Cancer cells grow uncontrollably in a particular part of the body and form a tumor. These cells can then break off and travel to the rest of the body via the bloodstream or lymphatic system. Once they reach other parts of the body, the cancer can cause metastasis. Stage 4 cancer is considered advanced or metastatic.
A cancer patient with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who self-administered fenbendazole, an anthelmintic primarily used to treat parasitic infections in dogs, based on social media reports that it is effective against cancer experienced severe liver injury. The purpose of this study was to examine the factors affecting patients’ acquisition of false and general cancer information.
The fenbendazole controversy originated with the Joe Tippens story, in which an American cancer patient who was diagnosed with terminal stage 4 NSCLC claimed that he treated his cancer with a combination of fenbendazole and other supplements such as milk thistle and curcumin. The claim gained widespread attention in South Korea, resulting in a massive increase in the demand for fenbendazole.
This drug belongs to the benzimidazole family of compounds and has broad antiparasitic activity in animals by binding to b-tubulin microtubules and disrupting their polymerization. Moreover, it has been reported that this anthelmintic drug has antitumor effects in vitro by inhibiting the formation of mitotic spindles, the structures that are involved in cell division. These results suggest that fenbendazole may have potential as an antitumor agent in humans, but further research is needed. fenbendazole stage 4 cancer