Cancer Advisor

An old drug for alcoholism could transform the way colorectal cancer is treated — from underdog repurposed agent to precision metabolic killer If you or someone you love has colorectal cancer, this research deserves your attention. A March 2026 preclinical study has uncovered a striking metabolic vulnerability in colorectal cancer cells — one that could transform how an old, inexpensive drug is used against one of the most common cancer mutations in the disease. The discovery centres on a mutation in the APC gene. Cells carrying this mutation become unusually dependent on an enzyme called ALDH2 to survive. Researchers have been eyeing disulfiram (DSF) as a potential treatment for many cancers for some time — I have been watching it for over ten years. I believe it may help create a cell-death condition similar to ferroptosis called cuproptosis — where copper, rather than iron, is the key trigger (this remains my hypothesis and is speculative at this stage, not established by the 2026 ...

Summary Background: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains one of the most lethal malignancies, with limited effective therapies and poor survival, especially in stage 4 disease. Repurposing antiparasitic agents such as fenbendazole and ivermectin has garnered interest due to their demonstrated anti-cancer properties in preclinical studies. Methods: We reviewed and synthesized 35 detailed case reports from 2022 to 2026 documenting the clinical use of fenbendazole and ivermectin, alone or in combination with standard therapies, in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. Tumor markers, imaging outcomes, and clinical responses were analyzed alongside mechanistic literature. Results: Across cases, patients exhibited marked reductions in CA19-9 tumor markers (often >70%), significant tumor shrinkage on imaging, and improved clinical status. Responses were observed even in chemotherapy-resistant and metastatic disease. Mechanistic studies support multiple anti-cancer effects of...

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most aggressive and lethal cancers worldwide. With a 5-year survival rate of only 13% (American Cancer Society, 2026 data) and dropping to 3% for metastatic disease, PDAC has seen little improvement in outcomes over the past decades. Late diagnosis, dense tumor stroma, and near-universal KRAS mutations (90-95% of cases) drive rapid resistance to standard chemotherapy. Most patients are diagnosed at advanced stages, and resistance to chemotherapy develops rapidly. However, 2025–2026 has brought an unprecedented wave of breakthroughs that may finally shift the landscape of pancreatic cancer treatment.  A landmark triple drug therapy for pancreatic cancer, detailed in a December 2025/January 2026 study published in  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences  (PNAS) by researchers at Spain’s National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), has delivered unprecedented preclinical results: complete tumor eradication in multiple...