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Vitamin C Slows Cancer Down
Orthomolecular Medicine News Service, October 31, 2008
Vitamin C Slows Cancer Down
And, Doctors Say, Can Reverse It as Well
(OMNS, October 31, 2008) The BBC recently reported (1) that "Vitamin C 'slows cancer
growth.' An injection of a high dose of vitamin C may be able to hold back the advance of
cancers, US scientists claim. The vitamin may start a destructive chain reaction within the
cancer cell." The injection "halved the size" of tumors, and was reported in the Proceedings
of the National Academy of Sciences.
The study authors themselves said that daily, high-dose vitamin C treatment "significantly
decreased growth rates" of ovarian, pancreatic, and malignant brain tumors in mice. Such
high, cancer-stopping levels of vitamin C can be "readily achieved in humans given ascorbate
intravenously." (2)
"Readily achieved"? Then this is important, absolutely vital news for millions fighting or
fearing cancer.
So what do major cancer organizations have to say? Not much. That is disappointing, but
hardly surprising. Both the American Cancer Society and Cancer Research UK have
downplayed or flatly ignored decades of physician reports and controlled clinical studies
indicating that vitamin C stops cancer. What's worse, each of these supposedly
comprehensive cancer research and education organizations continues to actively discourage
people from using vitamin C against cancer.
Look for yourself and see. The American Cancer Society's vitamin C webpage (3)
specifically states: "Although high does of vitamin C have been suggested as a cancer
treatment, the available evidence from clinical trials has not shown any benefit." And Cancer
Research UK states that "There is currently no evidence from clinical trials in humans that
injecting or consuming vitamin C is an effective way to treat cancer." (1)
"No benefit," they say. "No evidence," they say.
Both organizations are wrong. Neither statement is true.
In 2008, Korean doctors reported that intravenous vitamin C "plays a crucial role in the
suppression of proliferation of several types of cancer," notably melanoma. (4)
In 2006, Canadian doctors reported on the effectiveness of intravenous vitamin C in treating
cancer. (5)
In 2004, doctors in America and Puerto Rico published clinical cases of vitamin C successes
against cancer. (6)
In 1990, American doctors published their results successfully using vitamin C to treat kidney
cancer (7). In 1995 and 1996, other cancers. (8) Using 30,000 mg of intravenous vitamin C
twice per week, they found that "metastatic lesions in the lung and liver of a man with a
primary renal cell carcinoma disappeared in a matter of weeks. . . We subsequently reported a
case of resolution of bone metastases in a patient with primary breast cancer [1A] using
infusions of 100 grams, once or twice per week." (9)
In 1982, Japanese doctors showed that vitamin C greatly prolonged the lives of terminal
cancer patients. (10)
And as early as 1976, over two decades ago, physicians in Scotland showed that intravenous
vitamin C improved quality and length of life in terminal cancer patients. (11)
Why are ACS and Cancer Research UK oblivious to the weight of evidence? All these
previous clinical reports were published in peer-reviewed medical journals. One may bear in
mind that both ACS and Cancer UK made their restrictive statements August 2008. Yes,
2008. In spite of increasingly compelling evidence for 22 years, both the American Cancer
Society and Cancer Research UK are dragging their feet. Foot-dragging costs lives. Hundreds
of thousands of people have died from cancer that could have been helped with ascorbate
therapy. But for decades, their three advocated cancer treatments have been "cut, zap, and
drug": surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. The use of high doses of vitamins has been
thoroughly excluded.
Indeed, ACS still says: "If a supplement is taken, the best choice for most people is a
balanced multivitamin/mineral supplement that contains no more than 100% of the 'Daily
Value' of most nutrients." (3) That is harmful advice. Many well designed clinical studies
show that large doses of vitamin C and other nutrients improve both quality and length of life
for cancer patients. The key is the use of sufficiently high quantities, appropriately
administered. More orange juice just won't do it.
Cancer Research UK even maintains (1) that vitamin C "can make cancer treatment less
effective, reducing the benefits of radiotherapy and chemotherapy." That statement is untrue.
(12,13) Oncologists routinely administer antioxidant drugs along with chemotherapy with no
diminution of effect. (14)
ACS and Cancer Research UK say that there is "no evidence from clinical trials" that vitamin
C is any good against cancer. They should start reading the medical literature. They are way
behind the times. And they are wrong. Dead wrong.
References:
(1) BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/health/7540822.stm Published: Aug 4,
2008.
(2) Chen Q, Espey MG, Sun AY, Pooput C, Kirk KL, Krishna MC, Khosh DB, Drisko J,
Levine M. Pharmacologic doses of ascorbate act as a prooxidant and decrease growth of
aggressive tumor xenografts in mice. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2008 Aug 4.
(3) http://www.cancer.org/docroot/ETO/content/ETO_5_3X_Vitamin_C.asp (accessed Aug
12, 2008)
(4) Padayatty et al. Intravenously administered vitamin C as cancer therapy: three cases.
Canadian Medical Association Journal, 2006. 174(7), March 28, p 937-942.
http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/reprint/174/7/937
(5) Lee SK, Kang JS, Jung da J et al. Vitamin C suppresses proliferation of the human
melanoma cell SK-MEL-2 through the inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression
and the modulation of insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II) production. J Cell Physiol. 2008
Jul;216(1):180-8.
(6) Riordan HD, Riordan NH, Jackson JA, Casciari, J.J., Hunninghake, R, Gonzalez MJ,
Mora, E.M., Miranda-Massari, J.R., Rosario, N., Rivera, A.: Intravenous Vitamin C as a
Chemotherapy Agent: a Report on Clinical Cases. Puerto Rico Health Sciences J, June 2004,
23(2): 115-118.
(7) Riordan HD, Jackson JA, 'Schultz M. Case study: high-dose intravenous vitamin C in the
treatment of a patient with adenocarcinoma of the kidney. J Ortho Med 1990; 5: 5-7.
(8) Riordan N, Jackson JA, Riordan HD. Intravenous vitamin C in a terminal cancer patient. J
Ortho Med 1996; 11: 80-82. Also: Riordan, N. H., et al. (1995) Intravenous ascorbate as a
tumor cytotoxic chemotherapeutic agent. Medical Hypotheses, 44(3). p 207-213, March.
(9) Riordan NH, Riordan HD, Hunninghake RE. Intravenous ascorbate as a chemotherapeutic
and biologic response modifying agent. http://www.doctoryourself.com/riordan1.html and
http://www.canceraction.org.gg/recnac.htm . Additional papers may be read at
http://brightspot.org/cresearch/index.shtml .
(10) Murata A, Morishige F and Yamaguchi H. (1982) Prolongation of survival times of
terminal cancer patients by administration of large doses of ascorbate. International Journal
of Vitamin and Nutrition Research Suppl., 23, 1982, p. 103-113. Also in Hanck, A., ed.
(1982) Vitamin C: New Clinical Applications. Bern: Huber, 103-113).
(11) Cameron E and Pauling L. (1976) Supplemental ascorbate in the supportive treatment of
cancer: prolongation of survival times in terminal human cancer. Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences USA. 73:3685-3689. Also: Cameron E and Pauling L. (1978)
Supplemental ascorbate in the supportive treatment of cancer: Reevaluation of prolongation
of survival times in terminal human cancer. Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences USA. 75:4538-4542. And: Cameron E and Pauling L. (1981) Survival times of
terminal lung cancer patients treated with ascorbate. J. Intern. Acad. Prev. Med. 6: 21-27.
(12) Hoffer A. High doses of antioxidants including vitamin C do not decrease the efficacy of
chemotherapy. Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients.
http://www.doctoryourself.com/chemo.html
(13) Chemotherapy Doesn't Work, So Blame Vitamin C. Orthomolecular Medicine News
Service, October 7, 2008. http://orthomolecular.org/resources/omns/v04n12.shtml
(14) Moss RW. Antioxidants against Cancer. Equinox Press Inc. Brooklyn NY, 2000. ISBN10: 1881025284; ISBN-13: 978-1881025283. Also: Moss RW. Questioning Chemotherapy.
Equinox Press, Brooklyn NY, 1995. ISBN-10: 188102525X; ISBN-13: 978-1881025252.
For more information:
Intravenous vitamin C protocols for cancer treatment are posted at:
http://www.doctoryourself.com/riordan1.html
http://www.canceraction.org.gg/recnac.htm
http://www.doctoryourself.com/cameron.html
Cameron E and Pauling L. Cancer and Vitamin C, revised edition. Philadelphia: Camino
Books, 1993. ISBN-10: 094015921X; ISBN-13: 978-0940159211
Hoffer A and Pauling L. Vitamin C and Cancer: Discovery, Recovery, Controversy. Quarry
Press, Kingston, ON, 1999. ISBN 1-55082-078-8 Reviewed at
http://www.doctoryourself.com/hoffer_vitc_can.html
Riordan HD, Hunninghake, R.E., Riordan NH, Jackson, J.J., Meng, X.L., Taylor, P., Casciari,
J.J., Gonzalez MJ, Miranda-Massari, J.R., Mora, E.M., Norberto, R, Rivera, A. Intravenous
Ascorbic Acid: Protocol for its Application and Use. Puerto Rico Health Sciences Journal,
September 2003, 22:3.
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Bo H. Jonsson, MD, Ph.D
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Erik Paterson, M.D.
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