Parasites Cause Cancer

This post discusses evidence which supports that cancer is an infectious disease caused by a parasitic infestation and how many parasite drugs are being repurposed as promising anti-cancer drugs.

There’s been a significant increase in cancer diagnosis and cancer mortality recently, especially in young adults. This trend is expected to continue to rise. [i] [ii] [iii] [iv] [v]

 

The Parasite Cancer Relationship

Parasite and cancer cells are similar in their ability to:

• survive and multiply independently of external growth factors
• be resistant to apoptosis (programmed cell death)
• avoid the response of the host’s immune system
• adapt to changes in their environment
• thrive on sugars and processed carbs
• cause inflammation in the body.

This is why it is difficult for the immune system to completely rid the body from all parasites and cancer cells.

Laboratory and animal studies have shown that some parasites can cause cancer directly while others can indirectly stimulate the development of cancer in various ways.

Parasites that can cause cancer

Several types of parasites have been shown to cause cancer: [vi] [vii]

The blood fluke Schistosoma haematobium is associated with a five times increased risk of bladder cancer.

Other blood flukes are associated with developing adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, colorectal cancer, rectal cancer, membranous nephropathy, metastatic lung cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma.

Several types of liver fluke infections are strongly linked with bile duct cancer.

The protist parasite that causes malaria is strongly associated with a higher incidence of Burkitt lymphoma in areas where malaria affects most of the child population.

Toxoplasmosis, neurocysticercosis, Cryptosporidium and Trichomonas are other parasites have also been linked to the development of cancer.

Cancer drugs that treat parasites

Cancer research has been used to design new parasite drugs.

The cancer growth blocker drug Imatinib has been used to treat chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), gastrointestinal stromal tumors and other malignancies. It also greatly reduces the ability of the fluke that causes schistosomiasis to function. [viii]

Mutated or otherwise deregulated protein enzymes called kinases are involved in the onset of cancer and thus they have become drug targets for cancer treatment, but they are also potential drug targets for malaria[ix] and leishmaniasis[x] and other diseases caused by parasites.

Histone-modifying enzymes (HMEs) have also been intensively studied for drug development in cancer and parasitic diseases.[xi]

 

Parasite Drugs that are being re-purposed as promising cancer drugs

Albendazole and mebendazole

Both albendazole and mebendazole have been repurposed as promising anti-cancer drugs as they have been shown to be active in the lab and in animal studies against liver, lung, ovary, prostate, colorectal, breast, head and neck cancers, and melanoma.

Two clinical reports for albendazole and 2 case reports for mebendazole show promising effects of these drugs in human patients suffering from a variety of different types of cancers.

However, because albendazole is metabolized by the liver, it is not safe to take at high doses for long periods of time. For this reason, mebendazole has been more popular than albendazole in anti-cancer clinical trials.[xii]

 

Macrolides, benzimidazoles, artemisinin and quinolines

Macrolides are drugs that manage and treat bacterial infections like sinusitis, tonsillitis, pharyngitis ear infections and pneumonia.

The following are examples of macrolides that have been proven to have anti-cancer activity in several preclinical models of different types of cancers:

Azithromycin inhibits the proliferation of cancer cells.[xiii]

Clarithromycin exerts anti-tumour activity in several preclinical models of different types of cancer. [xiv]

Erythromycins inhibit the multiplying of cancer cells and induces the death of cancer cells

Macrolides, benzimidazoles, artemisinin and quinoline parasite drugs regulate tumor growth through multiple targets, pathways, and modes of action. These drugs are considered good candidates for comprehensive, in-depth analyses of tumor occurrence and development.[xv]

Fenbendazole and oxibendazole are two examples of benzimidazoles.

Antiparasitic drugs like fenbendazole have caught the attention of researchers who study pancreatic cancer. In early studies, they have shown promise in inhibiting the growth and spread of cancer cells.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive forms of cancer with low survival rates. This disease is known for its late stage diagnosis and limited treatment options. As a result, researchers are constantly looking for new approaches to manage it.

Several early studies have provided initial evidence suggesting fenbendazole has potential in treating various types of cancer, including pancreatic cancer. Further research is needed to determine its success and safety in human clinical trials.[xvi]

Fenbendazole was used to treat parasites in animals, but is now considered safe for humans.

Oxibendazole (OBZ) is an anthelmintic drug that has also shown promise in the treatment of malignancies such as prostate cancer.[xvii]

 

Alinia (nitazoxanide)

In a 2017 study, researchers determined that the anti-tapeworm drug nitazoxanide (NTZ) may also be a promising precision therapy for various cancers.

Prostate and colon cancer cells contain high amounts of activated beta-catenin, which correlates to treatment-resistant cancer cells and other cancer issues. A team led by Norwegian scientists discovered that NTZ decomposed activated beta-catenin and they stated that it is rare to find a drug like NTZ that targets specific molecules as precisely as it does.[xviii]

 

Ivermectin

Ivermectin promotes the death of cancer cells in patients with breast cancer[xix] and inhibits colorectal cancer growth. It also reverses drug resistance in cancer cells [xx] in vitro and in vivo. Ivermectin has also been shown to inhibit the growth of bladder cancer cells.[xxi]

Eprinomectin is a derivative of ivermectin that suppresses the growth and spread of prostate cancer cells.[xxii]

Ivermectin has been used worldwide since 1975 to treat parasitic infections in about 1 billion people. It is a safe and inexpensive, making it attainable for everyone, including cancer patients in developing countries.[xxiii]

 

Praziquantel

The parasite drug praziquantel (PZQ) has been shown to greatly enhance the anticancer efficacy of the cancer drug paclitaxel (PTX) in various cancer cell lines, including PTX-resistant cell lines. Paclitaxel is used to treat ovarian, breast, non-small cell lung cancer and stomach cancer. PZQ in combination with PTX resulted in a more pronounced inhibition of tumor growth compared with either drug alone in an animal study.[xxiv]

 

The fact that there are many similarities between cancer and parasites, that cancer drugs are used to find new parasite drugs, that cancer drugs treat parasites and parasite drugs are effective cancer treatments are all evidence that cancer is an infectious disease caused by a parasitic infestation. There is an alarming rise in cancer especially in young adults. There is also a growing interest in the study of parasites and the repurposing of parasite drugs in the treatment of cancer. However, it will unfortunately take years for our standard of care to allow safe, cheap and effective parasite treatments in the treatment of cancer. Treating parasites will be very disruptive to the multibillion dollar cancer industry.

There are real solutions to recover from parasites today!

To restore health, we must focus on treating the cause of inflammation, which are parasites. First, identify the enemy (parasites), then support the body and treat the parasites while following a holistic approach. When parasitic infections are treated effectively, we can overcome inflammation or disease.

If you’re frustrated with the fact that our standard of care STILL doesn’t offer a real solution for treating MS and other diseases, then click on the link below to watch Pam Bartha’s free masterclass training and discover REAL solutions that have allowed Pam and many others to live free from MS and other diseases.

CLICK Here to watch Pam’s masterclass training

Or take the Health Blocker Quiz to see if you could have parasite infections

 

References:

[i] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11077472/#:~:text=However%2C%20some%20excess%20cancer%20mortalities,%2Foral%2Fpharyngeal%20cancer%2C%20pancreatic

[ii] https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-00720-6

[iii] https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/early-onset-cancer-in-younger-people-on-the-rise#:~:text=The%20ACS%20report%20showed%20younger,year%20during%20that%20time%20period.

[iv] https://bmjoncology.bmj.com/content/2/1/e000106

[v] https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/02/1146127#:~:text=Global%20cancer%20cases%20are%20expected,growing%20burden%20of%20the%20disease.

[vi] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5233816/

[vii] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5233816/

[viii] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK551676/#:~:text=Imatinib%20is%20a%202%2Dphenylamino,kinase%20inhibitors%20class%20of%20drugs.

[ix] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7961706/

[x] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S138357692400014X

[xi] https://www.scielo.br/j/rsbmt/a/DYGmcz7gk9QVQQwtXMjkKfq/?format=pdf&lang=en

[xii] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34218593/#:~:text=It%20is%20of%20particular%20note,and%20neck%20cancers%2C%20and%20melanoma.

[xiii] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6029027/

[xiv] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6727004/#:~:text=Macrolide%20antibiotics%2C%20such%20as%20Clarithromycin,of%20different%20types%20of%20cancer.

[xv] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8117216/

[xvi] https://www.healthline.com/health/pancreatic-cancer/fenbendazole-for-pancreatic-cancer

[xvii] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5776919/#:~:text=Oxibendazole%20(OBZ)%20is%20an%20anthelmintic,and%20PC%2D3%20cell%20lines.

[xviii] https://www.nfcr.org/blog/blogparasite-killer-found-effective-cancer-treatment-candidate/

[xix] https://www.nature.com/articles/s41523-021-00229-5

[xx] https://jeccr.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13046-019-1251-7

[xxi] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38375808/

[xxii] https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00432-023-04829-5#:~:text=and%20Clinical%20Oncology-,Eprinomectin%3A%20a%20derivative%20of%20ivermectin%20suppresses%20growth%20and%20metastatic%20phenotypes,the%20%CE%B2%2Dcatenin%20signaling%20pathway

[xxiii] https://journals.lww.com/oncology-times/fulltext/2021/05050/use_of_the_anti_parasitic_drug_ivermectin_to_treat.4.aspx

[xxiv] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23251610/#:~:text=In%20this%20study%2C%20we%20reported,including%20PTX%2Dresistant%20cell%20lines.