Fenbendazole: Antiworm drug with anticancer potential By Kevin Hughes for Cancer.news
Fenbendazole is a drug used primarily as an antiparasitic for animals. Its main use is to kill worms, such as hookworms, roundworms, tapeworms and whipworms.
But this drug, known under brand names like Panacur and Safe-Guard, has been successfully used to treat different kinds of cancer like pancreatic cancer, prostrate cancer, colorectal cancer, lung cancer, colon cancer, melanoma, lymphoma and glioblastoma.
Fenbendazole was also found to be effective at treating infections caused by Cryptococcus neoformans, an encapsulated fungus that causes meningoencephalitis in immunocompromised hosts. Several studies have hinted that fenbendazole also has anticancer properties. (Related: Moxibustion is an effective alternative cancer treatment, according to study.)
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According to a 2018 article from Nature: “Fenbendazole acts as a moderate microtubule destabilizing agent and causes cancer cell death by modulating multiple cellular pathways. The results, in conjunction with our earlier data, suggest that fenbendazole is a new microtubule interfering agent that displays anti-neoplastic activity and may be evaluated as a potential therapeutic agent because of its effect on multiple cellular pathways leading to effective elimination of cancer cells.”
The authors of the article also cited the potential anticancer mechanisms associated with fenbendazole, including disruption of microtubule function and proteasomal interference. Fenbendazole also worked well as an adjunct therapy to chemotherapy and radiotherapy, as well as metabolic therapies.
Although more commonly used in animals, fenbendazole is well-tolerated by humans. Some people prefer taking it for deworming, and it is used within the 5mg/kg/day to 10mg/kg/day range.
More effective with vitamins
Fenbendazole works effectively in cancer treatments when taken with vitamins. It helps destroy cancer cells by interrupting their sugar uptake, thus helping suppress cancer drug resistance and reducing the size of tumors.
When taken together with vitamin supplements, fenbendazole displays powerful antitumor properties. The vitamins used in the study were vitamins E, B, D, K and A. These essential nutrients are well-known for their antioxidant properties.
Vitamin E has potent anti-metastatic and antitumor effects as shown in animal studies. The primary purpose of this vitamin is to restrain the tumor. The same research showed that consuming plenty of vitamin B and dietary folate can successfully reduce colorectal cancer in women.
Although the drug alone doesn’t have the same valuable properties, it is promising and effective when combined with vitamins.
Fenbendazole is known to be effective against various kinds of cancer cells. The primary reason is the size of the tumor and the drug blocks the glucose in the cancer cells, depriving them of their main source of fuel – sugar.
The results of treatments for reducing tumor volume in mice also showed that a combination of fenbendazole and vitamins had far more important results compared to the rest of the groups. This also proves that a diet with vitamins and fenbendazole can be effective in reducing tumor size.
Fenbendazole also works in an identical way to colchicine, which is a known destabilizing agent.
Since cancer cells utilize sugar as their primary source of fuel, researchers tested the fenbendazole drug to know whether it will affect the sugar uptake. When it is combined with vitamins, the drug displayed positive results. Fenbendazole also interferes with glucose metabolism, making it effective for cancer therapy.
Although the drug is often ignored because it is used on animals, fenbendazole is a safe drug with little side effects on humans. It is important to make the most of its benefits by repurposing this drug for cancer treatment and making it cost-effective.
