Recently published research indicates that high doses of intravenous vitamin C (ascorbate, ascorbic acid) may be effective in treating cancer, particularly when used in combination with other tumor-reducing agents. Studies done in the 1970s by Linus Pauling, most famous for touting mega-doses of vitamin C to treat the common cold, also showed promise in the area of cancer treatment. However, subsequent research wasn't supporting his theory.

Vitamin C is Anti-Cancer
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) published a news release on August 5, 2008, announcing that research done at NIH was showing definite indication of vitamin C's anti-cancer effect. Mark Levine, M.D., chief of Molecular and Clinical Nutrition in one of NIH's specialty areas, conducted studies using high doses of ascorbate injected into the veins or abdominal cavities of rodents with aggressive brain, ovarian, and pancreatic tumors. The ascorbate injections reduced tumor size and growth by 41-53 percent in the mice studied.

It was determined that the flaw in previous studies was the use of high dosages taken only by mouth. The body has natural mechanisms that regulate the amount of vitamin C absorbed by mouth, no matter how high the intake. Injecting the substance, however, bypassed this absorption mechanism and resulted in high concentrations of vitamin C in blood and tissues. This was observed not only in the test mice but also in humans.

Ascorbate as Cancer Treatment
New clinical trials of ascorbate as cancer treatment are being planned. The authors of the current study caution that while their research showed that tumor growth was significantly decreased, the use of ascorbate alone was not shown to be a cure. Cancer treatment often involves the use of more than one agent. Further research of vitamin C's anti-cancer effect may show that optimal benefit is derived from combining it with other agents.

For further information, refer to: "Pharmacologic doses of ascorbate act as a prooxidant and decrease growth of aggressive tumor xenografts in mice," Chen, Q; Espey, M; Sun A; Pooput, C; Kirk, K; Krishna, M; Khosh, D; Drisko, J; Levine, M MD; Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences; Aug 4, 2008. [Epub ahead of print]. PMID: 18678913 [PubMed—as supplied by publisher].

The NIH News Release is available online at, http://www.nih.gov/news/health/aug2008/niddk-04.htm.