Ivermectin and Cancer: Hope, Hype, and Science

A powerful narrative is unfolding at the intersection of celebrity influence, scientific inquiry, and desperate patient hope. A BBC undercover investigation has revealed that a stairlift salesman in south Wales is illegally selling animal dewormers and scabies drugs as cancer treatments, offering desperate patients false hope for a profit . The investigation found these unproven medicines were also readily available for purchase on Amazon, prompting the platform to remove listings after being contacted by the BBC . This exposé comes at a time of intense public debate, where celebrity endorsements—most notably actor Mel Gibson's claims on a popular podcast—have caused prescriptions for these drugs to more than double . While the National Cancer Institute (NCI) is exploring ivermectin's potential, leading experts warn of "zero clinical evidence" and real-world harm, including documented cases of death . This report examines the full spectrum of evidence, from the predatory tactics of illegal sellers to the legitimate scientific inquiry and the tragic consequences of misinformation.

The BBC Investigation: Undercover and Exposed

The BBC's Wales Investigates team acted on a tip-off from Rebecca Holder, whose father Bob, a man with a brain tumor and lung cancer, was approached by stairlift salesman Jason Sarver . During a home visit, Sarver allegedly pivoted from discussing stairlifts to offering unproven cancer treatments, claiming they could shrink tumors and were not available on the NHS .

An undercover BBC reporter later contacted Sarver, posing as a relative of a cancer patient. Sarver repeated his claims, sent links to videos making unproven assertions, and supplied the reporter with fenbendazole and ivermectin tablets for £100, which he said would be a "two to three months' supply" to treat lung cancer and "other cancers as well" . He claimed to conduct extensive research on the topic, saying, "I'm not a doctor, I just pass what I hear on," and admitted that his work selling stairlifts to ill people compelled him to share this information .

The investigation also revealed that these drugs were easily obtainable online. The BBC successfully made several orders on Amazon, where the drugs were listed under health and beauty products . Following the BBC's inquiry, Amazon removed the identified listings, stating it had "proactive measures in place" to stop prohibited products . However, the BBC noted new listings continued to appear, highlighting the challenge of regulating this underground market . The MHRA, the UK's medical regulator, confirmed that supplying prescription-only medicines without a license is an offense and has seized 27,500 doses of fenbendazole and 124,000 doses of ivermectin since 2024 .

The Scientific Rationale: Why Researchers Are Looking

The scientific community's interest in ivermectin as a potential anticancer agent is not without foundation. Preclinical studies—research conducted in cell cultures and animal models—have shown that ivermectin can inhibit cancer cell proliferation, induce apoptosis (programmed cell death), and modulate several key signaling pathways involved in cancer growth, including Wnt/β-catenin and PI3K/Akt/mTOR . Fenbendazole, the veterinary dewormer, has also demonstrated anticancer effects in lab settings, such as disrupting cancer cells' glucose uptake and structural integrity .

In a significant development, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) has initiated preclinical research to further evaluate ivermectin's anticancer properties, as announced by NCI director Dr. Anthony Letai . This decision reflects that there is enough preliminary evidence to warrant rigorous scientific exploration. Proponents argue that drug repurposing is a valid research avenue that could identify a cheap, widely available drug for oncology . However, as experts caution, preclinical activity alone is not sufficient to establish clinical benefit, and the history of oncology drug development is filled with agents that showed promise in laboratory models but failed to translate into meaningful outcomes for patients .

The Celebrity Catalyst and Prescription Surge

The current surge in public interest can be traced directly to January 2025, when actor Mel Gibson appeared on The Joe Rogan Experience, a podcast with tens of millions of viewers, claiming that a combination of ivermectin and fenbendazole had cured three of his friends of stage IV cancer . The episode was viewed over 60 million times within its first month, and clips spread rapidly across social media .

The impact was immediate and measurable. A UCLA-led study published in JAMA Network Open analyzed electronic health records of over 68 million U.S. patients. It found that prescriptions for the ivermectin-benzimidazole combination more than doubled in the seven months following Gibson's appearance compared to the same period in 2024 . Among patients with a cancer diagnosis, the increase was even more pronounced, with prescribing rates climbing more than 2.5 times higher . In the U.S. South, those rates were more than three times higher during the six months in 2025 compared with the same period the previous year .

Figure 1: Surge in Ivermectin Prescriptions Post-Podcast

The researchers noted that the "selective amplification and reach of health misinformation" contributed to these figures, with the prescribing spike largely tracking with the audiences most likely to encounter the podcast . Lead author Dr. John Mafi expressed concern that "patients may be skipping or delaying treatments we know work in favor of something that hasn't been proven to help them" .

The Scientific Debate: Pro and Con

The Pro Argument:

• Preclinical Evidence: Laboratory studies show ivermectin can affect biological processes linked to cancer growth, including interfering with pathways that help cancer cells survive and making tumors easier for the immune system to detect .

• Drug Repurposing: Ivermectin is a well-established drug with a well-known safety profile for its approved uses, making it an attractive candidate for repurposing .

• NCI Involvement: The National Cancer Institute is actively exploring the drug, indicating it warrants serious scientific study .

• Patient Anecdotes: Personal stories of miraculous recoveries are compelling and provide hope to patients facing a life-threatening illness, though experts note these often leave out important details, such as whether the patient was also receiving standard treatment .

The Con Argument:

• No Clinical Evidence: There is zero clinical proof that ivermectin works against cancer in humans. There are no large randomized controlled trials supporting its use, and available data in humans remain extremely limited .

• Unsafe Dosing: The concentrations required for anticancer effects in the lab are often higher than what is safe or achievable in humans .

• Risk of Harm: Documented cases of severe side effects, liver failure, and death are linked to self-medication. In the UK, an inquest heard that 45-year-old Lee Redpath died from liver failure in April 2024 after taking fenbendazole he bought online, believing it had anti-cancer properties .

• Treatment Delay: The greatest risk may be patients delaying or abandoning proven, effective treatments like chemotherapy, radiation, or immunotherapy, which can lead to cancer progression and death .

Real-World Harm and Tragic Consequences

The BBC investigation documented the tragic human cost of this misinformation. Jared Wright, from Wisconsin, told the BBC that his mother, Kelly, was diagnosed with cancer in 2025 and began taking ivermectin and fenbendazole after reading online that they cured cancer . She ignored her oncologist's advice to pursue conventional treatment. Jared described her death shortly after her 63rd birthday as "horrible." "She had another 20 years or more—she would be alive right now if she had the correct information," he said .

This case illustrates the primary risk identified by medical experts. New Orleans oncologist Jonathan Mizrahi shared a similar experience, describing a young male patient who recently refused chemotherapy in favor of ivermectin and fenbendazole to treat his Stage 4 cancer. Mizrahi saw him again months later, by which time a CAT scan showed the cancer had spread. "It's the rare case where I can actually do almost like a study of one patient and say, 'Hey, look, it didn't work,'" then persuading the patient to resume recommended treatment .

Consultant oncologist Martin Rolles warned that the drugs could interact with proven cancer medication and either make treatment more toxic or less effective. "There's also the risk that the drugs themselves could cause side effects and make the patient unwell, which might stop them being able to receive conventional cancer treatment," he said .

Political Polarization and the Ivermectin Saga

The resurgence of ivermectin as a cancer treatment is deeply intertwined with its controversial history during the COVID-19 pandemic. Researcher Carlos Chaccour, who was at the forefront of early ivermectin research, explained how the drug became a symbol of politicized medicine. In 2020, a small company called Surgisphere published fake data suggesting ivermectin effectively treated COVID-19 . Governments in Latin America began distributing the drug based on this fraudulent research, and conservative media personalities like Laura Ingraham and Joe Rogan promoted it .

The FDA's snarky 2021 tweet—"You are not a horse. You are not a cow. Seriously, y'all. Stop it."—further inflamed tensions and contributed to the perception of ivermectin as a symbol of defiance against government institutions . Today, five state legislatures—in Tennessee, Arkansas, Idaho, Louisiana, and Texas—have voted to make the drug available over-the-counter, a move driven by politics rather than medical evidence, according to experts .

The Expert Consensus and Guidance

Despite the NCI's interest and the anecdotal reports, the consensus among major cancer organizations and oncologists is clear and cautious. Macmillan Cancer Support states there is "zero real-world clinical evidence" to back up the claims and expressed concern that the BBC was able to easily buy the medicines without a prescription . Cancer Research UK warns that while there is some anti-cancer data from testing fenbendazole in mice, there is no scientific evidence to prove that it works in people . The American Cancer Society explicitly states that "Ivermectin is not approved to treat any cancer in people or in animals. No clinical guidelines recommend it as a cancer treatment" .

Dr. Merry Jennifer Markham, an ASCO expert, encapsulates the position: "There's a big gap between what happens under a microscope and what happens in a human being. We are many steps away from knowing about the safety or effectiveness of ivermectin in cancer care. Good science takes time because we care about patient safety" .

Conclusion

The BBC's undercover investigation has laid bare the dangerous reality of how unproven cancer "cures" are being peddled to vulnerable patients, exploiting their desperation for profit. While legitimate scientific research into repurposing drugs like ivermectin continues, there is a critical and dangerous gap between laboratory findings and clinical application. The evidence is unequivocal: these drugs have not been proven safe or effective for treating cancer in humans, and their use can lead to devastating consequences, including treatment delays, severe side effects, and death. For patients, the message from all major health organizations remains the same: rely on evidence-based treatments and consult your oncology team before considering any alternative therapy.