Fenbendazole (FBZ) is a benzimidazole anthelmintic commonly used to treat a variety of animal parasitic infections. In recent years, the use of FBZ as either a standalone cancer treatment or as a complementary therapy alongside chemotherapy has gained significant attention among individuals battling various types of cancer [1]. FBZ, an inexpensive antiparasitic drug widely used in veterinary medicine, is readily accessible through animal supply stores, online platforms and pharmaceutical chemical manufacturers. FBZ was originally patented by Hoechst AG (now part of Sanofi) but the patent expired in the early 1990s, making FBZ available as a generic drug. FBZ has shown potential in both in vitro and in vivo models of cancer, as evidenced by studies such as those conducted by Song et al. [2]. Benzimidazoles, including FBZ, exert anticancer effects through several mechanisms: they disrupt microtubule polymerization, induce apoptosis, arrest the cell cycle at the G2/M phase, inhibit angiogenesis, and interfere with both glucose [3] and probably also glutamine [4] metabolic pathways. Although there is increasing interest in FBZ and its potential application for treatment of advanced cancer, the evidence available in the published literature regarding its efficacy remains limited, and there is a substantial lack of clinical research to support its role as an anticancer treatment. This report follows the CARE Checklist and presents three cases of advanced cancer, in which 2 patients achieved complete remission and one achieved near-complete remission following the use of FBZ.
Case Presentations
Case 1
An 83-year-old female was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer in October 2021. She was initially diagnosed in 2009 with estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer, treated with bilateral mastectomy, reconstruction, and aromatase inhibitors (later discontinued). She remained disease-free until a recurrence was diagnosed in 2021. Immunohistochemistry revealed strongly positive for cytokeratin 7, cytokeratin oscar, GATA binding protein 3 (GATA3), and cluster of differentiation 68 (CD68). The patient underwent an esophagogastroduodenoscopy with endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography due to biliary obstruction requiring stent placement. During that procedure, she underwent a fine needle aspiration of her liver, which confirmed metastatic breast carcinoma characterized as ER/PR positive and HER-2/neu negative. Ascitic fluid analysis also confirmed metastatic breast carcinoma. Magnetic resonance imaging of the spine in October 2021 revealed metastatic breast cancer involving multiple bones, including T10, T12, L1, L2, L3, L4, L5, S1, S2, and the iliac bones. A PET/CT scan on December 29, 2021, showed six hypermetabolic lung lesions, the largest located in the central right upper lobe measuring 2.8
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