Ivermectin for Prostate Cancer? (Being studied)

In reply to @colleenyoung; @dannos and @tvz -- I have had several prostate cancer cells with Gleason ratings from 6 to 9 and the cancer cells were defined as very aggressive. I have had 25 sessions of Proton radiation and am about to finish my first full year of ADT drugs. The good news is my PSA is 0.1. I have been doing a lot of research on Ivermectin. If you dig deep enough into the internet you will find, as Colleen has mentioned, several studies showing Ivermectin has had very positive results in killing cancer cells. Several websites provide Ivermectin pills designed for human consumption but only use pills intended for humans. I do not believe the FDA will ever approve the human use of Ivermectin, particularly since they lost a suit brought by doctors earlier this year and there is not enough money for corporate pharmaceuticals to pursue. My suggestion is to follow the medical advice until the ADT drugs get unbearable and then consider Ivermeticn . That is my plan.

Please be careful.

Only a small minority of early studies have results that are reproduceable, and only a tiny minority of those develop into useful treatments. A successful study just tells us "this is worth investigating more, " not "this actually works."

No one is suppressing anything. If Ivermectin did end up showing promise, a pharma company could patent a specific formulation (possibly combined with something else) that was proven to work, so there would still be money there. And the university researcher who found it would win fame and huge research grants.

Despite all those incentives, there's just not enough evidence for Ivermectin yet, contrary to what YouTube influencers and talk radio chatterboxes want us to think (they care only about attracting an audience, not about any harm they might do).

@jjensen155, you're right. Ivermectin is available as a prescription for use in humans. Here's more detail from Mayo Clinic https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/ivermectin-oral-route/description/drg-20064397
"Ivermectin is used to treat river blindness (onchocerciasis), intestinal infection from threadworms (strongyloidiasis), and other kinds of worm infections.
Ivermectin is an anthelmintic. It works by interfering with the nerve and muscle functions of worms, by paralyzing and killing them.
This medicine is available only with your doctor's prescription.
This product is available in the following dosage forms: Tablet"

While pre-clinical trials show promise, the use of ivermectin alone for cancer control in humans has not yet shown to be effective in cancer patients. Researchers are actively studying the use of ivermectin in combination with other drugs. Let's hope by the time you need the next treatment, there will be positive evidence to support its use.

My MO will use docetaxel/ pluvicto via chemo therapy long before using Ivermectin. Good luck with an untried plan. I ve been on ADT - 15 months.

Welcome to the forum and the club that no one wants to be a member of. We’re here to help you.

I am on my second bout of prostate cancer. Stage 3 locally metastatic, Gleason 9. My first go-around was Stage 1 Gleason 6. The last thing you want to do is undertreat your disease or go with experimental unproven treatments that won’t cure you. I did that the first time around and I can’t tell you how much I regret that because it could have cost me my life.

Proton treatment may or may not be a good choice depending on your diagnosis. How about sharing some information so forum members can help inform you?

What was your Gleason score?
Did you have an MRI? What PI-RADS score did you have?
What kind of biopsy did you have?
12 core random? Or MRI guided Fusion biopsy?
Where are you considering getting treated?
Has anyone in your family had a history of breast, cancer, ovarian, cancer, or prostate cancer?

Talk to us!

So, you say... I’ve heard Ivermectin has potential to slow growth of cancer cells..."

Let me know when you have research data to support the anecdotal evidence "I've heard..."

Anecdotal Evidence - information that has been observed by the person reporting but not verified. Be skeptical of anecdotal evidence such as personal stories. It is not scientifically reliable. Focus on information supported by scientific evidence and clinical studies. The quality levels of evidence from highest to lowest for medical data are:

Systematic reviews: collect and evaluate all available data/evidence within the researchers’ criteria. An example is the “Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews”. Meta studies are a systematic review.
Randomized controlled trials: participants are randomly assigned to experimental and control arms. The double-blind trial is the gold-standard of medical research where neither the participants nor the researchers know the placebo or medication/treatment is given. This is to prevent bias and to ensure the validity and reliability of the study.

Cohort observational study: participants with common traits or exposure to the proposed medications or treatments are followed over a long period of time.

Case study or report: a detailed report of result after treatment of an individual. This is formalized and reviewed anecdotal evidence.

Phases of medical trial studies cited by published medical papers:

Pre-clinical studies: laboratory experiments using cell cultures, animal or computer models. In vitro means tested In Vitro – literally ‘in glass’ means testing outside a living organism, in a test tube or petri dish, In Vivo – literally in life -means testing in a living organism, often mice. Then studies move on to humans…

Phase I trials: assess safety, dosage and side effects of the proposed medications or treatment.

Phase II trials: expand P 1 to evaluate efficacy of the proposed medications or treatment – how well it works..

Phase III trials: confirm efficacy, safety, dosage and to evaluate side effects of the proposed medications or treatment in much larger samples. This is often where randomized blind and double blind design is used. Blind means the patient does not know what they are getting; double blind means neither the patient nor the clinician know what is being dosed.

Phase IV trials: monitor long term effectiveness and safety of the medication or treatment.

Some terms regarding statistical data cited in medical journals are explained as follows:
N = number of participants: be wary of studies with a very low N.
HR = hazard ratio: HR=1 – there is no change in the proposed medication/treatment compared to control baseline. HR< 1 – there is a reduction of risks with the proposed medication/treatment. HR>1 – there is an increase risk with the proposed medication/treatment.
CI = Confidence Interval: A trial shows that a particular drug has a 20% effect within a certain time frame with 95% CI. This shows that the study, if repeated many times, it will be 95% confident that the 20% reduction will be consistently observed.
P-value = Probability Value: This measures how strong the evidence is that the hypothesis, or effect being tested, is correct, rather than the result being random, or incorrect (null hypothesis). We seek a P-value that is < =0.05 meaning that there is a 95% or better likelihood the result is attributable to what is being tested..

Brilliant post, @kujhawk1978, defining the stages of research.

I have a friend who was recently diagnosed with cancer. They are taking Ivermectin. They have stage 4 and as they put it , what do I have to lose !? Use the tools that are available. Let’s face it, big Pharma isn’t going to promote it.
Many Functional Drs are using it.

@chamblee54, I get your friend's point. Some people feel desparate times warrant desparate actions. But it may not be necessary.

I don't know what type of cancer they have or how long they've had stage 4 and their health status. But I do know that patients live many years successfully with well-studied, proven treatments. There is life and living to be done with stage 4. Untested, off-label medications may have unwanted consequences. I hope your friend shares their experimentation with their oncologist.

" They have stage 4 and as they put it , what do I have to lose !?"

Please. I have stage 4 cancer, and I believe I have a *lot* to lose. That's why I'm taking genuinely researched and approved treatments, which have done a great job keeping me alive and healthy over the past three years, and I expect will continue to do so for many years to come. We are fortune to have so many excellent treatment options now.