Benzimidazoles, including albendazole and metronidazole, inhibit the growth of tumor cells and reduce multidrug resistance in cancer cells. Recently, fenbendazole, an antiparasitic medication commonly sold as a dog dewormer called Pancur, has been reported to have antitumor effects in humans and is being used by patients with advanced nonsmall cell lung cancer as part of a self-administered protocol known as the Joe Tippens Protocol.
We report the first case of a patient with advanced NSCLC who received information about the antitumor effect of fenbendazole via social media and self-administered the drug without physician supervision. This case highlights the need for physicians to inquire about patients' self-administration of orally ingested medications and for them to be aware that not all medical information on social media is valid.
Fenbendazole appears to inhibit the growth of cancer cells by blocking the synthesis of fatty acids and pyruvate, which fuels uncontrolled cell proliferation. It also restricts the Warburg effect of aerobic glycolysis by reducing glucose transporters and hexokinase 2, starving cells of division-enabling sugars. In addition, fenbendazole triggers apoptosis by activating the tumor suppressor p53 gene, which is deactivated in most human cancers. Moreover, fenbendazole induces autophagy by upregulating Beclin-1 and LC3I expression and promotes ferroptosis in SNU-C5 and SNU-C5/5-FUR colorectal cancer cells through downregulation of SLC7A11 and GPX4. In contrast to 5-fluorouracil, fenbendazole triggers both mitochondrial injury and caspase-3-dependent apoptosis in 5-fluorouracil-resistant SNU-C5/5-FUR cells. These results suggest that fenbendazole could be a viable alternative treatment for resistant CRC.fenben for humans