Fenbendazole (FZ) is an animal anthelmintic medication that was developed to treat parasitic infections and worms. However, it also has demonstrated unexpected cancer fighting properties in several lab studies. We are now learning more about the mechanism of action, which is a very promising approach to cancer treatment.
The drug may activate the p53 gene inside cancer cells and prompt them to undergo ferroptosis, which is a type of cell suicide that destroys all the mitochondria within the cells. This would make cancer cells very susceptible to any oxidative stress, which can cause them to die off quickly and stop further tumor growth.
Another advantage of fenbendazole is that it has a very low risk of adverse effects when given to humans in single doses up to 2000 mg per person over ten days. In fact, a European Medicine Agency study found that even when used at high doses, it did not produce serious side effects.
Interestingly, it is reported that fenbendazole may also have a protective effect against hypoxia, an extremely stressful environment for cancer cells. Hypoxia is a common cellular phenomenon that occurs in the context of advanced or metastasized cancers, and can result in impaired oxidative stress responses that are known to trigger p53 reactivation and ferroptosis.
Despite the promising research findings, it is still not safe to self-administer this medication for human cancer. Recently, a patient with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was treated with the established immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab and developed liver dysfunction 9 months later after self-administering fenbendazole based on information on social media. This is why we advise patients to work with an integrative healthcare professional that can review a patient’s medical history and current medications, laboratory reports, and treatment plans to ensure the best protocol is put in place. fenbendazole for humans