In the 1970s, Linus Pauling and his colleagues administered high dose vitamin C (10 grams per day intravenously, followed by at least 10 grams orally) to terminal cancer patients. This therapy was helpful in increasing survival time and improving quality of life.

Subsequent to Pauling's studies, two randomized placebo-controlled studies conducted at the Mayo clinic found no differences in outcome between terminal cancer patients receiving 10 grams per day orally or placebo. The obvious difference between the Mayo clinic studies and the Pauling studies, was that The Mayo clinic did not use intravenous vitamin C.

In the 1990s, Hugh Riordan, MD and colleagues demonstrated that most tumor cell types, when exposed to a vitamin C concentration of 400 mg/dl in a culture medium, quickly die, while normal cells remain unaffected. Concentrations such as listed above can only be achieved through intravenous administration.

In August of 2005, Mark Levine, MD and colleagues, from the National Institutes of Health, performed a study similar to that of Hugh Riordan. They took several different cancer cell lines as well as normal cells, and exposed them to vitamin C in a culture medium. Using vitamin C concentrations only achievable through intravenous administration, Dr. Levine found that 5 different cancer cell lines died, while normal cells were unaffected. The mechanism of death to cancer cells was high levels of intracellular hydrogen peroxide which were produced in response to the vitamin C.

Since the 1970s, many cancer patients have been treated with regular infusions of high dose intravenous vitamin C. Some patients have been reported to be cured, while some went on to live many years with their cancer. Unfortunately, there are no large randomized, placebo-controlled, double blind studies with IV vitamin C, as are done with all new FDA approved drugs. Most studies such as these are funded by large pharmaceutical companies. Vitamin C simply has not grabbed the attention of the pharmaceutical industry, because a patent cannot be obtained on vitamins. There is little money to be made from large investments in vitamin research. Many of us are hopeful, however, that the study performed by Dr. Levine with the NIH will inspire a new avenue of research.

Cancer Treatment at the Institute for Healthy Aging

Is Our Treatment the Only Cancer Therapy You Should Seek?
At the Institute, we insist that all cancer patients receive a traditional cancer evaluation from the oncologists of their choice, prior to our evaluation. There will be times when the patient will best be served receiving chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and antioxidant therapy. It is not our intent to imply that our cancer therapy should function as a replacement for traditional cancer treatment. Rather, our therapy should serve as a complement to conventional therapy. We have found that our adjunctive therapy potentiates the effectiveness of chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy against cancer cells, while diminishing the negative effects to the healthy cells; this tends to result in less unwanted side effects.

Protocol

Most cancer patients will require three intravenous infusions per week, at least for the first 1-2 months. This will require that you have an intravenous line placed (such as a PIC line or central line) that can remain for at least a few months.

Laboratory and imaging studies will have to be performed prior to initiation of therapy, as well as periodically, to follow the progression or regression of disease.

At the Institute, our intravenous infusions consist of not only vitamin C, but also other antioxidants such as intravenous vitamin E, glutathione, and alpha lipoic acid. These antioxidants work synergistically and increase the effectiveness of vitamin C. Oral supplementation, especially between infusion days, has been found to be a very helpful adjunct to the intravenous infusions. The list of oral supplements can be significant and play an important role in successful cancer treatment.

Chemotherapy can be administered locally or through periodic visits to the oncologist of your choice.

Many Oncologists Recommend Avoiding Antioxidants during Chemotherapy or Radiation Therapy - Is there Validity to this Concern?
Radiation and many chemotherapy drugs kill cancer cells (and healthy cells) by causing oxidative stress, or free radicals. Antioxidants support the immune system by reducing free radicals. The concern that antioxidant therapy will undermine the effectiveness of chemo/radiation therapy is based on theory and conjecture rather than evidence. Interestingly, studies that have looked at the combination of therapies (chemotherapy and/or radiation in conjunction with antioxidants) reveal patients' survival was either the same or better than with traditional therapy alone, yet with less negative side effects. If your oncologist remains concerned regarding combining the two therapies, we would be happy to email him/her the literature.