The Use of Ivermectin for Cancer

History, Mechanisms, and Types of Cancers

Addendum February 25, 2025 at 6:15 pm PST: Dr. William Makis has recomended 1 mg/kg ivermectin, i..e, “high dose” for cancer.

INTRODUCTION

I will have this book chapter available as a PDF, as “Cancer” will be an entire section on my new book, Surviving White Coats and Hospitals, which will be out later this year (if only I can stop adding to it!).

This is your chance to give me some feedback, please. That includes typos;) Let me know if I am missing anything or if you have articles or procedures you think I should include on ivermectin’s use in cancer. Later, I will do one on fenbendazole and combined therapies. Especially let me know if you see a report of someone who has survived with cancer while on ivermectin. Of course, NONE of the medical journals are writing up successful case histories!

Thank you for keeping your eyes out for everyone with cancer who gets healed by “non-chemo”!

To help you comment, I hope you don’t mind that I am putting a button for your comments after each Chapter. Thank you!

P.S. Some sections are not meant to read word-by-word or you will certainly fall asleep or be frustrated. Gloss over them; you will get the idea;). Also, you won’t know what each word means. I will add on a Glossary of definitions for lay people - the main reader of this section is your doctor or practitioner, including alternative naturopaths or osteopaths who can write prescriptions for ivermectin.

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Here is my Book Section on Alternative Treatments for Cancer (So Far)

Introduction

Chapter 1: Clinical Uses of Ivermectin

Chapter 2: Ivermectin for Non-Cancerous Diseases

Chapter 3: Ivermectin for Cancer

Chapter 4: Ivermectin Potentiates Chemotherapy

Chapter 5: Ivermectin and Cancer Cell Lines

Chapter 6: Ivermectin and Animal Cancer Cell Studies

Chapter 7: Types of Cancers Cured by Ivermectin

Chapter 8: The Pharmacology of Ivermectin

Chapter 9: Ivermectin Dosing for Cancer

Chapter 10: References

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INTRODUCTION

Ivermectin is a dihydro derivative of avermectin and a macrocyclic lactone compound. Discovered by Satoshi Ōmura (Figure 1) of Tokyo's prestigious Kitasato Institute, he picked up a chunk of dirt from a Japanese golf course’s dirt, put it in an envelope, then isolated a group of 16 avermectins from the soil bacterium Streptomyces avermitilis (Kositz, 2022).

Ivermectin is a potent broad-spectrum antiparasitic adopted from veterinary use in 1981 to the first use in human medicine in 1987, at which time it was FDA approved for the parasitic infection onchocerciasis or River Blindness, due to the Onchocerca volvulus parasitic worm.

It is recognized by the WHO for its proven safety and efficacy in parasitic diseases and scabies. For the last 38 years, shortly after human use started, ivermectin has been on the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Model List of Essential Medicines for all countries, as a guide for countries to develop their own lists.

All these years, and to prevent River Blindness from onchocerciasis (See Figure 1), the Mectizan Donation Program has been an unprecedented program fully funded by Merck & Co. (and in collaboration with the WHO and other countries), one which has brought ivermectin to many third world countries free of charge.

The list of countries funding the Mectizan Program include the USA (through USAID), the United Kingdom, Canada, Norway, Sweden, and the Netherlands. The World Bank’s role has been very significant, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation contributed $500 million in 2024 to the Last Mile Fund that supports Mectizan efforts in Yemen and Africa. Other participants include UNICEF, the WHO, and NGOs like the Carter Center, Sightsavers, and Hellen Keller International.

Initially, the Mectizan Donation Program was in partnership with the WHO, the World Bank, various governments, and Non-Government Organizations (NGO). This blockbuster effort prioritized 11 countries with the highest incidence of River Blindness, located in sub-Saharan Africa. By 1997, ivermectin’s reach broadened to include areas with the additional diagnosis of lymphatic filariasis (due to another parasite).

From an initial commitment by Merck & Co. to bring “as much as needed, for as long as needed”, this ongoing program is perhaps the most successful and longest-running drug donation accomplishment in history. To date, about 5 billion doses have been donated to over 30 countries located mostly in Africa, parts of Asia and the Middle East, and Latin America.

In 2014, Satoshi Ōmura received the Gairdner Global Health Award; thirty-five years after ivermectin’s discovery, he shared the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with William Campbell of Merck & Co., Inc., for the discovery and development of ivermectin.

In March of 2021, Ǒmura co-authored a study on ivermectin for Covid-19 in the Japan Antibiotics Research Association:

Due to its wide variety of mechanisms, ivermectin has a correspondingly wide variety of clinical applications other than just as an antiparasitic: it is antiparasitic, antibacterial, antiviral through anti-inflammatory, reducing viral replication; it lowers serum cholesterol and blood glucose, improves insulin sensitivity in diabetic mice, decreases survival rates of insect vectors like malaria and trypanosomiasis, and is an anti-inflammatory on T cell-induced skin disease such as rosacea (Liang, 2017; Crump, 2017).

Both ivermectin’s in vivo (i.e., human or animal) and in vitro (i.e., laboratory test tube) antitumor activities have been achieved at clinically relevant concentrations, and have a wide margin of safety.

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NOTE: I realize I need a section on how they tried to villify ivermectin. I won’t include it in this chapter, but will place it elsewhere. Keep this in mind, so you can help me pick out where it should be located.

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PART 1: CLINICAL USES OF IVERMECTIN

Broad Spectrum Anti-parasitic. Anthelmintic, and Antinematode used for Tropical Diseases. Ivermectin kills parasites and roundworms; it has been used for decades to treat helminthiasis in animals and humans, namely in ascariasis, Caenorhabditis elegans, cutaneous larva migrans, demodex infestation, enterobiasis, filariasis caused by Loa loa infection, and gnathostomiasis. In malaria, ivermectin has activity against both endoparasites and ectoparasites; it especially has endectoicidal activity against a parasite that infects the Anopheles mosquito that transmits malaria. Ivermectin is used for head lice caused by Pediculus humanus capitis (for which ivermectin acts as a pediculicide), intestinal strongyloidiasis caused by Strongyloidies stercoralis, and onchocerciasis caused by Onchocerca volvulus microfilariae worms, strongyloidiasis, and trichuriasis (Drugbank).

Rosacea. Used topically. The cause of rosacea is unknown, with genetic and environmental factors likely playing a role.

Scabicidal. Used topically, ivermectin is both anti-itching and scabicidal; it kills Sarcoptes scabiei scabies mites called scabicides. In 2021, a very important paper by Bernigaud et. al., showed an incredibly serendipitous finding: when ivermectin was used to eradicate scabies in a wing of their nursing home, it also prevented everyone from getting or dying from Covid, including staff.

This case highlights the serendipitous finding in a nursing home where scabies was treated with ivermectin, allowing all residents and staff to be without morbidity or mortality. This spearheaded ivermectin’s use for Covid prevention, treatment, and exposure dosing, as well as its use as a repurposed drug for a variety of conditions.

Bernigaud’s Scabies Outbreak and Treatment with Ivermectin

Many doctors are unaware of Bernigaud’s June 1, 2021 study published in the British Journal of Dermatologists.

Bernigaud, et al describe their data on the graph below. Above the top blue line, we see:

• March 5th: Family visits were suspended in Long-Term Care Facilities (LTCFs).

• March 6: A scabies outbreak in the nursing home was declared.

  • On this same day, resident 1, a 66-year old woman, had been referred to the dermatology clinic with “profuse scabies”. She was enrolled in a study and received either 0.2 or 0.4 mg/kg ivermectin on Days 0, 7, and 14. You can also see on the yellow bar that after her three ivermectin dose, Resident 1 was PCR positive on March 25.

  • Three more residents lived on different floors and were noted to also have scabies, which is why the outbreak was declared. These 3 were treated with ivermectin.

  • March 10: The LTCF was completely treated: 69 residents (mean age - 90 years) and 52 staff (nurses, doctors, etc.), for a total of 121, received daily 0.2 mg/kg ivermectin on Days 0-7.

• March 15: In-room Covid lockdowns were imposed.

  • 11 people got Covid symptoms (about 10%), with Resident 1 having the first symptoms on March 19.

• March 17: A nationwide Covid lockdown was declared.

• Resident 1 was the only person to test PCR-positive for Covid.

• No deaths or hospitalizations were noted.

• In a “matched” control group from the surrounding area of LTCF, 22.6% got Covid (16.3-28.9 Confidence Interval of 95%), with a mortality of 4.9% (3.2-6.5 Confidence Interval of 95%).

Source: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8013623/pdf/bjd1207.pdf

Results showed that in March of 2020, a Paris nursing home scabies outbreak and the subsequent use of ivermectin serendipitously prevented significantly less severe Covid and subsequent hospitalizations in 121 people.

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Antiviral. Ivermectin has been used by millions for Covid, SARS-CoV-2 prevention (Popp, 2022), treatment, as an anti-inflammatory for late-stage Covid-19 (DiNicolantonio, 2020), and exposure to an affected person (Bestetti, 2021; Mathachan, 2021). It improves mortality in hospitalized Covid-19 patients (Rajter, 2020), inhibits adenovirus, SARS-CoV-2 replication in vitro (Caly, 2020), Influenza A virus (Gotz 2016), Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis Virus (Lundberg, 2013), Dengue Virus (Tay, 2013; Wagstaff, 2012), and HIV (Wagstaff, 2012).

Anticarcinogen. The avermectins are known to possess a wide variety of pronounced anticancer (Drinyaev et al, 2004) and anti-cancer stem cell activity.

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PART 2: IVERMECTIN FOR NON-CANCEROUS DISEASES

Ivermectin affects a wide variety of ligand-gated ion channels and receptors:

1. Inhibits the glutamate-gated chloride channel (GluCls) and a member of the Cys-loop receptor family that blocks nerve cells and hence the respiratory muscles of parasites, killing them. This mechanism only occurs in invertebrates but not in vertebrates. For over three decades, this has been its primary use in onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis.

2. At higher concentrations, ivermectin interacts with the following: gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glycine, histamine, and nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in both vertebrates and invertebrates (Kositz, 2022).

3. Blocks nuclear factor kappa-light-chain enhancer of activated B (NF-κB) pathway that modulates proinflammatory cytokine expression. This is how it treats rosacea.

4. Inhibits viral protein transportation, acting on the importin α/β1 interface. This is the mechanism implicated in treating adenovirus and SARS-CoV-2.

5. Effects on the Type 35 hydroxytryptamine receptor (5-HT3R).

6. Effects on an excitatory cation-permeable receptor that enhances Ach-induced current (nAChR).

7. Effects on P2X4 receptors, especially their upper transmembrane domain (TM) regions near the extracellular surface of the plasma membrane, inducing mutations of all amino acids at TM1 and TM2 to Ala or Trp.

8. Effects on Farnesoid X receptor (FXR), a member of the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily in the cytoplasm.

9. Direct activation of GIRK2, a type of G-protein-gate that rectifies the K+ (GIRK) channel by phosphorylating phosphatidylinositol-4,5-biophosphate (PIP2) in a GBY-independent manner.

10. Drugbank online shows these drug targets, showing that sometimes it acts on a transporter; other times, it acts on an enzyme:

This table shows mechanisms listed by DrugBank.com.

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PART 3: ACTIONS OF IVERMECTIN ON CANCER

Ivermectin’s anticancer effects are not limited to just one mechanism of action – it has multiple, profound anti-tumor effects.

A big tenant of cancer cells is that they don’t engage in apoptosis or programmed cell death. They ignore cellular messages that program their death and keep repeatedly dividing, forming a tumor. They also have an overabundance of ATP, producing too much energy. The immune system’s macrophages help recycle cell parts and recognize when something different kills cells.

1. Ivermectin stops cancers from multiplying (Tang, 2020).

2. It prevents their invasion and spread (i.e., metastasis) (Tang, 2020).

3. Manipulates chloride channel receptors and their regulation, causing apoptosis. Improves the regulation of apoptosis, both preventing and treating cancer (Tang, 2021, Bolton 2019, and Wang 2018).

4. Autophagy. When ivermectin stimulates Beclin1 and Atg5 expression, it triggers a cascade that induces autophagy or cell recycling. Activates the nuclear translocation of TFE3, inducing autophagy-dependent cell death by dephosphorylation of TFE3 (Ser321) in SK-MEL-28 melanoma cells, activates expression of autophagy-related genes (Deng 2019).

5. Attacks the mitochondria in tumor cells, causing their death.

6. Decreases angiogenesis, preventing an increase in blood supply to a tumor.

7. Promotes inflammation by HMGB1 and ATP, inducing immunogenic cell death.

8. Induces osmotic cell death.

9. Disrupts ATP formation in the cancer cell’s mitochondria via diminished Mitochondrial Complex I function, which prevents electron motion during oxidative phosphorylation.

10. Causes an ATP-induced cell death via the immune response.

11. Induces autophagy (i.e., cell recycling) by triggering a cascade of events after stimulating the expression of Beclin1 and Atg5 (Zhang 2021).

12. Converts cold tumors to hot tumors. Helps convert cold tumors that have little or no T-cell infiltration to “hot” tumors that have been infiltrated by T-cells, rendering them amenable to checkpoint blockade therapy (Draganov, 2021).

13. Potentiates chemotherapy or targeted drugs (Tang, 2020).

14. PAK1 becomes hyperactive in cancer cells, and ivermectin is an inhibitor, which is why it works to prevent/treat many cancer types. Promotes polyubiquitination of PAK1 kinase, degrading proteasome and inhibiting the Akt/mTOR pathway. (Zhang 2021).

15. Interacts with the WNT-TCF pathway, the multidrug resistance protein (MDR), the purinergic receptors, cancer-related epigenetic deregulators like SIN3A and SIN3B, RNA helicase, and preferentially targets the cancer stem-cell population (Juarez 2018, Tang, 2021, Bolton 2019, and Wang 2018). Inhibits cancer stem cell activity

16. Inhibits the P-glycoprotein protein pump that induces multidrug phenotypes.

17. It also promotes PAK1 kinase’s poly-ubiquitination, helping to degrade the proteasome, thus inhibiting the Akt/mTOR pathway (Zhang, 2021).

18. Reduces drug resistance.

19. Acts as an ionophore.

PART 4: IVERMECTIN POTENTIATES CHEMOTHERAPY IN CANCER CELL LINES

In the laboratory, ivermectin potentiates various chemotherapies for different cancer types (Liu, 2020), making them work better than they do by themselves.

1. After vincristine for Ehrlich carcinoma.

2. After P388 lymphoid leukemia (including vincristine-resistant P388).

3. After melanoma B16 (Drinyaev 2004).

4. Together with daunorubicin/cytarabine for leukemia.

5. Together with tamoxifen for Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC).

6. Together with paclitaxel for Epithelial Ovarian Cancer (EOC).

7. Together with anti-BRAF V600 inhibitors for melanoma.

8. Avermectins enhance Hep-2 and P388 cell sensitivity of both wild-type and resistant strains to taxol and vincristine by suppressing rhodamine 123 cell efflux and increasing calcein in cells, inhibiting multidrug resistance (Korystov 2004).

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PART 5: IVERMECTIN AND CANCER CELL LINES

Ivermectin causes a variety of cancer cell line deaths by inducing a wide variety of pathways and receptors (Liu, 2020).

Inhibition of Tumor Cell Growth and Proliferation

1. PAK1-mediated cytostatic autophagy. PAK protein is an oncogenic kinase essential to cytoskeleton organization and nuclear signaling. PAK1 is essential to tumor growth, and PAK1 inhibition induces apoptosis. Through PAK1 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, ivermectin diminishes tumor growth and metastasis (Chen L, 2020).

2. Caspase-dependent apoptosis.

3. Immunogenic cell death (ICD).

4. Human ovarian cancer and NF2 tumor cell lines: High-dose ivermectin inactivates protein kinase PAK1 and blocks PAK-1-dependent growth.

5. Induces the WNT-T cell factor pathway.

6. Induces the Hippo pathway.

7. Induces the Akt/mTOR pathway.

8. An RNA helicase.

9. A small-molecule mimetic of surface-induced dissociation (SID) peptide.

10. An activator of chloride channel receptors.

11. An inducer of mitochondrial dysfunction.

12. An inducer of oxidative stress.

13. An inducer of multidrug resistance protein (MDR).

14. Has potent anti-mitotic activity. Due to chloride-dependent hyperpolarization.

15. Targets angiogenesis.

16. Inhibits cancer stem-like cells (CSCs).

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PART 6: IVERMECTIN AND ANIMAL CANCER STUDIES

Various animal studies show a variety of cancers and their suppression, and mechanisms of action.

1. Avermectins significantly suppressed the growth of ascites Ehrlich carcinoma.

2. Avermectins significantly suppressed the growth of P388 lympholeukemia.

3. Avermectins significantly suppressed the growth of solid Ehrlich.

4. Avermectins significantly suppressed the growth of 755 carcinomata.

All the Above: with some regiments, suppression was 70-80%; most effective when given intraperitoneally.

5. Avermectins enhanced vincristine-induced suppression of Ehrlich carcinoma.

6. Avermectins enhanced vincristine-induced suppression of melamoma B16.

7. Avermectins enhanced vincristine-induced suppression of P388 lympholeukemia.

All Above: only worked when injected after vincristine.

8. Ivermectin significantly reduces lung metastasis in animal melanoma.

9. Ivermectin inhibits various ovarian cancer cell lines through PAK1 kinase inhibition. IVM could block the cell cycle and induce apoptosis through a KPNB1-dependent mechanism in ovarian cancer. Interestingly, ivermectin and paclitaxel have a synergistic effect on ovarian cancer, and combined treatment in in vivo experiments almost completely inhibited tumor growth. Furthermore, in a report by Zhang, ivermectin can enhance the efficacy of cisplatin to improve the treatment of epithelial ovarian cancer, and the mechanism is related to the inhibition of the Akt/mTOR pathway (Hashimoto).

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PART 7: TYPES OF CANCERS TREATED WITH IVERMECTIN

PAK1 is an oncogenic kinase that causes over 70% of all human cancers to grow. Ivermectin has been found to cure the following cancers:

NOTE: I can add a reference after each category, and they are usually lab studies showing efficacy in the lab. This is where I need your help finding Case Reports and references of people who have recovered from various cancers by only using ivermectin (i..e, not fenbendazole, etc.). This Chapter is where I am currently working; thank you for your patience as I research these topics and cite them as carefully as possible. By the time I add in references and mechanisms, you can tell that this list won’t look as pretty. Almost all of these have a reference paper I am compiling; just a few are of my interest re: bladder cancer, like ‘ureter’. and ‘urethra’.

1. Adrenal

A. Adrenocortical carcinoma.

B. Paraganglioma

C. Pheochromocytoma

2. Blood cancers (hematological)

A. Leukemias

a. Multiple myeloma

b. Acute myeloid leukemia

c. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia

d. Chronic myeloid leukemia (Wang, 2018)

e. Chronic myelogenous leukemia

f. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia

g. Chronic neutrophilic leukemia

h. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia

i. Hairy cell leukemia

B. Lymphomas

a. CNS lymphoma

b. Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma

c. Hodgkin lymphoma

d. Kaposi’s sarcoma

e. Sézary syndrome

C. Myeloproliferative neoplasms

D. Myelodysplasia

3. Bone cancers

A. Bone cancer

B. Chronic myeloproliferative disease

C. Ewing sarcoma

D. Osteosarcoma

4. Brain (glioma)

A. Brain

B. Ependymoma

C. Glioblastoma (Liu Y, 2016)

D. Pituitary tumor

5. Breast

A. Breast: Ivermectin decreases p21-activated kinase 1 (PAK1) expression by promoting its degradation and inducing cell autophagy, which suppresses tumor growth (Dou, 2016).

B. Ductal carcinoma in situ

C. Triple-negative Breast Cancer: Ivermectin we show “you can make breast cancer treatable with immune checkpoint therapy.” (Marquez, 2021).

6. Cervical

7. Colon

8. Digestive System cancers

9. A. Colorectal cancer

B. Colon bowel cancer

C. Intestinal cancer

10. Female reproductive: (and NF2 tumor cell lines):

A. Ovarian. Inhibits normal ovarian cell cycle and the proliferation of ovarian cancer cells and at up to 2,000 mcg/kg, no CNS toxicity was exhibited (Zhang, 2021). In combination with paclitaxel, it has a stronger antitumor effect on epithelial ovarian cancer than either drug alone (Kodama, 2017).

B. Dysgerminoma.

C. Endometrial cancer.

D. Cervical cancer.

E. Uterine cancer.

F. Vaginal cancer.

11. Gastric and Digestive

A. Gastric

B. Gastrointestinal stromal tumor cancer

12. Head and Neck

A. Basal cell carcinoma

B. Esophageal cancer

C. Hypopharyngeal cancer

D. Oral cancer

E. Sinus cancer

F. Nasopharyngeal cancer

G. Retinoblastoma

H. Salivary gland cancer

13. Kidney

A. Renal cancer

B. Nephroblastoma cancer

14. Liver (hepatoma), Gallbladder, and Bile Duct (cholangiocarcinoma) cancers

15. Lung

A. Mesothelioma

16. Male Reproductive

A. Germ cell tumor

B. Testicular cancer

C. Penile cancer

17. Metastasis

18. Nerve tissue (neurofibromatosis)

19. Pancreatic

A. Pancreatic cancer

B. Neuroendocrine tumor of the pancreas

20. Prostate

21. Skin cancers

A. Melanoma. inhibit melanoma activity

B. Langerhans cell histiocytosis

C. Lip cancer

22. Soft tissue cancers

A. Soft tissue cancer

B. Rhabdomyosarcoma

C. Synovial sarcoma

23. Thymus cancer

24. Thyroid cancer (Hashimoto’s, 2010)

25. Urinary system

A. Bladder

B. Kidney

1. Renal cancer

2. Nephroblastoma cancer

C. Ureter

D. Urethra

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PART 8: THE PHARMACOLOGY OF IVERMECTIN

Half-life. After taking ivermectin by mouth, ½ of it still in the body after 18 hours.

Blood-brain Barrier. Ivermectin does not cross the blood-brain barrier.

Absorption. Most ivermectin instructions instruct that ivermectin should be taken on an empty stomach, which usually is related to its use for intestinal worms. There was a study showing that when taken with 50 gm fat, the bioavailability of ivermectin increased three times. When taken with 30 gm fat (e.g., a small avocado, 3 eggs, and a handful of nuts), it increases absorption. Take ivermectin with a high fat meal (Drugbank).

Metabolism. Because ivermectin passes from the gut to the liver, it is first metabolized in the liver. This is why many stop taking it over the weekends, to rest the liver and decrease the chances of elevating liver enzymes. It is metabolized to these two compounds:

Excretion. Over about 12 days, 99% of ivermectin is almost exclusively excreted in the stool, leading to the only side effect felt by many to be desirable is an increase in the frequency of soft stools (Drugbank). Because less than 1% of ivermectin is excreted in the urine, it is felt to be completely safe for kidney dysfunction.

Common Side Effects. Most patients have no side effects at all. 109 patients in four studies receiving 0.07 to 0.2 mg/kg Stomectol® had these possible side effects: abdominal pain, constipation, decreased white blood cell count, diarrhea, dizziness, elevated liver enzymes, edema or swollen legs or fingers, fatigue, fever, itchy skin, joint pain, nausea, rash, swollen lymph nodes in the neck, tremor, urticaria or vomiting. Most effects resolve when it is stopped. Another study with 963 patients who received 0.1 to 0.2 mg/kg showed these side effects: edema of face or hands/legs, fast heart rate, headache, low blood pressure, muscle ache. Other side effects in the eyes have been linked to those with parasite disease: asthma exacerbation, eyelid edema, anterior uveitis, choroiditis, chorioretinitis, conjunctival hemorrhage, conjunctivitis (pink eye), elevated liver enzymes, hepatitis, keratitis, limbitis, low blood pressure, seizures, and Stevens-Johnson Syndrome. Rarely, loss of vision was reported; it resolved without steroids. Millions with Covid have been treated with ivermectin and have had no side effects.

Rare Side Effects and Overdose. Most patients cannot tell they are on ivermectin. In humans, accidental or intentional overdose of animal ivermectin has caused arm or leg swelling/edema, diarrhea, dizziness, headache, nausea/vomiting, and rash. Most doctors have never seen this happen. Uncommonly, and most likely after onchocerciasis infection with Loa loa, people have described abdominal pain, coma, confusion, contact dermatitis, encephalopathy, imbalance, numbness, rash, seizures, shortness of breath, and stupor. (Stromectol® Package Insert). This FDA package insert describes that Stromectol® should be taken on an empty stomach; I disagree and only recommend ivermectin be taken with 30 gm fatty food. Rare reports show that when Stromectol® is taken with warfarin, it can prolong the INR or International Normalized Ratio and lead to additional blood thinning; most people take this as a desirable side effect to combat clotting tendencies seen during Covid or after post-vaccine injury.

Risk in Pregnancy and Breastfeeding. Stromectol® passes through breast milk, therefore the benefits of treating the mother and the risks of passing it to the baby should be weighed. There are anecdotal reports of such cases where small infants or toddlers have done fine or recovered from a cold or Coronavirus. Most clinicians bypass ivermectin and treat with hydroxychloroquine instead, which is safe for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers.

Drug Interactions. There are 316 drug reactions listed at Drugbank. Millions have taken ivermectin with their regular medication routine, without adverse event. As stated, it may prolong the INR in those taking warfarin; this may increase bleeding tendency or blood thinning.

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PART 9: IVERMECTIN DOSING FOR CANCER

As a cancer treatment, ivermectin has been used alone or most notably by the public, in combination with phenbendazole, as in the Joe Tippins Protocol, or mebendazole. Many who use it have already been on a variety of supplements like vitamin D, vitamin C, and others.

I just learned this in my readings:

Many say not to take NAC if you have cancer. NAC reverses the anti-cancer effect of ivermectin, indicating that it increases TFE3-dependent autophagy through the ROS signaling pathway.

NOTE: Here is where I have to research and write up the dosing. Because some people buy different forms, i.e., the tablets vs compounded powder vs horse paste, I will write them all up.

A lot of people recommend 24 mg/day. I read the orginal article showing ivermectin taken with a meal having 50 mg fat will triple its bioavailability, i.e., what the body does to the drug. Ed takes 24 mg/day with fatty food and vitamin D3 + K2.

He also takes a list of supplements, as previously described here:

I hope this helps clarify that using ivermectin for cancer isn’t a stupid idea. This article is a work in progress; thank you for your recommendations and feedback.

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PART 10: REFERENCES

Alaina W. Bolton. Autophagy: How to leverage your body’s natural intelligence to activate the anti-age process, detox your body, and lose weight faster than ever before. September 16, 2019. https://www.amazon.com/Autophagy-Leverage-Intelligence-Activate-Anti-Age/dp/169363984X

Bernigaud C, Guillemot D, Ahmed-Belkacem A, Grimaldi-Bensouda L, Lespine A, Berry F, Softic L, Chenost C, Do-Pham G, Giraudeau B, Fourati S, Chosidow O. Oral ivermectin for a scabies outbreak in a long-term care facility: potential value in preventing COVID-19 and associated mortality. Br J Dermatol. 2021 Jun;184(6):1207-1209. doi: 10.1111/bjd.19821. Epub 2021 Mar 1. PMID: 33454964; PMCID: PMC8013623. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8013623/

Bestetti RB, Furlan-Daniel R, Silva VMR. Pharmacological Treatment of Patients with Mild to Moderate COVID-19: A Comprehensive Review. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Jul 5;18(13):7212. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18137212. PMID: 34281149; PMCID: PMC8297311. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34281149/

Caly L, Druce JD, Catton MG, Jans DA, Wagstaff KM. The FDA-approved drug ivermectin inhibits the replication of SARS-CoV-2 in vitro. Antiviral Res. 2020 Jun;178:104787. doi: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2020.104787. Epub 2020 Apr 3. PMID: 32251768; PMCID: PMC7129059. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7129059/

Chen L, Bi S, Wei Q, Zhao Z, Wang C, Xie S. Ivermectin suppresses tumour growth and metastasis through degradation of PAK1 in oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma. J Cell Mol Med. 2020 May;24(9):5387-5401. doi: 10.1111/jcmm.15195. Epub 2020 Mar 31. PMID: 32237037; PMCID: PMC7205794. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32237037/

Crump A. Ivermectin: enigmatic multifaceted 'wonder' drug continues to surprise and exceed expectations. J Antibiot (Tokyo). 2017 May;70(5):495-505. doi: 10.1038/ja.2017.11. Epub 2017 Feb 15. PMID: 28196978. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28196978/

Deng F, Xu Q, Long J, Xie H. Suppressing ROS-TFE3-dependent autophagy enhances ivermectin-induced apoptosis in human melanoma cells. J Cell Biochem. 2019 Feb;120(2):1702-1715. doi: 10.1002/jcb.27490. Epub 2018 Sep 6. PMID: 30187952. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30187952/

DiNicolantonio JJ, Barroso J, McCarty M. Ivermectin may be a clinically useful anti-inflammatory agent for late-stage COVID-19. Open Heart. 2020 Sep;7(2):e001350. doi: 10.1136/openhrt-2020-001350. Erratum in: Open Heart. 2020 Oct;7(2):e001350corr1. doi: 10.1136/openhrt-2020-001350corr1. PMID: 32895293; PMCID: PMC7476419. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32895293/

Dou Q, Chen HN, Wang K, Yuan K, Lei Y, Li K, Lan J, Chen Y, Huang Z, Xie N, Zhang L, Xiang R, Nice EC, Wei Y, Huang C. Ivermectin Induces Cytostatic Autophagy by Blocking the PAK1/Akt Axis in Breast Cancer. Cancer Res. 2016 Aug 1;76(15):4457-69. doi: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-15-2887. Epub 2016 Jun 14. PMID: 27302166. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27302166/

Draganov D, Han Z, Rana A, Bennett N, Irvine DJ, Lee PP. Ivermectin converts cold tumors hot and synergizes with immune checkpoint blockade for treatment of breast cancer. NPJ Breast Cancer. 2021 Mar 2;7(1):22. doi: 10.1038/s41523-021-00229-5. PMID: 33654071; PMCID: PMC7925581. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33654071/

Drinyaev VA, Mosin VA, Kruglyak EB, Novik TS, Sterlina TS, Ermakova NV, Kublik LN, Levitman MKh, Shaposhnikova VV, Korystov YN. Antitumor effect of avermectins. Eur J Pharmacol. 2004 Oct 6;501(1-3):19-23. doi: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2004.08.009. PMID: 15464058. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15464058/ this is the first reference in pp 1.

Driniaev VA, Mosin VA, Krugliak EB, Sterlina TC, Novik TC, Ermakova NV, Kublik LN, Levitman MKh, Shaposhnikova VV, Korystov IuN. Modifikatsiia protivoopukhlevogo effekta vinkristina prirodnymi avermektinami [Modification of antitumor effect of vincristine by natural avermectins]. Antibiot Khimioter. 2004;49(6):3-5. Russian. PMID: 15628794. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15628794/ this reference is the second reference in paragraph 1.

Drugbank. Mechanisms and uses of ivermectin. Accessed February 21, 2025. https://go.drugbank.com/drugs/DB00602

Götz V, Magar L, Dornfeld D, Giese S, Pohlmann A, Höper D, Kong BW, Jans DA, Beer M, Haller O, Schwemmle M. Influenza A viruses escape from MxA restriction at the expense of efficient nuclear vRNP import. Sci Rep. 2016 Mar 18;6:23138. doi: 10.1038/srep23138. Erratum in: Sci Rep. 2016 May 09;6:25428. doi: 10.1038/srep25428. PMID: 26988202; PMCID: PMC4796820. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26988202/

Hashimoto H, Sudo T, Maruta H, Nishimura R. The direct PAK1 inhibitor, TAT-PAK18, blocks preferentially the growth of human ovarian cancer cell lines in which PAK1 is abnormally activated by autophosphorylation at Thr 423. Drug Discov Ther. 2010 Feb;4(1):1-4. PMID: 22491145. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22491145/

Juarez M, Schcolnik-Cabrera A, Dueñas-Gonzalez A. The multitargeted drug ivermectin: from an antiparasitic agent to a repositioned cancer drug. Am J Cancer Res. 2018 Feb 1;8(2):317-331. PMID: 29511601; PMCID: PMC5835698. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29511601/

Kodama M, Kodama T, Newberg JY, Katayama H, Kobayashi M, Hanash SM, Yoshihara K, Wei Z, Tien JC, Rangel R, Hashimoto K, Mabuchi S, Sawada K, Kimura T, Copeland NG, Jenkins NA. In vivo loss-of-function screens identify KPNB1 as a new druggable oncogene in epithelial ovarian cancer. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2017 Aug 29;114(35):E7301-E7310. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1705441114. Epub 2017 Aug 15. PMID: 28811376; PMCID: PMC5584430. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28811376/

Korystov YN, Ermakova NV, Kublik LN, Levitman MKh, Shaposhnikova VV, Mosin VA, Drinyaev VA, Kruglyak EB, Novik TS, Sterlina TS. Avermectins inhibit multidrug resistance of tumor cells. Eur J Pharmacol. 2004 Jun 16;493(1-3):57-64. doi: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2004.03.067. PMID: 15189764. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15189764/

Kositz C, Bradley J, Hutchins H, Last A, D'Alessandro U, Marks M. Broadening the range of use cases for ivermectin - a review of the evidence. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 2022 Mar 2;116(3):201-212. doi: 10.1093/trstmh/trab114. PMID: 34323283; PMCID: PMC8890779.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34323283/

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Liu J, Zhang K, Cheng L, Zhu H, Xu T. Progress in Understanding the Molecular Mechanisms Underlying the Antitumour Effects of Ivermectin. Drug Des Devel Ther. 2020 Jan 21;14:285-296. doi: 10.2147/DDDT.S237393. PMID: 32021111; PMCID: PMC6982461. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6982461/

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Mathachan SR, Sardana K, Khurana A. Current Use of Ivermectin in Dermatology, Tropical Medicine, and COVID-19: An Update on Pharmacology, Uses, Proven and Varied Proposed Mechanistic Action. Indian Dermatol Online J. 2021 Jul 14;12(4):500-514. doi: 10.4103/idoj.idoj_298_21. PMID: 34430453; PMCID: PMC8354388. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34430453/

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Wang J, Xu Y, Wan H, Hu J. Antibiotic ivermectin selectively induces apoptosis in chronic myeloid leukemia through inducing mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2018 Feb 26;497(1):241-247. doi: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2018.02.063. Epub 2018 Feb 8. PMID: 29428725. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29428725/

Paul Zhang, M.D., Ph.D.; Anti-Parasite drug Ivermectin shows promise against cancer. March 22, 2021. http://i2b.us/anti-parasite-drug-ivermectin-shows-promise-against-cancer/

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WHAT I REALLY THINK

This could be a book just on cancer - and your doctor may appreciate that more than a PDF handout! I think that including this entire topic in this book will 1) drown it out a bit, because the title doesn’t have the word, “cancer” in it; and 2) keep people away from doctors and the hospital, so it “fits”; 3) the book cover is already completed; I could add “cancer” in there somewhere, but it would cost ?$300.

What do you think?

Guidebook to Surviving White Coats and Hospitals

Guidebook to Surviving White Coats, Hospitals, and Cancer

Guidebook to Surviving White Coats, Hospitals, and Chemotherapy

Thank you for helping me and giving me your feedback; this effort is enormous and I am excited to share what I have to date!

Have you ever helped someone write a book? You have now!!!

LET US PRAY

Holy God,

I seek my forgiveness from my Forgiver.

I seek You, not what I can get from You.

I desire my Healer, not my healing.

I long for for my Comforter, not for my comfort.

I die to myself today, and live for You.

I worship You for who You are, not for what You have done.

In the Name of Jesus.

Amen.