A common deworming drug used in dogs and cats may help to cure cancer in humans, but doctors urge caution over the 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 that investigated its efficacy 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 nurse educator in the UK — reviewed case studies from 2021 that found three patients with advanced cancer saw their tumours shrink after taking fenbendazole.
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He said: “I think the drug regulators need to start looking at this as a matter of some urgency because people are dying from cancer now.
“If something is safe and effective, surely it can be accredited for human use by our national authorizing agencies pretty quickly — if they wanted to.”
A handful of scientific papers have been published in recent years suggesting fenbendazole has anti-cancer properties — including a 2020 review from scientists in Tennessee, which found the drug slowed lung cancer growth in some mice with the disease.
Another study from this year that reviewed six human cases where tumours shrank after taking the drug concluded fenbendazole ‘stands out’ as a possible new cancer therapy.
But despite the growing body of evidence, medical non-profits currently warn against using the drug — pointing out it has never been tested in large-scale human clinical trials, the gold standard for showing a treatment is safe and effective.
And it is not without risks. Doctors in South Korea — which saw a surge in people taking the drug to combat cancer in 2019 — said it left some patients with intestinal necrosis, a severe medical condition where part of the intestine dies.
In October this year, a 45-year-old British man was reported to have died from liver failure after taking the drug for its alleged 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 appropriately.
“Its use must be carefully tailored to the individual patient’s situation and monitored closely.”
Fenbendazole costs about $9 for a week’s 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 vets recommend a course of two to three weeks to clear an infection.
It is not recommended for treating cancer in dogs, although some studies and anecdotal evidence suggest it may also help to clear the disease in the animals.
Despite its price increase, it costs significantly less than traditional cancer treatments, which run into the tens of thousands.
Side effects may include stomach pain and discomfort, such as bloating and gas, and diarrhoea – far less severe than the hair loss, fatigue, vomiting, ulcers and infertility that result from chemotherapy.
Mebendazole has been tested as a cancer treatment in clinical trials where it had some success, including in a 2022 study on patients with advanced colon cancer where it prolonged patients’ lifespans compared to those not taking the drug.
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 cancer free now.”
– Mail Online
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