Two anticancer mechanisms of vitamins in humans a review

Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients,  June, 2003  by Reagan Houston

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Abstract

Recent literature explains why vitamin C has been both successful and unsuccessful at extending the life of cancer patients. Vitamin C at 10,000 mg/day was effective in the form of sodium ascorbate but not as dry ascorbic acid. The ascorbate solution oxidizes to dehydroascorbate that readily and preferably enters cancer cells and kills them.

However, Abram Hoffer achieved excellent results with ascorbic acid. Hoffer found dry ascorbic acid with other vitamins effective at 12,000 mg/day when used with regular therapies of surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. Hoffer primarily used vitamins A, B, C and E plus zinc and selenium. The combination effectively combats the 7 traits of cancer. These traits include defective DNA, improper proteins produced by the DNA, improper signaling within and outside the cell, angiogenesis and ability to metastasize and to hide from the immune system. Vitamins make oncologic therapies less painful, less debilitating and more effective. In the last 50 years, Hoffer has treated 1,000 patients with over 20 types of cancer. In an early test his patients lived a median of 2 months with regular therapies or 28 months if vitamins were added to the cancer therapies.

Hoffer's vitamins should be tested as a group. Vitamins are safe, cheap, presently-available and have only minimal and temporary side effects. Current cancer patients can consider using Hoffer's regimen under medical supervision.

Background

Are age-old natural compounds currently applicable as cancer therapy? John Boik's recent (1) and earlier (2) books on cancer therapy provide an excellent background. He described dozens of natural compounds and how they relate to many types of cancer. Cancers have several traits or characteristics that are similar regardless of the type of cancer. These traits are listed in Table 1 with some natural compounds that are or probably are therapeutic.

Boik believed "My central thesis is that the most successful cancer therapies will be those that target all of these primary events involved in cancer cell survival." Such a test has been run by Hoffer.

Vitamin C

Controversy hinders the use of vitamin C. Ascorbic acid and sodium ascorbate are two common forms of vitamin C. They react differently toward cancer. Cameron (3) treated 500 hospitalized, terminal cancer patients who had failed surgery and radiation. Most obtained major pain relief in 2 weeks or less. His vitamin patients lived considerably longer than the controls.

Cameron's therapy was vitamin C in the form of sodium ascorbate solution. He gave vitamin C at 10,000 mg/day. Most patients initially received the solution by IV for a week or two. Then the solution was given orally. Patients who could go home were given a one-month supply. He made the solution by dissolving ascorbic acid and sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) in water or juice (Table 2).

Cameron describes a hospitalized truck driver with a malignant form of lymphatic cancer. After 4 weeks of vitamin C at 10,000 mg/day, he was back driving his tractor-trailer. A few months later, the vitamin C was gradually reduced to zero and his cancer returned. In the hospital he received higher doses and in three months was "perfectly fit and well with no evidence of active disease." He continued to be healthy for the next five years. Vitamin C appeared to put cancer into remission rather than cure it.

In confirming tests in Japan, Morishige (4) reported on 124 patients. Those who took over 5,000 mg/day (range 5,000-60,000) lived an average of 233 days versus 45 days for those with less vitamin C. As reported by Stone, (5) vitamin C was studied for cancer therapy in 1936. He used up to 42,000 mg/day "in a case of myelogenous leukemia, giving complete remission."

The major side effect of vitamin C is diarrhea if the dose is too large or increased too rapidly. Nausea, gas, upset stomach and skin itch can also be temporary problems.

Tsao (6) reported that sodium ascorbate solution readily oxidizes in air to form dehydroascorbate (DHK), and other compounds. The DHK molecule is similar to glucose. Cancer cells avidly take in glucose and, being defective, also take in excessive amounts of DHK. (7) DHK is an oxidizer and can kill cancer. Cameron's tests in humans tend to confirm the small-scale tests of Tsao and Agus. Normal cells can control the intake of vitamin C.

Vitamin C is not always helpful. Creagan (8) at Mayo clinic ran a double blind test of vitamin C at 10,000 mgf day. He gave the vitamin as ascorbic acid and found the vitamin did not help extend life. Cameron and Pauling objected to Creagan's use of patients with prior chemotherapy. Pauling apparently did not object to the form of vitamin C. In a repeat test using patients without prior chemotherapy, Moertel (9) found that ascorbic acid did not delay the time to progression of colorectal cancer.

Vitamin C as ascorbic acid was not therapeutic. Vitamin C as oxidized sodium ascorbate at 10,000 mg/day was therapeutic to humans with cancer.