Fenbendazole is a dog deworming medication that has gained traction on social media as an “alternative cancer treatment”. A number of posts have been made online by people claiming they were cured of their cancer by taking this drug. These claims are based on the anecdotal story of Joe Tippens, a US man with lung cancer who said he went into remission after taking fenbendazole and other supplements.
But there is no evidence that fenbendazole cures cancer. There have been no peer-reviewed studies into whether it is effective or safe in humans. The only evidence available is from research into the drug’s effects in animals and in laboratory tests.
In one lab study, fenbendazole was shown to kill cancer cells by cutting off their supply of nutrients. It works by binding to tubulin, which is the skeleton of the cell’s inner workings and also a highway for transporting substances. By preventing tubulin from building, the drug starves the cancer cells to death.
However, there is no evidence that fenbendazole has the same effect in people. A specialist cancer information nurse at Cancer Research UK told Full Fact that the evidence available suggests there is no reason to believe fenbendazole would be able to treat human cancer. fenbendazole cures cancer