth of microtubules, which provide structure and shape to cells. Cancer cells often have more microtubules than normal cells, so drugs that interfere with their formation may kill them. Fenbendazole, which is a broad-spectrum antiparasitic agent, has been shown to have these effects in mice.

In one study, researchers gave tumor-bearing mice fenbendazole in their diet or injected it directly into their bodies. They then studied the tumors to see how much they grew. They found that fenbendazole caused more cancer cell death than other drugs. Another study reported that fenbendazole had a similar effect when it was given orally to human lung adenocarcinoma cells. The drug stopped the cells’ ability to divide, which led to a significant reduction in tumor size and weight.

However, researchers haven’t yet tested whether fenbendazole can prevent recurrent cancer. The treatment isn’t a cancer cure, but it might be useful in combination with other established treatments.