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BETHESDA, MARYLAND. In 1971 Dr. Linus Pauling, a two-time Nobel Prize winner, and Dr. Ewan
Cameron, a Scottish physician, evaluated vitamin C in the treatment of terminal cancer. They found that
daily intravenous infusions of mega doses (10 grams) of vitamin C for 10 days followed by oral
administration indefinitely extended the lifespan of more than 1000 patients involved in the trials by 6 months
or a year, while at the same time resulting in significantly less pain and a greater sense of well-being.
After much cajoling and presentation of convincing research data, the Mayo Clinic finally agreed to evaluate mega doses of vitamin C in the treatment of cancer. However, over Dr. Pauling's strenuous protests the Mayo researchers decided to administer the 10 grams of vitamin C by mouth rather than intravenously. Not too surprisingly, their trial concluded that mega doses of vitamin C were worthless in cancer treatment. Nevertheless, many progressive alternative and complementary physicians continued to use intravenous injections of vitamin C in cancer treatment with good results. Additional research also confirmed that vitamin C is highly toxic to cancer cells in vitro in blood plasma concentrations of 1000 micromol/L or greater. There is no indication that it is toxic to normal cells. Now, 25 years after Dr. Pauling's initial discovery, researchers at the National Institutes of Health have taken a second look at the possibility of using intravenous vitamin C in cancer treatment. The first phase of their work did not involve a clinical trial to determine if vitamin C combats cancer, but rather a detailed comparison of the blood plasma concentrations achievable with oral and intravenous administration of vitamin C. The study involved 17 healthy young men and women who were hospitalized for 3-6 months in order to keep their environment and dietary intake under strict control. Over the trial period, the researchers administered various doses of vitamin C either orally or intravenously and measured the resulting plasma concentration. Among the highlights of their findings:
The researchers conclude that the plasma levels necessary to kill cancer cells (1000 micromol/L or greater)
can only be achieved through intravenous administration. They further state that intravenous vitamin C
would be expected to have little toxicity compared with conventional chemotherapy agents. They conclude
that, "the role for intravenous vitamin C in cancer treatment should be reevaluated". Editor's comment: It is nice to see the discovery of Drs. Pauling and Cameron vindicated. Too bad it had to take the medical establishment 25 years to do so. Of immediate practical application is the researchers' finding that plasma levels return to baseline 4-6 hours after administration. This confirms current advice to take vitamin C supplements throughout the day rather than in one daily dose only.
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