Vitamin C Boosts Cancer Survival
A new study offers hope for patients facing some of the toughest cancer diagnoses. In a phase 2 clinical trial, adding high-dose intravenous (IV) vitamin C to standard chemotherapy nearly doubled survival for people with advanced pancreatic cancer—from 8 months to 16 months. Patients also reported feeling better during treatment, with fewer side effects and improved ability to tolerate therapy. This research adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting that high-dose IV vitamin C could help improve both survival and quality of life for people with aggressive cancers.
Researchers at the University of Iowa have spent nearly 20 years studying the effects of vitamin C delivered by IV rather than by mouth, where it can reach levels high enough to damage cancer cells while leaving healthy cells mostly unharmed. Encouraging results have also been seen in brain cancer and are being studied in lung cancer. Experts say that because vitamin C is low-cost and well tolerated, it could become a helpful add-on to treatment—not just for pancreatic cancer, but for other difficult-to-treat cancers as well. (Source: University of Iowa Health Care / Redox Biology)
