A Dog Dewormer For Cancer Could Be the Next Big Breakthrough in Canine Health
If you’re a dog owner, you know that cancer is a leading cause of death in our beloved pets. The good news is that advances in preventative pet care and improved diagnostics have helped lower cancer rates, but there’s still a lot of work to be done when it comes to finding effective treatments. That’s why it’s important to support the researchers working to find the next big breakthroughs in canine health.
The research showcased at the inaugural Penn Vet Cancer Center Symposium is one example of the innovative approaches being taken to save dogs from cancer. The groundbreaking treatment combines a common dog dewormer with other immune-boosting ingredients to help cancer patients fight their way into remission.
The deworming medication in question is fenbendazole, sold under the brand name Panacur. It’s been used for decades to treat parasitic worms in pets and has been found to be effective in humans with certain medical conditions, including some forms of liver disease and pancreatic cancer.
It was discovered that fenbendazole also happens to inhibit the growth of some types of human cancer cells, prompting researchers to examine whether it could be used as an anticancer drug in people with cancer. Unfortunately, the research in this area is limited, and it has not yet been proven that fenbendazole is a cancer cure for humans. Nonetheless, several online posts and TikTok videos have made this claim, with the most notable example being Joe Tippens’ story of how his lung cancer went into remission after he began taking fenbendazole on the advice of his veterinarian.
Tippens’ case piqued the interest of a team at MD Anderson in Houston. His lungs had been destroyed by late-stage lung cancer, and he was told he only had three months to live. He underwent chemo and radiation at MD Anderson, which shrunk his tumors. But a PET scan later showed his cancer had spread to his organs and bones.
In an effort to give Tippens and others like him hope, a group of UPenn vet researchers is now investigating how fenbendazole can be combined with immunotherapy in human clinical trials. Unlike standard chemotherapy, which attacks the cells directly, immunotherapy boosts the immune system so it can better attack tumors.
UPenn researchers have already shown this strategy can help dogs with osteosarcoma, an aggressive form of bone cancer that is associated with large breed dogs and that often metastasizes to other parts of the body. The approach, called eBAT, targets the mutated BRAF gene that causes osteosarcoma and aims to disrupt the tumor’s ability to grow and spread by shifting the microenvironment where the cancer is located into something tumors can’t survive in.
If you’re interested in supporting the researchers working hard to discover more ways to save our pets from cancer, Vitality Science offers a scientifically-backed line of premium, natural supplements that can aid your pet in fighting its way into remission. These products can be purchased here. dog dewormer for cancer