Illegal Sales of Unproven Cancer Treatments Raise Safety Concerns

A BBC investigation has found that sellers are illegally marketing and supplying fenbendazole, a veterinary deworming medicine, and ivermectin, a medicine approved for certain parasitic infections, as alternative cancer treatments despite neither being approved to treat cancer.

Medical organisations continue to warn that there is no high-quality clinical evidence showing either medicine is a safe or effective treatment for cancer. While laboratory studies have explored their potential anti-cancer properties, experts say these findings do not demonstrate that the drugs work in people with cancer and should not replace evidence-based treatment.

Cancer specialists are urging patients to speak with their oncology team before taking any unapproved therapies, warning that delaying or replacing proven cancer treatments with unproven medicines could reduce the chances of successful treatment.

This version sticks to facts that can be supported by reputable sources and avoids repeating any allegations beyond what the BBC investigation reported.

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