Intravenous vitamin C (IVC) is a contentious adjunctive cancer therapy, widely used in naturopathic and integrative oncology settings. We conducted a systematic review of human interventional and observational studies assessing IVC for use in cancer patients. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, The Cochrane Library, CINAHL, and AMED from inception to April 2013 for human studies examining the safety, effectiveness, or pharmacokinetics of IVC use in cancer patients. Of 897 records, a total of 39 reports of 37 studies were included: 2 randomized controlled trials (RCTs), 15 uncontrolled trials, 6 observational studies, and 14 case reports. IVC dosing ranged from 1 g to more than 200 g ascorbic acid per infusion, typically administered 2 to 3 times weekly. IVC does not appear to increase toxicity or interfere with antitumor effects of gemcitabine/erlotinib therapy or paclitaxel and carboplatin. Based on 1 RCT and data from uncontrolled human trials, IVC may improve time to relapse and possibly enhance reductions in tumor mass and improve survival in combination with chemotherapy.
IVC may improve quality of life, physical function, and toxicities associated with chemotherapy, including fatigue, nausea, insomnia, constipation, and depression. Case reports document several instances of tumor regression and long-term disease-free survival associated with use of IVC. There is limited high-quality clinical evidence on the safety and effectiveness of IVC. The existing evidence is preliminary and cannot be considered conclusive but is suggestive of a good safety profile and potentially important antitumor activity; however, more rigorous evidence is needed to conclusively demonstrate these effects. IVC may improve the quality of life and symptom severity of patients with cancer, and several cases of cancer remission have been reported. Well-designed, controlled studies of IVC therapy are needed.ReferencesChooseTop of pageAbstractIntroductionMethodsResultsDiscussionReferences <
His responsibilities included covering the Emergency Room in the hospital and helping the town physician at his three clinics. Emergency Room call was shared with a medical student and the hospital and clinic rotation was for five weeks. A week into the training, a home health care agency nurse visited the clinic and asked if the medical student or the author knew of a treatment that could help a "terminal" breast cancer patient with pain control. She said the patient had cancer for several years and the latest bone scan showed that the cancer had metastasized to "nearly every bone in her skeleton." She was particularly worried about pain from ametastatic lesion in the the patient's left upper arm. The patient was taking I.V. morphine for pain and needed sublingual morphine to cope with pain associated with getting up and going to the bathroom. The medical student (who planned on a career in pain management and anesthesia), enthusiastically described a nerve block procedure that would relieve the pain but, "unfortunately," loss of function of the arm, as well.
Information about the experiences at The Center with the control of metastatic bone pain using high doses of intravenous vitamin C was given to the nurse. She was also furnished with references describing the usefulness of Vitamin C in helping cancer patients. One article, from the present authors, (NR, JAJ, HDR) described the preferential toxicity of vitamin C toward tumor cells, and presented evidence listing the plasma concentrations of vitamin C that would be beneficial as a preferential cytotoxic agent in humans. The nurse's reaction was less than enthusiastic. She said she would ask the patient if she was interested and would also ask the physician if he would be willing to try something like vitamin C. Since the doses suggested in the article were in excess of 100 grams intravenous per day, and the RDA for vitamin C is 60 mg per day, a positive reply was not expected. Some physicians and health care workers believe (wrongly) that any dose over two grams intravenously will either kill you or make you very ill by inducing an acidotic state.
As fate would have it, this patient visited the clinic the next day complaining of a painful, swollen, left arm. A Doppler venogram revealed both subclavian veins to be blocked by blood clots. She was admitted to the hospital and started on anticoagulant therapy. Many staff did not think she would leave the hospital alive. During clinical rounds, the patient said that she had read the paper on vitamin C and was anxious to try the I.V. C therapy because it offered her some hope. Also, the Home Health nurse said that she and the physician had read the article and were were willing to try the I.V. vitamin C treatments. The physician later said he was enthusiastic to try something that could actually have a positive effect on the pain and disease processes. He also said that he wanted to clear the blood clots before starting the vitamin C treatment. He was concerned that if an embolism occurred and the patient died, it would be blamed on the I.V. vitamin C treatment (obviously an enlightened physician).
He did start the patient on oral vitamin C, 250 mg per day, to prevent scurvy, a common occurrence in disseminated metastatic disease. The patient was treated one time with Activase R to clear the clots. An arterial blood sample was drawn from the patient's wrist shortly after the anticoagulant therapy. This resulted in extensive subcutaneous bleeding with bruising of the entire arm, and the site subsequently became infected, swollen, and hot to the touch. She continued to receive small doses of I.V. and oral anticoagulant therapy, antibiotic therapy and oral vitamin C. The infection had not cleared within a week, probably due to poor circulation in the arm and depressed immune system of the patient. The next week, the patient's physician visited Wichita and spoke to H Riordan at The Center. Riordan furnished him with vitamin C to use in the I.V. treatment. 1 2 3 Next on CancerAlternative Medicine CenterCancer Centerby Neil RiordanEvents Today Featured Subscribe to KUMC Events Calendar via Outlook RSS of Events Information for: Students |
Residents Faculty & Staff Researchers Patients Prospective Employees Alumni | Donors Academics Blackboard | JayDocs The Beat Enroll & Pay Dykes Library Academic Calendar More Student Services Outlook myKUMC intranet SharePoint HR/Payroll System JayLog Manage Your Password OASIS Secure File Transfers TLC VPN Diversity & Inclusion KUMC Leadership Facilities & Maintenance Human Resources Information Resources KUMC A-Z: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Graduate Studies School of Health Professions School of Nursing School of Medicine KU - Edwards KU - Lawrence KU SOM - Salina KU SOM - Wichita University of Kansas Hospital Integrative Medicine: A Healing ResponseNourishing the whole person -- body, mind and spirit -- and stimulating the body's natural healing response, is our mission at KU Integrative Medicine. We combine the best therapies from conventional medicine with our integrative medicine approach, to form a comprehensive system of biomedical care. From a patient's very first visit with us, we attempt to uncover the underlying story of the patient's journey from wellness to disease.
Based on our findings, we tailor a plan for each individual patient based on their lifestyle, their needs and their preferences. We consider the patient an integral part of the treatment team, and encourage patients to take control of their medical care. Practitioners at KU Integrative Medicine include physicians, a naturopathic doctor, nurses, certified neurofeedback technicians and registered dietitians. We hope that you want to learn more about us, our services, and how we can help you forge a new path to healing and wellness. Because Integrative Medicine attempts to dig deeper, very specialized lab work is often ordered. This also enables us to personalize your care and cater to your biochemical individuality. NUTRITION: Eating healthy is the key to feeling good and being well. Our counseling includes meal planning and supplements based on your biochemistry, lifestyle and food preferences. Let us help you create a personalized nutrition plan or sign up for a cooking class.
NEUROFEEDBACK: You can rebalance your brain, and by doing so address stress, fatigue, pain and negative behaviors and emotions in your life. Our treatment maps your brain's activity, allowing patients to visualize its patterns and alter its function. INFUSION: Research shows that intravenous vitamin C at high doses, used in conjunction with chemotherapy or radiation, kills cancer cells in the early stages of the disease. We offer this additional treatment in conjunction with a patient's chemotherapy regimen. You asked and we listened! KU Integrative Medicine is now a trusted source for your high-quality supplement needs. Key supplements are available at the front office.The fellowship for 2016 is closed. Applications for the 2017 fellowship are welcome. Deadline: January 15, 2017 Learn MoreAnxiety, hormone imbalances, disrupted sleep, depression - Emily Curran Day suffered from all of them in her late 20s. As a nurse, she knew none of it was normal for an otherwise healthy young woman, but she worried that any conventional treatment would address only her symptoms.