Support for adjunctive vitamin C treatment in cancer

Serious flaws in a recent study, which concluded that high doses of vitamin C reduce the effectiveness of chemotherapeutic drugs in the treatment of cancer, are revealed in the current issue of Alternative and Complementary Therapies, a journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

In the Medical Journal Watch column of the latest issue, Jack Challem, a personal nutrition coach and nutrition author from Tucson, Arizona, and a regular contributor to the Journal, challenges the findings of a study published in Cancer Research (2008;68:8031-8038), in which the authors conclude that vitamin C given to mice or cultured cells treated with common anti-cancer drugs reduces the antitumor effects of the chemotherapeutic agents.

Challem points out two main problems with the study: the oxidized form of vitamin C (dehydroascorbic acid) and not actual vitamin C (ascorbic acid) was used; and in the mouse experiments, the animals were given toxic doses of dehydroascorbic acid, a compound that is not used as a dietary supplement in humans.

"This study and the subsequent headlines [it generated] were a grievous disservice to physicians and patients with cancer," says Challem. He adds that "considerable positive research…has shown striking benefits from high-dose vitamin C (ascorbic acid) in cancer cells and animals—and in actual human beings."

High-dose intravenous vitamin C is a common form of alternative and complementary therapy for patients receiving chemotherapeutic drugs and is believed to help bring about tumor cell death. In addition, it may promote postsurgical healing by enhancing collagen formation, and increase tissue resistance to tumor spread.

Challem suggests that, "The ideal therapeutic approach would be to tailor individual treatment, including IV vitamin C, from a menu of options."

More information: The report is available free online at http://www.liebertpub.com/act

Source: Mary Ann Liebert

   

• deatopmg - Mar 06, 2009
  • Rank: 2.5 / 5 (2)
  It is obvious that the not-vitamin C, vitamin C study (Cancer Research (2008;68:8031-8038)) was designed, from the beginning by the industrial medical cartel, to fail. The cartel effectively uses the media as their dupes to disseminate the phony, deceptive results and the media goes along with it because of advertising revenue.
  
  The medical cartel and their servants, the FDA, will do everything w/in their power to limit the availability and hide the effectiveness of ANY treatment that might damage their bottom line (or in the case of ca. 75% of the FDA employees, limit the possibility of going to work in the cartel).
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• gopher65 - Mar 06, 2009
  • Rank: 1 / 5 (1)
  This guy is a nutrition coach (which requires no training). No background in the (real, non-social) sciences, no (real) research papers published (just new-agey magical-thinking garbage in fake journals), no credentials.
  
  If someone who, you know, ISN'T A QUACK WITH A BOOK DEAL ON THE LINE comes out and bashes this study, I'll listen. Pharmaceutical companies certainly do publish fake studies from time to time for marketing purposes. But this guy doesn't count as such a person.
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• E_L_Earnhardt - Mar 06, 2009
  • Rank: 1 / 5 (2)
  Did you ever notice that "grass" doesn't grow much in the winter! Little to sell here, but if I didn't want rapid growth of organic cells I would consider the refrigerator!
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