From the Guidelines
Ivermectin cannot be recommended as a standard treatment for colorectal cancer at this time, and standard treatments like surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and targeted therapies remain the evidence-based options. Human studies on the use of ivermectin for colorectal cancer are currently limited and preliminary, with no recent high-quality studies supporting its use in this context 1. The most recent guidelines for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer, published in 2023, do not mention ivermectin as a recommended treatment option 1.
Key Points to Consider
- The current evidence for ivermectin in colorectal cancer treatment is limited to laboratory studies and early phase clinical trials, which have primarily focused on safety and determining appropriate dosing rather than establishing efficacy.
- Ivermectin has shown potential anti-cancer properties in laboratory studies by inhibiting the WNT-TCF pathway, which is often dysregulated in colorectal cancer, and by potentially sensitizing cancer cells to conventional treatments.
- Patients should understand that using ivermectin for cancer treatment remains investigational, and enrollment in clinical trials would be the appropriate way to access this treatment approach.
- The safety profile of ivermectin at the doses studied appears to be acceptable, with common side effects including nausea, dizziness, and rash.
Treatment Recommendations
- Doublet chemotherapy should be offered, or triplet therapy may be offered to patients with previously untreated, initially unresectable metastatic colorectal cancer, based on recent guidelines 1.
- Standard colorectal cancer treatments like surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and targeted therapies remain the evidence-based options while research on ivermectin continues.
From the Research
Human Studies on Ivermectin for Colorectal Cancer
- There is limited research on the use of ivermectin in humans for colorectal cancer, with most studies focusing on its antiparasitic and antiviral properties 2.
- However, one study found that ivermectin inhibited the growth of colorectal cancer cells and induced apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner 3.
- The study suggested that ivermectin may be a potential anticancer drug therapy for human colorectal cancer, but more research is needed to confirm its efficacy and safety in humans.
- Other studies have focused on targeted therapy and immunotherapy for metastatic colorectal cancer, highlighting the need for more effective treatments for this disease 4, 5.
- The current evidence on ivermectin for colorectal cancer is limited to in vitro studies and animal models, and there is a need for more human clinical trials to fully understand its potential as a treatment for this disease.
- The use of ivermectin for colorectal cancer is not currently supported by high-quality evidence, and more research is needed to determine its safety and efficacy in humans 6, 3.