Can a Dog Dewormer Cure Cancer?

A dewormer used for dogs is reportedly effective against some cancers. However, this has not been validated in a clinical trial.

A number of anecdotal stories claiming that a dog dewormer cures cancer have gained popularity on social media, most notably on TikTok and Facebook. The drug in question is fenbendazole, which is sold under the commercial names Safe Guard, Pro Sense, and Panacur. It is used to treat roundworm, hookworm, whipworm and parasitic worm infections by cutting off their supply of nutrients. It works by blocking tubulin, a protein that forms the parasite’s micro-skeleton and acts as a highway for transporting nutrients within the cell. This results in the worm starving to death. It has also been shown to work against some cancers by causing them to collapse in on themselves.

According to one video, a veterinarian named Andrew Jones from British Columbia made a claim that fenbendazole cured his patient’s lung cancer. The video has received more than 11,000 views on TikTok and 60,000+ on Facebook as of April 9.

The claim is false, as fenbendazole is not an approved anticancer treatment for humans. While a handful of peer-reviewed studies suggest it may have potential, these findings need to be validated in further human clinical trials. Additionally, patients that self-administer veterinary drugs as anticancer treatments risk altering the outcome of their clinical trial. This can result in huge economic and time losses for both the patient and the research team. dewormer for cancer