High-dose Vitamin C May Benefit Some Cancer Treatments
Could high-dose intravenous vitamin C help complement traditional cancer therapies? That’s the focus of a small phase 2 clinical trial by researchers at the University of Iowa. The work builds on nearly two decades of their research, aimed at demonstrating the effects of intravenous vitamin C, which allows blood concentrations unattainable with oral supplements.
For this study, the investigators randomly assigned 34 patients with stage 4 metastatic pancreatic cancer to receive either standard chemotherapy, or chemotherapy plus infusions of high-dose vitamin C. They found that patients who received the combination therapy had a median overall survival of 16 months — double that of the eight months seen with chemotherapy alone. Progression-free survival was also extended from four to six months, with fewer side effects and improved tolerance to chemotherapy treatment. High-dose intravenous vitamin C therapy has shown similar survival benefits in trials of glioblastoma (a type of brain tumor), and research is ongoing in patients with non-small cell lung cancer as well.
Try this recipe today: Red Quinoa Side Dish
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