By Jeremy Laurance, Health Editor
Published: 28 March 2006
New research suggesting that vitamin C can be effective in curing cancer will renew interest in the “alternative” treatment for the terminal disease.
Three cancer patients who were given large intravenous doses over a
period of several months had their lives extended and their tumours
shrunk, doctors reported yesterday.
A 49-year-old man diagnosed with terminal bladder cancer in 1996 was
still alive and cancer-free nine years later, having declined
chemotherapy and radiotherapy in favour of regular infusions of
vitamin C.
A 66-year-old woman with an aggressive lymphoma who had a “dismal
prognosis” in 1995 was similarly treated and is still alive 10 years
later. A 51-year-old woman with kidney cancer that spread to her
lungs diagnosed in 1995 had a normal chest X-ray two years later. The
findings were confirmed by pathologists. Although they do not prove
the vitamin cured the cancer they do increase the “clinical
plausibility” of the idea, the researchers say.
Vitamin C therapy was first promoted by Linus Pauling, the Nobel
prize winner, 30 years ago. Dr Pauling’s claims sparked the
continuing boom in sales of vitamin C, but attempts to confirm his
findings failed and high-dose vitamin C became an “alternative”
therapy.
The latest study, published in the Canadian Association’s Medical
Journal, could trigger renewed interest in Dr Pauling’s claims.
Studies show that vitamin C is toxic to some cancer cells but not to
normal cells. The problem has been delivering a high enough dose.
The researchers say attempts to replicate Dr Pauling’s work failed
because they used oral doses of the drug which is rapidly excreted.
However, injections achieve blood levels 25 times higher that persist
for longer. At these very high doses, the blood level of vitamin C is
high enough to selectively kill cancer cells.
Several clinical trials of vitamin C therapy are about to start,
including one at McGill University, Montreal, the authors say.
New research suggesting that vitamin C can be effective in curing
cancer will renew interest in the “alternative” treatment for the
terminal disease.
Three cancer patients who were given large intravenous doses over a
period of several months had their lives extended and their tumours
shrunk, doctors reported yesterday.
A 49-year-old man diagnosed with terminal bladder cancer in 1996 was
still alive and cancer-free nine years later, having declined
chemotherapy and radiotherapy in favour of regular infusions of
vitamin C.
A 66-year-old woman with an aggressive lymphoma who had a “dismal
prognosis” in 1995 was similarly treated and is still alive 10 years
later. A 51-year-old woman with kidney cancer that spread to her
lungs diagnosed in 1995 had a normal chest X-ray two years later. The
findings were confirmed by pathologists. Although they do not prove
the vitamin cured the cancer they do increase the “clinical
plausibility” of the idea, the researchers say.
Vitamin C therapy was first promoted by Linus Pauling, the Nobel
prize winner, 30 years ago. Dr Pauling’s claims sparked the
continuing boom in sales of vitamin C, but attempts to confirm his
findings failed and high-dose vitamin C became an “alternative”
therapy.
The latest study, published in the Canadian Association’s Medical
Journal, could trigger renewed interest in Dr Pauling’s claims.
Studies show that vitamin C is toxic to some cancer cells but not to
normal cells. The problem has been delivering a high enough dose.
The researchers say attempts to replicate Dr Pauling’s work failed
because they used oral doses of the drug which is rapidly excreted.
However, injections achieve blood levels 25 times higher that persist
for longer. At these very high doses, the blood level of vitamin C is
high enough to selectively kill cancer cells.
Several clinical trials of vitamin C therapy are about to start,
including one at McGill University, Montreal, the authors say.
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