Cancer Patients Are Choosing Ivermectin over Chemo, and Doctors Are Concerned

Cancer patients are choosing ivermectin over chemo, and doctors are concerned

Ivermectin, the anti-parasitic medication most commonly used as a dewormer in animals, is back in the limelight. This time it has nothing to do with COVID-19.

Some cancer patients turn to ivermectin despite lack of evidence it works for that purpose.

(ABC) — Ivermectin, which surged in popularity during the coronavirus pandemic amid unproven claims that it could help fight COVID-19 infections, has now found a new following among some cancer patients. Prescriptions for the antiparasitic drug among cancer patients more than doubled in the first half of 2025, following the airing of a popular podcast episode promoting the drug, according to a study published in JAMA. “I have three friends. All …

Why ivermectin is in the limelight again

As patient interest rises for using the antiparasitic drug in cancer, doctors are urging caution to see if the science catches up with the hype.