Fenbendazole: How to respond when people recommend unproven treatment?

@stew80, fenbendazole is an antiparasitic drug used in veterinary medicine to treat animal gastrointestinal parasites. There are many stories circulating on social media about using it to treat cancer because preliminary research is investigating the use of fenbendazole in cancer. See this sober and helpful comment in the pancreatic cancer group https://connect.mayoclinic.org/comment/1186515/

The use of fenbendazole for cancer (or the human equivalent biosimilar drug mebendazole) is still experimental, and more studies are needed to determine its success and safety in humans.

You can read more here:
- Can Antiparasitic Drug Fenbendazole Treat Pancreatic Cancer? https://www.healthline.com/health/pancreatic-cancer/fenbendazole-for-pancreatic-cancer

- Severe Drug-Induced Liver Injury Due to Self-administration of the Veterinary Anthelmintic Medication, Fenbendazole https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38706451/

@stew80, it can be challenging when well-meaning friends suggest this or that cure or even pressure us to look into a treatment that has not been proven. I'm sure they mean to help. How do you let them know that you appreciate their kindness and concern, but not chase unproven and potentially harmful treatments?

It's also my understanding that the types of cancers that this is "effective" against don't include prostate cancer.

We all want the easiest path in this disease and grasp on by our fingernails to whatever comes along, even if it's rumor or just barely announced, to avoid the downsides but those shortcuts can cost us our lives or our quality of life.

Social media, this forum and our friends are absolutely NO replacement for getting multiple opinions from multiple doctors - including certified doctors at cancer centers of excellence that have experience with fenbendazole and can speak intelligently about it.

I agree with all the responses. I politely said thank you for the info and said I would go with the proven treatments despite the nasty side effects of some.

Concur with all. Very dangerous to go outside medical professionals.

I will answer my experience. In Dec 2020 my wife was diagnosed with a GBM. They gave her 6-10 months to live. I was devastated. She was 67 and healthy with no other issues. My immediate thought was I had to do everything in my power to give her more time. I ran across the Joe Tippins protocol and immediately started the fenben. My wife was on it almost 4 years until her death. We also had 5 surgeries, chemo, radiation, a chemo drug, and she went through an ultrasound trial. The GBM very seldom loses. A couple of points. I was willing to try anything with a terminal diagnosis. While my wife did not experience any other side effects, it also did not stop the cancer. By stopping any other side effects I mean nothing visible. She had so many side effects including a septic infection that were all contributed to her other drugs. She had the best Dr's available at Barrow Neurological center in Phoenix. My conclusion is while I think some of these drugs or supplements might have some benefit for a percentage of the population, they have not been proven to be effective and may in fact be detrimental to a certain portion of the population. I felt I had nothing to lose. Prostate cancer is not that disease. The only thing I can say for sure is she did not die from parasites.

Hey Tucker, So sorry your poor wife - and you - had to cross paths with GBM. I’ve seen firsthand how unrelenting this disease is; my best friend lost his 35 yr old son to it in 18 mos. They caught it so early all the docs were very hopeful for a good outcome; but the f***er came back in less than 3 months. The poor kid had 5 brain surgeries, 3 different rounds of chemo, nonstop radiation at 3 or 4 of the top brain cancer centers in the US. He suffered terribly right to the end so I can imagine your pain and grief at watching that unfold.
But like you, my friend would have tried everything and they tried no sugar diets, mushrooms, you name it…
I think you did what I would have done in your shoes. Follow all the recommended medical advice and treatment and add a little something extra that’s not mainstream.
You lose nothing by trying and might - just might - stumble across something that does some good in the long run.
BTW, my friend is now a big supporter of the Mussella Foundation which raises funds and consciousness about this deadly disease. Best
Phil

Thanks Phil. My prostate cancer which started in jan2020 has seemed pale compared to going through what my wife or many others have experienced. Keep up the fight.

Follow the science.

Tucker, My friend’s son and I were operated on about 3 weeks apart. The first time I saw him he had a big smile on his face and asked me how I was doing.
I was momentarily stunned because the entire left side of his head was shaved and still had the sutures in place. “Me?” I asked all choked up.
I could only nod my head because if I tried to speak I would have wept. Here’s this poor kid with the absolute worst prognosis asking ME - a guy with a non life threatening issue - if I’m doing OK…
That’s the moment “Poor Me” turned into “Lucky Me”. Yes, even a worse case of PCa pales in comparison to the terrible cancer they had, and this is the yardstick I use whenever I feel low or depressed. Be well
Phil

Any kid that sick tears me up almost instantly. To each person, their cancer is the worst cancer, but now that I'm on the other side of it I can look back and say "wow, that could have been a lot worse" and I know it could have been - but even at it's worse it's better than a lot of other cancers out there.