A recent study published in Redox Biology has found that adding intravenous, high-dose vitamin C to chemotherapy for patients with late-stage, metastatic pancreatic cancer significantly improves survival rates. Patients who received both chemotherapy and high-dose vitamin C had a median survival of 16 months, double the 8 months seen in those who received chemotherapy alone. Dr. Joseph J. Cullen, a professor at the University of Iowa, highlighted that the results were so promising that the trial was stopped early to ensure patients could benefit from the treatment.
The study involved 34 patients with stage 4 pancreatic cancer, who were randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group received standard chemotherapy, which included gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel. The second group received the same chemotherapy plus intravenous infusions of 75 grams of vitamin C three times a week. The combination of vitamin C and chemotherapy led to a significant improvement in survival outcomes, with patients in the vitamin C group living, on average, twice as long as those receiving chemotherapy alone.
In addition to extending survival, the high-dose vitamin C treatment appeared to enhance the patients’ quality of life. Dr. Cullen noted that patients who received both treatments experienced fewer side effects and were better able to tolerate the chemotherapy regimen. These findings are consistent with other trials that suggest vitamin C can help reduce the toxic effects of cancer treatments, potentially allowing patients to undergo more aggressive therapies with less discomfort.
The use of high-dose intravenous vitamin C in cancer treatment is not a new concept. Dr. Cullen and his colleague, Dr. Bryan Allen, have previously conducted research on the benefits of vitamin C in combination with chemotherapy and radiation, including in a trial for glioblastoma, a particularly aggressive brain cancer. Their work has consistently shown that high-dose vitamin C can significantly increase survival, reinforcing the potential of this treatment strategy.
This study is part of a long-term research effort by Dr. Cullen, Dr. Allen, and their team at the University of Iowa. Over the past two decades, they have demonstrated that intravenous vitamin C can achieve much higher blood concentrations than oral supplementation, which in turn makes cancer cells more susceptible to the effects of chemotherapy and radiation. The team’s ongoing research has led to remarkable outcomes, including long-term survivors in pancreatic cancer trials, with some patients living beyond the typical survival time, further validating the potential of high-dose vitamin C as a promising adjunct to traditional cancer therapies.
