A popular video circulating on TikTok and Facebook claims that fenbendazole, an antiparasitic drug used to deworm dogs, can cure cancer. However, this claim is unsubstantiated by medical evidence.
A number of studies have reported that fenbendazole can inhibit the growth and proliferation of cancer cells in laboratory settings. The drug is also effective in causing oxidative stress in cancer cells without significantly affecting normal cells.
It Inhibits the Growth of Cancer Cells
The anthelmintic drug fenbendazole, which is used to treat parasites in animals, may also be able to kill cancer cells. A study published in Scientific Reports found that fenbendazole disrupted the microtubules that help cancer cells grow and spread, causing them to die.
Researchers studied the effect of fenbendazole on 5-fluorouracil-resistant colorectal cancer cells, as well as patient-derived colon cancer organoids. They found that fenbendazole caused G2/M arrest, apoptosis, and ferroptosis in both cell types. It also inhibited the growth of adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma tumors in mice. The authors suggest that fenbendazole could be a promising agent for treatment of cancer.
Benzimidazole carbamate acts as a moderate microtubule disruptor and induces apoptosis through multiple pathways including p53 stabilization, mitochondrial injury and interference with glucose metabolism in cancer cells. Cancer cells with wild-type p53 showed a greater sensitivity to fenbendazole than those with mutant p53.
While fenbendazole for cancer appears to work against cancer in petri dishes and animal models, there is no evidence that it can cure human patients. A specialist cancer information nurse at Cancer Research UK told Full Fact that there is insufficient evidence to support the claims that fenbendazole kills cancer cells, and that it prevents recurrence.
While social media has been a constructive source of medical information in the past, it is important for people with cancer to seek medical advice before self-administering dietary supplements or other substances. Physicians should enquire whether patients are receiving orally ingested treatments and inform them of potentially harmful effects from unproven interventions.
It Kills Cancer Cells
Researchers found that fenbendazole, which is used to treat worms in animals like dogs, cats, rabbits, horses and sheep, kills cancer cells. They tested the drug by giving it to mice and observing tumour growth. They found that the treatment reduced tumour volume and weight. They also observed a reduction in cell proliferation. The team then examined cancer cells with immunofluorescence and discovered that fenbendazole interferes with the microtubule network around the nucleus, partially altering it and inducing apoptosis.
They also found that fenbendazole has cytotoxic effects in colorectal cancer cells, inhibiting their ability to grow and divide. They also found that the drug reduces glucose uptake, which is a common feature of cancer cells. This led them to conclude that the drug might have potential as an anti-cancer therapy.
However, it’s important to note that there is no evidence that fenbendazole can cure cancer or prevent its recurrence. There are other established treatments that can do this, including chemotherapy and radiation. And, as with any treatment, there is no guarantee that it will work for anyone.
It Inhibits the Growth of Metastatic Cancer Cells
Fenbendazole, which is an ingredient in dog wormers, has been shown to inhibit the growth of cancer cells in petri dishes and mice. It does this by stopping the proper growth of microtubules, a network that provides structure to all cell parts and is disrupted in cancer cells. It also interferes with the cells’ ability to use glucose, a process that helps cancer cells survive.
But despite these studies, there’s no evidence that fenbendazole is effective against human cancer. The drug hasn’t been tested in clinical trials, which are the only way to know whether it can safely and effectively treat humans. The nonprofit organization Cancer Research UK told Full Fact that there is insufficient evidence to support Tippens’ claim that fenbendazole can cure cancer.
The Joe Tippens Protocol is based on anecdotal evidence from a man who claims that taking the drug cured his small-cell lung cancer. He was not a patient in a clinical trial and, by his own account, was receiving other conventional therapies at the time. It is impossible to determine the exact role of fenbendazole in his remission, which was likely the result of multiple factors.
Other antiparasitic drugs—including mebendazole, benzimidazole carbamate, and albendazole—have been found to inhibit cancer cells’ growth in lab experiments. But developing a new drug is an expensive and lengthy process that requires a lot of time and money. This is why repurposing existing medications that have been shown to be effective in animals and human beings as cancer treatments is so promising.
It Inhibits the Growth of Normal Cells
In addition to halting the growth of cancerous cells, fenbendazole also has been shown to prevent the spread of tumors by destroying the cell’s mitochondria. This causes the cell to break down and die, which is referred to as necroptosis. Several different pathways can cause necroptosis, including caspase-3-mediated apoptosis and autophagy. This effect is not unique to fenbendazole, however, as other drugs with similar mechanisms of action (including paclitaxel and vincristine) have been successfully used in clinical trials to treat human cancer patients.
A video circulating on TikTok and Facebook purports to show a veterinarian treating a cancer patient with dog deworming medicine, but this claim is unproven. Jones is an unlicensed vet who resigned from the College of Veterinarians in British Columbia after being reprimanded for promoting alternative medicines for animals. He claims that he gave the pet drug fenbendazole to a client with advanced lung cancer, and he says that the client had a complete response.
A specialist cancer information nurse at Cancer Research UK told Full Fact that there is insufficient evidence that fenbendazole cures cancer. The drug hasn’t gone through any clinical trials to find out if it’s safe and effective. However, it has been shown to work well in animal studies and in cells.