A recently published study shocked the medical community when high-dose intravenous vitamin C (HDIVC) was shown to double median overall survival for patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer. Although there have been positive studies demonstrating the effectiveness of HDIVC with cancer, this study finally caught the attention of the oncology world.

The study was conducted at the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Iowa. The 34 patients in the study had stage IV pancreatic cancer, meaning the cancer has spread from the pancreas to other body parts. The overall survival rate for metastatic pancreatic cancer at 5 years is a dismal 5%. All the participants received IV chemotherapy weekly for three weeks of a four-week cycle. Participants were randomized to receive the same chemotherapy in addition to HDIVC (75 grams) three times weekly during all four weeks of the cycle. 

Results

*Those who received chemotherapy and HDIVC had an increased survival of 16 months compared to 8.3 months with chemotherapy-only treatment.

*HDIVC did not have a negative impact on quality of life or increase the frequency or severity of adverse events.

*Patients receiving HDIVC had a reduction in chemotherapy-related toxicity symptoms (as previous studies have demonstrated. There was a reduction in the drop of white blood cells and platelets for those receiving HDIVC.

*Blood levels of vitamin C were nearly 500-fold higher in those receiving HDIVC

Conclusion

In our book Outside The Box Cancer Therapies: Alternative Therapies That Treat and Prevent Cancer, we document several studies demonstrating benefits and safety with HDIVC. I have used HDIVC for my clinic for many years to help patients with integrative cancer therapy. Like this study, I use it along with conventional treatments to attack cancer more aggressively. Simultaneously, HDIVC reduces the side effects of chemotherapy and improves quality of life without interfering with the benefits of conventional therapy. 

There is starting to be more acceptance of HDIVC in the medical community. However, many oncologists and doctors are unaware of the benefits of HDIVC for people with cancer. One concern of HDIVC becoming mainstream is that there is little money to be made with this procedure. Most HDIVC treatments cost up to $300 (three hundred dollars), whereas one chemotherapy session can cost on average $7000 (seven thousand dollars). There is no incentive for drug companies to study HDIVC. Hopefully, the new United States Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr, will support this type of integrative medicine research.  By all accounts, RFK supports nutritional and holistic medicine. People need to have better access to helpful, holistic therapies.

Reference

Bodeker, K. L., Smith, B. J., Berg, D. J., Chandrasekharan, C., Sharif, S., Fei, N., Vollstedt, S., Brown, H., Chandler, M., Lorack, A., McMichael, S., Wulfekuhle, J., Wagner, B. A., Buettner, G. R., Allen, B. G., Caster, J. M., Dion, B., Kamgar, M., Buatti, J. M., & Cullen, J. J. (2024). A randomized trial of pharmacological ascorbate, gemcitabine, and nab-paclitaxel for metastatic pancreatic cancer. Redox biology, 77, 103375. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.redox.2024.103375

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