Table 1. Antitumorigenicity of benzimidazole anthelmintics in clinical aspects.
| Stage | Cancer type | Purpose | Methods | Results and ongoing | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | 36 patients with refractory solid tumors | Maximum-tolerated dose | Albendazole: p.o. on a day 1–14 of a 3-weekly cycle, from 400 mg b.d. to 1,200 mg b.d. | 2,400 mg/day from 1,200 mg b.d. | (95) |
| Decreased plasma VEGF | |||||
| Patients (16%) had a tumor marker response with a fall of at least 50% | |||||
| Adverse effects: myelosuppression, fatigue and mild gastrointestinal upset | |||||
| Case report | 74-year-old man with metastatic colon cancer | Treatment for significant progression in the lungs and abdominal lymph nodes with new partly, poorly defined liver metastases | Mebendazole: 100 mg b.d. for 6 wk | Near complete remission of the metastases in the lungs and lymph nodes and a good partial remission in the liver | (96) |
| 48-year-old man with adrenocortical carcinoma | Treatment for failure or intolerance to conventional treatments with mitotane, 5-fluorouracil, streptozotocin, bevacizumab, and radiation therapy | Mebendazole: 100 mg b.d. for 19 months | Regression of hepatic metastatic lesions and subsequently remained stable for 19 months, but progressed after 24 months | (97) | |
| No clinically adverse effects; quality of life was satisfactory | |||||
| Phase 1 | A patient with hepatocellular carcinoma with metastasis | Evaluation of albendazole | Albendazole: 10 mg/kg/day, p.o. in 2 divided doses for 28 days | Stabilization of the disease, but because of neutropenia, treatment was stopped on day 19 | (98) |
| 8 patients with colorectal cancer with metastasis | Decreased carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in 2 patients and stabilized in 3 patients, an initial stabilization (5–10 days) in 2 patients | (98) | |||
| No significant changes in liver and kidney function tests, but neutropenia in 2 patients | |||||
| Phase 1 | 24 high-grade glioma | Mebendazole in newly diagnosed high-grade glioma patients receiving temozolomide | Mebendazole: 500 mg chewable tablets with meals, p.o. 3 times every day on 28-day cycle | Study period: April 4, 2013 to September 2025 | |
| NCT01729260 | Location: The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland, United States | ||||
| NCT02644291 | 21 high-grade glioma | Phase I study of mebendazole therapy for recurrent/progressive pediatric brain tumors | Mebendazole: 500 mg chewable tablets, 3 divided doses with meals | Study period: May 2016 to June 2022 | |
| Location: Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital | |||||
| Saint Petersburg, Florida, United States | |||||
| Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine | |||||
| Baltimore, Maryland, United States | |||||
| Phases 1/2 | 36 low- and high-grade glioma | A phase I study of mebendazole for the treatment of pediatric gliomas | Mebendazole: 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg/day, p.o. and b.d. for 70 wk for low-grade glioma patients and 48 wk for high-grade glioma patients | Study period: October 22, 2013 to April 2020 | |
| NCT01837862 | Location: Cohen Children's Medical Center of New York, New Hyde Park, New York, United States | ||||
| Phase 2 | 250 patients with malignant disease that is considered untreatable, progressive and fatal | Clinical evaluation of a new form of cancer therapy based on the principles of atavistic metamorphosis (atavistic chemotherapy) | Anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-protozoal agents: anti-cancer properties of albendazole and mebendazole | Study period: July 2011 to December 31, 2023 | |
| NCT02366884 | Location: Dr. Frank Arguello Cancer Clinic | ||||
| San Jose del Cabo, Baja California Sur, Mexico | |||||
| Instituto de Ciencia y Medicina Genomica | |||||
| Torreon, Coahuila, Mexico | |||||
| Phase 3 | 40 patients with stage 4 colorectal cancer | Mebendazole as adjuvant treatment for colon cancer | Mebendazole | Study period: April 1, 2019 to December 2028 | |
| NCT03925662 | Location: Sherief Abd-Elsalam, Cairo, Egypt | ||||
| NCT02201381 | 207 participants with cancer | Study of the safety, tolerability and efficacy of metabolic combination treatments on cancer (METRICS) | Mebendazole: 100 mg, p.o. and u.i.d. for study duration | Study period: May 22, 2017 to May 22, 2022 | |
| Location: Care Oncology Clinic, London, United Kingdom |
b.d., twice daily; p.o., oral administration; u.i.d., once daily dosage.