Told vitamin C is fuel for cancer?

vitamin c
Here is something from the New York Times:

Many people gobble big doses of vitamin C in hopes of boosting their immune system and warding off illness. But new research shows that in people with cancer, the vitamin may do more harm than good.

Researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York studied the effects of vitamin C on cancer cells. As it turns out, the vitamin seems to protect not just healthy cells, but cancer cells, too. The findings were published today in the journal Cancer Research.

“The use of vitamin C supplements could have the potential to reduce the ability of patients to respond to therapy,” said Dr. Mark Heaney, an associate attending physician at the cancer center, in a press release.

Dr. Heaney and his colleagues tested five different chemotherapy drugs on cancer cells in the laboratory. Some of the cells were first treated with vitamin C. In every case, including a test of the powerful new cancer drug Gleevec, chemotherapy did not work as well if cells had been exposed to vitamin C. The chemotherapy agents killed 30 to 70 percent fewer cancer cells when the cells were treated with the vitamin.

But here is something from ABC News:

Injections of high doses of vitamin C have almost halved the rate of tumour growth in mice, leading US researchers to believe it may be useful in the treatment of cancer in humans.

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health noted the phenomenon in brain, ovarian and pancreatic cancers, according to findings published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The idea that vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, could be used to treat cancer was advanced in the 1970s by American scientist Linus Pauling, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 1954.

The notion was controversial and studies failed to show a benefit. But those studies involved vitamin C given orally.

In the latest study researchers injected the vitamin C to enable greater concentrations of it to get into the system.

Injections were necessary because the body regulates vitamin C when ingested, so that higher doses cannot be attained.

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In the final analysis, I would listen to the professionals. If I doubt them, again, Michelle, I would seek new ones. Otherwise, you need to follow their advice. It is fairly common knowledge that some things we typically think are good for us can have an adverse effect on chemotherapy.

Take care,

Joe