I hear so much about ivermectin and tumor growth: What's true?

@lizzaik, there's a lot of information as well as misinformation circulating about ivermectin and its use as a treatment for cancer. it is not used as a treatment to prevent tumor growth or recurrence of bladder cancer.

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. (https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/ivermectin-oral-route/description/drg-20064397)

Researchers are studying Ivermectin to see if it may be used as an anti-cancer drug and early studies show promise. Please note that this research is in the early stages (mice studies) and has not yet been tested in human trials. Ivermectin is not a proven standard treatment for cancer.

Ivermectin combined with other chemotherapy drugs or targeted drugs is being studied in early clinical trials and shows promise in patients for whom conventional chemotherapy has not worked in some cancer types. It may be effective against drug-resistant cancer cells.

Ivermectin and other dewormers (anthelmintic) like fenbendazole can cause irreparable liver damage.
- Liver damage from Fenbendazole https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38706451/

Please talk to your doctor before self administering ivermectin. It may do more harm than good.

Here's additional information that Mayo Clinic experts would like you to know:
- Mayo Clinic on use of ivermectin or other dewormers to treat cancer https://connect.mayoclinic.org/blog/about-connect/newsfeed-post/mayo-clinic-on-use-of-ivermectin-or-other-dewormers-to-treat-cancer/

Important
It is NOT safe to take ivermectin used in veterinary medicine. Please talk to your doctor before taking any over-the-counter medications or supplements that claim to fight or cure cancer.

@colleenyoung Thanks 🙏
Very detailed explanation and highly appreciated

From personal experience there are many people out there preying on cancer patients who are desperate. Through online advertising, articles and especially Facebook groups.

As outlined above there is currently no clinical trials-based evidence that confirms any benefit. To the contrary it can cause severe organ damage.

The same applies to fenbendazole.

All that exists are, non independently corroborated, self-reported case reports or hear say.

Just curious here, but has anyone tried or had success with Ivermectin-Mebendaole treatment for stage 1 bladder cancer?

@squilliam60 I am a veterinarian and used Ivermectin for many years on my patients. It is used to control parasites and has potential for dose related side effects in all the animals it is approved for. It would not be safe to experiment with this drug as a potential cancer treatment because of someone's anecdotal experience. Stick with the drugs that are known to work for bladder cancer. My husband has and is clear of cancer now.

@sepdvm ok and ty for your candid reply. It was really only a thought, but I also had to have open heart surgery and it’s delaying and bladder cancer treatment as my open heart surgery was extensive. Again, ty!

@squilliam60, I can understand that you want to DO something about the bladder cancer as you recover from heart surgery. I get that.

As @sepdvm says, you don't want to experiment with untested drugs that potentially could harm your liver and delay cancer treatment even further. The mentions of ivermectin and other dewormers on social media or from well-meaning friends and family may lead people to think that these drugs are harmless or holistic alternative therapies. They are not.

Here are a couple of helpful articles, correcting the mis- and dis-information spread on the internet and social media:
- Separating fact from fiction: repurposed drugs in cancer treatment https://www.anticancerfund.org/en/blog/separating-fact-fiction-repurposed-drugs-cancer-treatment
- Mayo Clinic on use of ivermectin or other dewormers to treat cancer https://connect.mayoclinic.org/blog/about-connect/newsfeed-post/mayo-clinic-on-use-of-ivermectin-or-other-dewormers-to-treat-cancer/

So, what can you do to prepare for bladder cancer treatment as you recover from open heart surgery?
- eat well
- don't smoke
- get stronger with activity and rehab as your body allows
- reduce stress (easier said than done. I know.)

Has your cardio team suggested cardio rehab or working with a physical therapist? Or is it too early for that yet?

@colleenyoung Ty for the information. I just sit and think of something Yes… I can do, was only a thought. I have visiting nurses come twice a week, PT I’m told is supposed to be calling but as of yet nothing. Nurse today said she’s going to look into this. I’m recovering from heart surgery it’s just a very slow go thing. I’m told now 8-12 weeks recovery because of my surgery being so extensive. But they are also ok with me having a 2nd Turbt at 4 weeks provided I’m doing ok.