Joe Tippens has received a lot of skepticism for his use of a dog dewormer as a cancer treatment. However, since starting his regimen of fenbendazole, CBD oil and curcumin, Tippens has been cancer free.
Dogs, like humans, have unique genetics and can be predisposed to certain forms of cancer. Until recently, most cancer treatments used drugs that were approved for human use.
What is Fenbendazole?
Fenbendazole (methyl N-(6-phenylsulfanyl-1H-benzimidazol-2-yl) carbamate) is a moderate microtubule depolymerizing agent that has potent anticancer activity in several different cancer cell types. It also induces ferroptosis and synergistic apoptosis via modulation of multiple cellular pathways.
Currently, veterinarians prescribe fenbendazole to treat intestinal parasites, including roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, lungworms, flukes, Giardia, and tapeworms. It is typically given daily for 3 days or as directed by a veterinarian.
Fenbendazole is a broad-spectrum anthelminthic that has been extensively tested in pre-clinical studies and has shown minimal toxicity to animals even when administered at doses many times the recommended dosage. This has made it an attractive candidate for repurposing as a novel anti-cancer drug. This new research suggests that fenbendazole can be used to target multiple molecular mechanisms in a manner similar to methotrexate and other chemotherapeutic agents. This could significantly shorten the time and cost of developing future drugs to treat a variety of cancers. Moreover, this approach may be applicable to other drugs in the benzimidazole family.
How does Fenbendazole Work?
Fenbendazole is a broad-spectrum anthelmintic that works by inhibiting a number of different parasites, including liverworms, hookworms, whipworms, lungworms, and the protozoal parasite Giardia. It also has anti-inflammatory properties, which may help with inflammation in dogs and cats that have been treated with the medication.
Despite its efficacy against a variety of intestinal parasites, fenbendazole does not have any effect on heartworms or other worms that do not live in the gut. It also does not have any effect on Toxoplasma gondii, the parasite that causes toxoplasmosis in humans.
Fenbendazole is very safe, even at high doses. While it is not approved for use in cats or kittens, it is often prescribed off-label to treat internal parasites. It is also used in horses and is sold as Panacur or Powerpac paste. One 25 gram syringe can deworm a 1,100 lb horse. It is also effective in preventing and controlling ascarids, a group of parasites that live in the intestines and lungs.
Is Fenbendazole Safe?
Fenbendazole, also known by the commercial brand Panacur, is a broad-spectrum anthelmintic medication that’s commonly used in dogs to treat intestinal parasites. It’s also used off-label to treat giardia in dogs and is occasionally used to treat lungworm infections.
Peer-reviewed studies have examined this class of drugs, including fenbendazole, as possible cancer treatments in humans but results have been mixed. Some studies found that these drugs can help reduce tumor sizes but others found no effect.
At regular doses, fenbendazole does not usually cause side effects. However, when fenbendazole is administered at higher than normal doses, substances released by dying parasites may cause a reaction in some pets. This can lead to drooling, vomiting and diarrhea in pets receiving the medication.
Your veterinarian may recommend a compounded formulation of the medication for your pet. This is done when a pet cannot be treated with an FDA-approved drug due to a health problem or they are allergic to the active ingredient in a generic version of the medication.
Can Fenbendazole Cure Cancer?
Fenbendazole (Panacur, Safe Guard) is an anthelmintic used to treat various parasites in dogs including roundworms, hookworms, whipworms and lungworm. It is also sometimes used for off label treatment of Giardia infections in dogs and occasionally as a treatment for tapeworms in cats.
It works by interrupting the parasites’ ability to produce energy, starving them and ultimately killing them. It can be given as granules or a liquid suspension and should be mixed with food to reduce stomach upset in animals.
Although there are a few studies that have examined benzimidazole drugs such as fenbendazole, mebendazole and albendazole as potential anti-cancer treatments, they have not been tested in humans. A specialist cancer information nurse at Cancer Research UK told Full Fact that there is insufficient evidence to suggest that fenbendazole can cure cancer, and it would not be recommended as a cancer treatment. The only way to find out whether a drug will work in people is to undertake clinical trials, which are conducted in a controlled environment and overseen by medical professionals.dog dewormer cancer
