Fenbendazole is a broad-spectrum benzimidazole compound that is widely used as an antiparasitic agent for gastrointestinal parasites such as pinworms, giardia, roundworms, hookworms and Taenia solium in animal species [1]. Febendazole exerts anthelmintic effects by binding to the b-tubulin microtubule polymerization inhibitory sites of tubulin, which makes up the cytoskeleton of cells. In vitro, fenbendazole induces cell death by multiple mechanisms, including inhibition of cell growth, disruption of the microtubule network, and activation of p53-dependent and p21-independent apoptosis and ferroptosis [2].
Recently, social media videos claiming that fenbendazole (commercially available as a dog deworming drug) cures cancer have become popular in the TikTok and Facebook platforms. While preclinical studies of fenbendazole show that it may slow cancer growth in cell cultures and mice, there is no evidence from randomized clinical trials that fenbendazole can effectively treat advanced human cancers.
This article describes the case of a patient with stage IV nonsmall cell lung cancer who suffered severe liver injury from self-administration of fenbendazole, which she obtained on social media. She was taking oral fenbendazole based on information on social media sites that claimed it could cure cancer, even though she had a known history of progressive cancer progression and elevated carcinoembryonic acid (CEA) levels. In addition to the liver injury, the fenbendazole was associated with other adverse events and her tumors did not shrink. The author argues that physicians should be vigilant and enquire about patients’ self-administration of drugs, especially those with potential serious adverse reactions.fenbendazole for cancer