Dogs and humans alike have suffered from cancer, a terrible disease that claims many lives. While pharmaceutical medicine has made great strides, it’s not close to a cure for the disease yet. This has lead some doctors to explore different medicinal and natural treatments. One such treatment has gained a lot of traction in recent times, as it can be used to treat both dogs and humans. The drug in question is Fenbendazole, a low-cost and safe dewormer.
An anecdotal story about Joe Tippens, an Oklahoma man who claimed that he was cured of advanced lung cancer using a dog dewormer, has gone viral on social media. The video has received millions of views on Facebook and TikTok, despite the fact that the claim is unsubstantiated. While some preclinical studies have found that benzimidazole anthelmintics (the class of drugs to which dog dewormers belong) may be useful in treating human cancer, they are still not approved by the FDA for this purpose.
However, the progress showcased at Penn Vet’s symposium is exciting because it could help researchers to find more effective ways of treating human cancer. In particular, researchers are looking into a genetic mutation called mutated BRAF that is seen in around 85% of dogs with osteosarcoma, a bone cancer that also affects children and large breed dogs. Researchers have discovered that a certain type of immunotherapy can reduce the growth of these tumors in dogs, and they believe it will be successful in humans as well. dog dewormer for cancer