Breakthrough Study Suggests Vitamin C Could Double Survival in Late-Stage Pancreatic Cancer
A new study is fueling hope in the fight against pancreatic cancer, one of the deadliest forms of the disease. Researchers at the University of Iowa found that adding high-dose intravenous (IV) vitamin C to standard chemotherapy treatments could significantly extend patients’ lives.
The groundbreaking research, published in the journal Redox Biology, focused on individuals with late-stage metastatic pancreatic cancer, where the disease has spread beyond the pancreas and into other organs. This stage typically carries a grim prognosis, with an average survival rate of just 8 months with current treatments.
In a randomized clinical trial, Dr. Joe Cullen, University of Iowa professor of surgery and radiation oncology, and his team compared the standard chemotherapy regimen (gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel) to the same treatment regimen alongside high-dose vitamin C infusions.
"Our aim is to show that adding high-dose, IV vitamin C, which is very inexpensive and very well tolerated, can improve treatment for these cancers that are among the deadliest affecting the US population," Dr. Cullen said.
The results were stunning. Patients receiving the vitamin C supplementation lived an average of 16 months, twice as long as those receiving chemotherapy alone. This significant improvement led researchers to stop the trial early due to the overwhelming evidence of the therapy’s effectiveness.
“When we started the trial, we thought it would be a success if we got to 12 months survival, but we doubled overall survival to 16 months. The results were so strong in showing the benefit of this therapy for patient survival that we were able to stop the trial early,” Dr. Cullen explained.
Beyond extending lifespan, the vitamin C treatment also improved patients’ quality of life.
“Not only does it increase overall survival, but the patients seem to feel better with the treatment," Dr. Cullen noted. "They have less side effects, and appear to be able to tolerate more treatment, and we’ve seen that in other trials, too.”
This remarkable finding builds on ongoing research exploring the potential benefits of high-dose vitamin C in cancer treatment. It has shown promise in treating other aggressive cancers, including glioblastoma, a deadly brain tumor, and is currently being investigated as a potential treatment for non-small cell lung cancer.
IV drip vitamin treatments infusion drop intravenous medical use booster’s beauty supplement therapy concept – Image credit: Trsakaoe | stock.adobe.com
While more research is needed to fully understand the mechanism behind these results, this study offers a beacon of hope for individuals facing this challenging diagnosis. It suggests a potentially powerful and readily accessible way to improve survival and quality of life for patients battling late-stage pancreatic cancer.
