Fenben lab fenbendazole is a member of the class of benzimidazoles, an anthelmintic used to treat common helminth infections including ascarids, hookworms, whipworms, and a single species of tapeworm. The class of benzimidazoles has been shown to have promising results in human cancer therapy.
This report describes a case of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in which the patient received information on fenbendazole treatment from social media sources and orally self-administered this medication. This case report highlights the importance of carefully selecting and filtering medical information from social media, avoiding medications not recommended by physicians.
The pharmacokinetics of fenbendazole in white-backed vultures suggest that residues of the drug remain detectable for several days after administration, even at the doses administered to this patient. This residual availability could be a contributing factor to the observed toxicity of this medication in this patient, despite her tumor reduction following fenbendazole administration.
Fenbendazole is an anthelmintic that presents exclusive action, without altering the organic functioning of the host, through binding to b-tubulins. The drug inhibits the synthesis of new microtubules and interferes with cell division, causing apoptosis.
In vitro studies showed that fenbendazole binds to the mitotic spindles of human NSCLC cells and induces cell cycle arrest, inhibiting the progression of the cell from G0 to S phase, thus preventing tumor growth. In vivo experiments using mice bearing human NSCLC, fenbendazole significantly decreased tumor size and vascularity. The combination of fenbendazole and vitamin supplementation further reduced tumor size and vascularity, suggesting that both compounds may work in synergy to inhibit tumor growth.