The fenben cancer treatment has gained traction online after some anecdotal reports of patients whose cancer went into remission. The protocol calls for the use of a dog deworming medication called fenbendazole (Panacur C) as well as other supplements and lifestyle changes. The claims have gone viral on social media platforms like Facebook and TikTok.
A broad-spectrum anthelmintic drug, fenbendazole, also known as 5-(methylsulfanyl)-1H-benzimidazol-2-yl] carbamate, is able to kill parasites by binding to beta-tubulin and disrupting the formation of microtubules in parasitic cells. This mechanism of action is similar to that of some anticancer drugs.
Fenbendazole is used to treat a variety of parasitic diseases in humans and animals including pinworms, tapeworms, and hookworms. Some research has found that fenbendazole may inhibit the growth of tumors in cell cultures and mice. However, there is no evidence that fenbendazole cures cancer in people.
This article aims to evaluate the cytotoxic effects of fenbendazole and its commercial formulation, which has been formulated for human consumption, against a panel of cancer cell lines. The chemistry of the drug, which belongs to the class of antiparasitics, shows some similarities to certain anticancer drugs and it has been shown to exhibit some cytotoxic activity in animal studies.
To determine the toxicity of fenbendazole, two commercial samples of the drug were purchased: Brand P (panacur) and Brand S (safe-guard). The chemical composition of the drugs was determined using a USP Apparatus 2, Model RCZ-8B Type Medicine Dissolving Instrument. Both formulations were subjected to quantitative and qualitative dissolution tests in methanol for LC-MS analysis.
In vitro experiments analyzed the effects of graded doses of fenbendazole on the viability of exponentially growing EMT6 cells in cell culture, both at aerobic and hypoxic conditions. Results show that fenbendazole exhibits a concentration-dependent toxicity with cell numbers decreasing rapidly at low drug concentrations and reaching a plateau at higher doses. Severe hypoxia significantly increased the toxicity of 2-h treatments of cells with fenbendazole.
A third experiment examined the effects of three daily i.p. injections of fenbendazole, or a placebo, on the growth of EMT6 tumors in BALB/c mice. The time it took for each tumor to reach four times its initial volume was measured. Results show that fenbendazole does not alter tumor growth in unirradiated or irradiated animals.
Despite the popularity of fenbendazole cancer treatments, there is no credible evidence that it can cure cancer in humans. The fenben cancer treatment is not recommended by any professional medical organization. Tippens himself said that he was not cured by fenbendazole, but by a combination of conventional cancer therapies, including chemotherapy and radiotherapy. fenben cancer treatment