Mebendazole Cancer Success Stories 2024
What is Mebendazole?
Mebendazole is part of a larger group of drugs known as benzimidazole*, which are anthelmintic drugs (i.e., drugs that kill parasitic worms). Another benzimidazole is mebendazole, which can be prescribed to humans with certain gut infections, including threadworms, whipworms, hookworms, and roundworms.
*The class of drugs known as benzimidazoles includes fenbendazole, mebendazole, albendazole and flubendazole.
Mebendazole (MBZ; 5-benzoyl-1H-benzimidazol-2-ylcarbamate) first described in 1968, was initially recognized as a broad-spectrum anthelmintic agent and was applied to humans in 1971 (JAMA 1971).
Fast forward two decades, and the focus on anthelmintics shifted towards their potential anticancer properties, primarily due to their interactions with microtubules (Cancers 2019).
MBZ has been shown to potentially suppress tumor growth in various cancer cell lines and animal models through the inhibition of microtubule polymerization, a process that, when interrupted, can lead to the death of rapidly dividing cells. Significantly, the anticancer effects of MBZ extend to inhibiting the invasion and metastasis of malignant tumors.
MBZ has also been found to restrict the migratory and invasive tendencies of glioblastoma cells, and concurrently modulate pivotal markers in the EMT, suggesting a potential role for MBZ in mitigating glioblastoma metastasis.
In oral squamous cell carcinoma, MBZ was found to downregulate specific proteins and enzymes, including FAK, Rho-A, and Rac1 GTPase.
Anecdotal evidence from two case reports (refractory metastatic colon cancer, metastatic adrenocortical carcinoma) has further supported the possibility of MBZ being repurposed as an anticancer drug by documenting its success in managing metastatic patients.
Fenbendazole vs. Mebendazole
Fenbendazole and mebendazole are similar in that they both eliminate parasitic worms, but there is a difference. Mebendazole is approved for human consumption by the FDA, while fenbendazole is only approved for veterinary use and has not been approved for human use.
Mebendazole is the form that is approved for human use while fenbendazole is approved for veterinary use. The main difference is the cost. Mebendazole is expensive ~$450 per pill (two pills of mebendazole cost just $4 in the UK.), while fenbendazole is inexpensive ~48 cents per 222 mg free powder dose (Williams, 2019). Albendazole is the form used to treat intestinal parasites in India and these cost 2 cents per pill.
While most of the pre-clinical research uses mebendazole, probably because it is the FDA-approved-for-humans form of fenbendazole, virtually most of the self-treating clinical reports involve the use of fenbendazole.
While fenbendazole for human cancer has gained more popularity with some interesting fenbendazole cancer success stories, some research suggests mebendazole might be more effective for treating different types of tumors. For example, research studies have shown that mebendazole could be more effective for brain, prostate, and ovarian cancers.
Clinical Trials
There are more than 10 studies for mebendazole for cancer in ClinicalTrials.gov but only one for fenbendazole for cancer.
Mebendazole and Triple Negative Breast Cancer Brain Spread
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive breast cancer subtype that metastasizes to the central nervous system (CNS) in up to 50% of affected patients Once disseminated to CNS, TNBC carries poor prognosis, with limited treatment options, and a median survival of only 5 months. Among breast cancer subtypes, TNBC accounts for the shortest time between primary diagnosis and CNS (central nervous system) spread.
In 2024, a group of Stanford researchers led by Rodrigues et al, published an impressive pre-clinical study on the cousin of Fenbendazole - Mebendazole*.
Mebendazole was developed in the 1960s to treat a range of gastrointestinal helminth infections, and it is still one of the most commonly used medications in the world
"its relatively small size and lipophilic properties render it an appropriate agent to be repurposed for CNS pathologies"
In this study, Mebendazole had a notable effect on the growth of TNBC tumors, which was dose dependent.
Compared to the control, Mebendazole treatment significantly extended survival in the TNBC model. Histological examination of brain sections revealed that Mebendazole effectively reduced metastatic dissemination in the TNBC model, with a significant effect on single cell and small metastasis populations.
Mebendazole for Thyroid Cancer: 2020 paper by Johns Hopkins Researchers
In a 2020 paper by Johns Hopkins researchers led by Tara Williamson, Mebendazole halted Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer and shrunk Papillary thyroid tumors.
For those of you who know, Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer is one of the most aggressive cancers that exist.
For those of you who know, Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer is one of the most aggressive cancers that exist.
"The purpose of this study was to determine if mebendazole could be repurposed to effectively treat thyroid cancer, in particular before metastasis."
"In vitro, mebendazole potently inhibited the growth of a panel of human papillary and anaplastic thyroid cancer cells"
"In aggressive anaplastic thyroid cancer cells, mebendazole significantly repressed migratory and invasive potential"
"In vivo, mebendazole treatment resulted in significant papillary thyroid tumor regression and growth arrest of anaplastic tumors, with treated tumors displaying reduced expression of the proliferation marker Ki67 and less vascular epithelium"
"Most importantly, daily oral mebendazole prevented established thyroid tumors from metastasizing to the lung"
"Given the low toxicity, this novel preclinical study of mebendazole has promising therapeutic implications for patients with treatment refractory papillary or anaplastic thyroid cancer."
Fenbendazole vs Mebendazole in Pancreatic Cancer, Colon Cancer and Paragangliomas
According to a 2021 Italian Study:
“Intriguingly, the repurposing of non-antitumor drugs to be exploited in cancer therapy represents a valuable and an alternative strategy, since candidate agents have well documented pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic features, together with good safety profiles, which may speed up their approval and implementation in the clinics”
In this study, we explored the effects of a large series of benzimidazole-based anthelmintics on the viability of different tumor cell lines derived from paraganglioma, pancreatic and colorectal cancer. Flubendazole, parbendazole, oxibendazole, mebendazole, albendazole and fenbendazole showed the most consistent antiproliferative effects.
“Notably, for the two derivatives fenbendazole and mebendazole, target prediction analysis pointed out a few cancer-related molecular targets having very high probability scores, thus suggesting polypharmacological profiles of these drugs.”
According to Dr William Makis, a Canadian oncologist:
VERDICT: Fenbendazole has superior cancer killing at higher doses for pancreatic cancer, colorectal cancer and paragangliomas (compared to Mebendazole and Albendazole).
Fenbendazole vs Mebendazole in Pancreatic Cancer
FENBENDAZOLE vs MEBENDAZOLE in Pancreatic Cancer - which is better? Obscure Italian study gives the answer in the battle of the anti-parasitics It's the question everyone is asking.According to Dr William Makis:
Repurposed anti-parasitics are now being used successfully to treat Stage 4 Cancers and Turbo Cancers. The most popular repurposed anti-parasitics are: Ivermectin, Fenbendazole and Mebendazole! I have developed High Dose Protocols to use these successfully, in situations where conventional Oncology has utterly failed. So which is better? Fenbendazole? Or its sister compound, FDA approved and much more expensive Mebendazole? An Italian team tested them head to head and got a surprising answer. Their published results are very difficult to find.
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| Florio et al. Cancers 2019 |
Mebendazole vs Fenbendazole in treatment of Glioblastoma Brain Cancer
According to this 2011 study from Oxford:
There is a need to broaden the available treatments for GBM by introducing new therapeutic agents. One possible means to expedite initiation of GBM clinical trials is to examine previously established drugs with known track records of safety in humans, regardless of their intended use...
We accidentally found that fenbendazole, a benzimidazole, reduced brain tumor engraftment in nude mice after the mouse colony was treated for pinworms. Fenbendazole was previously reported to interfere with one lymphoma model in 2008, after we had already noted problems with fenbendazole disrupting brain tumor engraftment"
We pursued this finding by evaluating whether the 2 most widely used human approved benzimidazoles showed efficacy against glioblastoma models...Subsequent in vitro and in vivo experiments with benzimidazoles identified mebendazole as the more promising drug for Glioblastoma therapy...
Mebendazole disrupted microtubule formation in GBM cells...We showed that mebendazole significantly extended mean survival up to 63% in mouse glioma models...Our findings indicate that mebendazole is a possible novel anti-brain tumor therapeutic that could be further tested in clinical trials.
Fenbendazole is an anti-parasitic drug that increases p53 tumor suppressor levels and blocks glucose utilization by cancer cells. When Joe Tippens got a tip on how to treat his Stage 4 Small Cell Lung Cancer, this was the study that his friend told him about, which helped him cure his Stage 4 Cancer. (source)
We have described two papers (mentioned above) that tested Fenbendazole head to head with Mebendazole.
Although the two anti-parasitics are very similar in efficacy at higher doses, Mebendazole has superior brain cancer cell killing at lower loses compared to Fenbendazole. So for Glioblastoma, it’s Mebendazole if you can get it. Otherwise, you can't go wrong with Fenbendazole. It's still almost as good. (source)
Mebendazole vs Fenbendazole in Osteosarcoma
According to a Master's Degree Thesis by Joanna Schmit (2013):
"The high morbidity and mortality of osteosarcoma despite standard therapy warrants the need to investigate new treatment options"
“Benzimidazole (BZ) drugs are used routinely as effective anti-parasitics in both human and veterinary medicine. Their safety is well-established and side effects are minimal”
"Our findings demonstrate that the clinically used veterinary BZs (Albendazole ABZ, Fenbendazole FBZ, and Mebendazole MBZ) possess anti-neoplastic activity in an Osteosarcoma cell line."
"In addition to direct effects on tubulin polymerization, cell cycle, proliferation, and cytotoxicity, BZs demonstrate indirect activity through modulation of a key pro-angiogenic cytokine."
"Overall Mebendazole shows superior inhibition of proliferation, apoptosis, and inhibition of VEGF secretion. When it comes to OSTEOSARCOMA, Mebendazole is preferred over Fenbendazole. Where the difference was most noticeable, was in inhibiting VEGF secretion - which doesn't allow the cancer to establish new blood vessels to grow."
Disclaimers:
- Please do not consider this guide as personal medical advice, but as a recommendation for use by professional providers. Consult with your doctor and discuss with her/him.
- Our aim here isn't to replace your doctors' advice. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information. Do take note that most treatments are not 100% protective or curative against cancer. It's a continuous struggle between the immune system and the cancer cells. Cancer treatments are meant to assist the immune system in this battle.
- Cancer treatment should be part of a multi-modal approach in order to provide the best possible outcome. Diet and lifestyle changes are meant to run alongside conventional treatment. They are complementary, not alternative. That said, there is no miracle diet or treatment that can cure all cancers.
Read More: This article is part of the Winning the War on Cancer series.
Mebendazole vs Fenbendazole for Cancer
What are the Best Cancer Fighting Foods
Repurposed Drugs for Cancer: What You Need to Know
CAR-T vs CAR-NK - The Cancer Cell Therapy Showdown
Fenbendazole: One Packet a Day
Fenbendazole 222 mg (1 gm of Panacur™) per day every day. It can be mixed with food such as yogurt or simply taken by itself.
It is advised to purchase Panacur C (powder) brand only, as Panacur is regulated and has been consistent in third-party lab results.
* Please take note that the Panacur C on Amazon is available in three sizes (1 gram, 2 grams and 4 grams) of single dose packets.
Do not follow the weight-dependent dosing (for dogs) that is given on the back of the packaging!
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