Fenbendazole is a broad-spectrum anthelmintic drug that has been used for many years to treat and prevent intestinal parasites in dogs. Recently, it has also been reported to have antitumor effects in various animal models, including in vitro and in vivo studies. [1] In a case report, a patient with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was diagnosed and treated with fenbendazole capsules. She had received information on the medication from social media sites, which led her to purchase and orally self-administer it.
In order to examine the influence of social media on patients, we conducted focus group interviews with 21 cancer patients who were informed about fenbendazole from a variety of channels. The participants were in stage 1 to 4 of the disease and their ages ranged from 56 to 75. They discussed their perceptions of the acquisition channel, quality of information, and attitude toward fenbendazole.
The results showed that the majority of the interviewees had acquired the information about fenbendazole from TV and acquaintances. A minority of them obtained it from the Internet or YouTube, and other sources such as a newspaper or a book. Moreover, a significant percentage of the interviewees had heard about fenbendazole from friends, family members, or acquaintances in nursing homes.
Fenbendazole blocks microtubulin dimer polymerization and induces the formation of abnormal spindles to cause cell death in parasites, such as malaria-causing Plasmodium. In addition, it exhibits anti-cancer effects in both 5-FU-sensitive and resistant colorectal cancer cells by activating p53-p21 pathways. It triggers apoptosis and inhibits cell cycle progression in cells with a KRAS mutation through caspase-3-dependent and -independent pathways. fenbendazole capsules
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