The antiparasitic drug fenbendazole has been used for a long time to treat parasitic infections in animals. It has also been found to have anticancer properties in some studies that use cancer cells in petri dishes and mice. However, there isn’t enough evidence from randomized clinical trials to prove that it cures cancer in humans. In fact, the nonprofit organization Cancer Research UK told Full Fact that it isn’t even approved as an anticancer medication in people.
The claim that fenbendazole cures cancer stems from the anecdotal experience of Joe Tippens, who claims he went into remission after taking a combination of supplements and fenbendazole. But there is no proof that he cured his lung cancer using this protocol, and many other factors could have contributed to his remission, such as the conventional cancer treatments he was receiving at the same time. Additionally, his anecdotal experience isn’t representative of the experiences of other cancer patients. To arrive at more reliable conclusions, randomized trials involving large numbers of cancer patients need to be performed.
In the laboratory, fenbendazole is known to cause cancer cell death by disrupting microtubules and interfering with glucose metabolism. It is often used in conjunction with other drugs to improve the effectiveness of chemotherapy. It is important to remember that fenbendazole can also have side effects, such as headaches and stomach upset. If you experience these side effects, contact your veterinarian for advice.
A study that used human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells and a model of 5-fluorouracil resistance (SNU-C5/5-FUR) in mice, found that fenbendazole is effective at inhibiting tumor growth in vivo. This effect is mediated by a reduction in the activation of the p53 tumor suppressor gene and a decrease in glucose metabolism, as well as the induction of apoptosis and ferroptosis.
Another lab experiment that tested the effects of fenbendazole on cancer cell growth used colorectal cancer cells and patient-derived colon cancer organoids in mice. In this experiment, fenbendazole was administered to the mice via three daily i.p. injections, which was paired with either irradiation or control treatment. When the mice were then assessed, both unirradiated and irradiated tumors showed reduced growth in the fenbendazole-treated groups. Moreover, fenbendazole was found to be less effective in the presence of mutant p53 in these cells, whereas it had an effect on wild-type p53 cells. This suggests that fenbendazole may work on both wild-type and mutant colon cancer cells. The researchers also found that hypoxia enhances the sensitivity of NSCLC cells to fenbendazole, which could be caused by a reduction in the stability of microtubules due to hypoxia-induced oxidative stress. fenbendazole cures cancer