Social media platforms have enabled nonmedical individuals to disseminate medical information and promote alternative treatment methods. This has led to a rise in cancer patients seeking information on fenbendazole, a dog deworming drug sold under the commercial brand Panacur. In February 2023, a veterinarian posted videos on TikTok that claim a lung cancer patient who pursued fenbendazole as his primary treatment was “found to be completely cancer free.” The video has been reposted more than 11,000 times on the platform.
In the original videos, Joe Tippens claims he suffered from cancer and took fenbendazole as his sole treatment method. He states that he was able to rid himself of his cancer after undergoing treatment with the medication for a few months. In the videos, he shows pictures of his tumors before and after taking fenbendazole and also cites scientific research.
While some anthelmintic drugs that are used to treat parasites in animals have been studied as potential anti-cancer treatments, no peer-reviewed studies have found evidence that they could cure cancer in humans. Furthermore, Health Canada lists all fenbendazole products for veterinary use only and does not approve them for human use.
In vitro experiments have shown that fenbendazole has strong antitumor activity when tested on lung cancer cells with a KRAS mutation. Other studies have shown that the benzimidazole class of antiparasitic agents, including fenbendazole, have similar cytotoxic effects against malignant cells when compared to cisplatin, doxorubicin, and vinca alkaloids. fenbendazole cures cancer