Is Fenbendazole For Humans Cancer Safe?

The anthelmintic drug fenbendazole is widely used to treat parasitic infections. It works by blocking microtubules, which are part of the mitotic spindle that separates chromosomes during cell division. Researchers are now exploring whether fenbendazole might have anticancer properties as well.

In a series of focus groups, we interviewed cancer patients who were self-administering fenbendazole to manage their illness. These participants were aged 56 to 75 and were diagnosed with lung cancer three months to five years ago, ranging in stages from one to four. Using the information acquisition model, we explored where cancer patients get their fenbendazole and general cancer information, as well as their perceptions of that information.

A large proportion of fenbendazole-related information was obtained from social media channels, including YouTube. Some participants viewed video clips from unlicensed veterinarian Andrew Jones, who had been reprimanded by the College of Veterinarians of British Columbia for promoting alternative treatments for dogs. The videos showed Joe Tippens, who claimed that he had been cured of small-cell lung cancer by taking fenbendazole.

Treatment with fenbendazole caused significant cytotoxicity in SNU-C5 and SNU-C5/5-FUR cells, resulting in increased expression of autophagy and caspase-3-dependent apoptosis. This effect was largely mediated by increased DAMP production and decreased expression of GPX4. Ferroptosis also played an important role in fenbendazole-induced apoptosis, which could be augmented by p53 activation. fenbendazole for humans cancer