Fenbendazole is a benzimidazole that is used to treat several parasitic infections in humans and many other animal species, including pinworms, giardia, roundworms, hookworms and Taenia solium. It exerts polymerization inhibitory effects on tubulin microtubules, which are important structural components of cells and provide support for cytoskeletal structures. Fenbendazole can also inhibit the synthesis of cellular proteins, leading to cell death [1]. Because these properties of fenbendazole overlap with those of several cytotoxic anticancer drugs, notably the vinca alkaloids and the taxanes, fenbendazole has been suggested as a possible agent for cancer treatment.
Information on the use of fenbendazole for the treatment of cancer has been widely disseminated through social media such as Facebook and Twitter. This has led to a number of cases where patients with various types of cancer have taken fenbendazole, often in combination with conventional treatments, and experienced remission of their disease.
While drug studies in cells and mice can look promising, there is a real risk that patients will misinterpret these results and try to treat themselves using unproven therapies. This is a particularly serious issue when individuals obtain their medical advice from social media, where it is easy for nonmedical users to spread complex and misleading health information.
Full Fact has investigated the claim that fenbendazole can cure cancer and found that there is no evidence that it is effective in humans. We have looked at a range of studies, including some published in the peer-reviewed scientific literature, and spoke to a specialist cancer information nurse who said that there is insufficient evidence to show whether fenbendazole can cure people with cancer. fenbendazole for cancer