For most people diagnosed with cancer, the first course of treatment involves chemotherapy and/or radiation. While these treatments can often be effective, they also cause severe side effects. Recently, some websites and blogs have advocated the use of dog dewormer (fenbendazole, mebendazole, albendazole) as an alternative cancer therapy. However, research into fenbendazole’s potential as an anticancer agent is in its early stages.
Joe Tippens was told he had late-stage lung cancer in 2016. He wasn’t about to let it take his life, so he got on a plane to MD Anderson and began undergoing radiation and chemo. After a few months, his PET scan came back clear. He credited his survival to something odd: dog medicine.
In a series of videos that have gone viral on TikTok and Facebook, a Canadian veterinarian named Andrew Jones claims the dog dewormer he prescribed to a patient cured the man’s cancer. But is this really true?
While there’s no evidence that fenbendazole cures cancer in humans, it has shown some promise in animal models. It appears to work by inhibiting the growth of microtubules, which provide structure to all cells. Cancer cells have more microtubules than normal, which could explain why this drug works in them.
It’s important to remember, though, that fenbendazole has only been approved as an antiparasitic drug for dogs. While it’s possible that human trials will show that this medication can help cancer patients, the federal government doesn’t recommend relying on it for a diagnosis or treatment plan. dewormer for cancer