National Cancer Center "Anticancer Effect of Anthelmintics Clinical Trial Canceled Due to Lack of Value"

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] The National Cancer Center initiated a clinical trial to verify the anticancer effects of anthelmintics, including dog deworming medication, but canceled the plan after determining there was no effect during the preparation stage.

On the 9th, the National Cancer Center decided not to proceed with the clinical trial on the anticancer effects of anthelmintics, which have recently become controversial. Some cancer patients recently claimed on YouTube and other platforms that they experienced effects after taking dog deworming medication, sparking debate.

Kim Heung-tae, Director of the Clinical Trial Center at the National Cancer Center, stated, “Due to high social demand, researchers at the National Cancer Center reviewed for two weeks whether it was necessary to conduct a clinical trial, but there was too little evidence or data, so we decided not to proceed. We had even prepared a press release but judged it unnecessary.”

To date, there have been no clinical trials of fenbendazole conducted on humans. The National Cancer Center collected research papers conducted on animals or at the cellular level, as well as data cited on YouTube, to assess the feasibility of clinical trials, but concluded that there was no verified data on safety or efficacy even at the animal level. Director Kim said, “We also reviewed papers frequently cited on YouTube, but even those were poor quality.”

The National Cancer Center particularly analyzed that the mechanism shown by fenbendazole has little medical value. Director Kim explained, “Fenbendazole is known to kill cancer cells by inhibiting intracellular organelles that form the cytoskeleton of cancer cells, but anticancer drugs with this purpose were already developed as first-generation cytotoxic anticancer agents in the 1990s. Nowadays, we are in an era using up to third-generation anticancer drugs, including targeted therapies and immunotherapies in addition to first-generation drugs. It is not that the effect has not been proven; it can be considered that there is no effect.”

Director Kim emphasized the need to disclose medical records of some patients who claim fenbendazole is effective. He said, “It would be good if the Ministry of Health and Welfare and media outlets hold a public forum involving doctors, experts, government officials, and patients, where patients claiming effectiveness and their attending physicians objectively disclose medical records.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.