Bladder Cancer - would Ivermectin help?

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In Sept 23 I was first diagnosed with G2 Low Grade pTa Bladder Cancer with a diverticakum.  After a TURBT procedure I had a course of Chemotherapy x 6.  This proved to be unsuccessful.  In Sept 24 I was reviewed and diagnosed with G3 pTa High Grade Plus CIS.  I have just completed a course of 6 BCG injections into the bladder.  Im due to have a flexible cystoscopy in mid February.  Depending on that I may have 3 more BCG injections and then biopsies.

A friend of mine had heard about Ivermectin which apparently may help to inhibit bladder cancer cell growth.  I can't find out much about this medication apart it is used in veterinary circles and or parasites/worms in humans?  Don't know anything else and wondered if you have heard of this and if so is it available in UK and NHS and in my circumstances.  

I should also mention that in addition to my bladder cancer I have cirrhosis (NAFLD) of my liver and also have an ileostomy and am Diabetic Grade 2.   If this available are you aware of how this might interact with my current conditions.

I will, mm of course, try and follow this up with the hospital on my next visit.  Am just looking at any alternatives in case my current program does not work (although my team may have another plan up their sleeve).

Thank you

  • Hello Mr Shorter

    Thank you for your question about treatment options. My name is Sarah, one of the Cancer Information Nurses on the Macmillan Support Line.

    Welcome to our online community.

    I am sorry to hear that your TURBT and chemotherapy treatment last year was not successful. I can appreciate you wanting to think about treatment options, when you meet your consultant next to discuss your BCG treatment.

    Your treatment team will have access to your notes and results and are best placed to discuss any other treatment available in the UK.

    New treatments are approved by independent organisations before doctors can prescribe them on the NHS. The process is different for each country in the United Kingdom.

    Before any new medicine can be used to treat people in the UK, it goes through a strictly monitored development process. This involves researching the medicine in the lab and testing it in clinical trials. After passing the clinical trials, a licence will be granted before it can be made available for wider use.

    You can read more about clinical trials here. There do not appear to be any trials for Ivermectin to be used as an anti-cancer therapy.

    Licences are only granted if strict safety and quality standards are met. In the UK, licences are granted by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

    In England there is the Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF). It aims to make promising cancer drugs available to patients in England. NHS England runs it. But NICE decides on the drugs to include in the Fund. Ivermectin is not on the current Cancer drugs fund list.

    NICE sometimes gives new drugs conditional approval. This is when a drug shows promising results, but NICE needs more evidence about how well the drug works to know if it’s a good use of NHS money. The drug might be available from the CDF for a short period of time. This is often around two years until NICE publishes its final decision.

    NICE sometimes reviews a drug and decides not to approve it for use in the NHS. Since July 2016, the CDF can no longer provide these drugs. You will need to talk to your specialist about this. They must make the application to the CDF for you.

    It can help to write down questions you have for your hospital team in preparation for your next appointment. It can sometimes help to get a second opinion about treatment form a different doctor.

    Sometimes it can help to talk things through with one of our nurses on the support line. You may also find support through our online community bladder cancer forum. It can help to connect with others going through treatment.

    If you have any further information or support needs, the Macmillan Support line offers practical, clinical, financial and emotional support.

    Best wishes

    Sarah, Cancer Information Nurse Specialist

    You can also speak with the Macmillan Support Line team of experts. Phone free on 0808 808 0000 (7 days a week, 8am-8pm) or send us an email

    Ref/ PW/SS

    Sarah S-Macmillan Cancer Information Nurse Specialist