Vitamin C could have a role in cancer therapy

March 28, 2006

Researchers at McGill University and the National Institutes of Health have found in preliminary studies that high-dose vitamin C given by intravenous and oral routes may improve symptoms and prolong life in patients with terminal cancer. Several clinical trials of the procedure are set to begin, including one at McGill.

The study, published in the March 28 issue of the Canadian Medical Association Journal, detailed case reports of three individual patients with different types of cancer. The patients had unexpectedly long survival times after receiving high-dose intravenous vitamin C therapy. McGill University's Dr. L. John Hoffer, of the Faculty of Medicine and Project Director at the Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, co-authored the article with researchers from the NIH.

Dr. Hoffer said the case reports indicate that the role of high-dose intravenous vitamin C therapy in cancer treatment should be explored further. "Our findings are important because they provide significant grounds to continue this research on vitamin C and cancer therapy," he said.

For more information:

McGill University
Canadian Medical Association Journal

Source:

Glenn Nashen/Suzanne Gold
Jewish General Hospital
514-340-8222 Ext. 5818
Cynthia Lee
Communications Officer
McGill University Relations Office
514-398-6754

High-dose Vitamin C As A Cancer Therapy

March 28, 2006

Although early clinical studies conducted by Linus Pauling showed that high-dose vitamin C, given by intravenous and oral routes, may improve symptoms and prolong life in patients with terminal cancer, no benefits for cancer patients were seen when vitamin C therapy was administered orally in double-blind placebo-controlled studies at the Mayo Clinic. Since then, high doses of vitamin C have been used only as an "alternative" therapy to standard cancer treatment. However, recent evidence shows that intravenous administration of the maximum tolerated dose of vitamin C produces plasma concentrations about 25 times higher than when the vitamin is administered orally. At concentrations above 1000 mmol/L -- which can only be achieved by the intravenous route -- vitamin C is toxic to some cancer cells but not to normal cells in vitro.

Padayatty and colleagues report on 3 well-documented cases of advanced cancers, confirmed by histopathologic review, where patients had unexpectedly long survival times after receiving high-dose intravenous vitamin C therapy. They assessed the clinical details of each case in accordance with National Cancer Institute (NCI) Best Case Series guidelines, and found that the case reports indicate that the role of high-dose intravenous vitamin C therapy in cancer treatment should be reassessed.

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p. 937 Intravenously administered vitamin C as cancer therapy: three cases -- S.J. Padayatty et al

http://www.cmaj.ca/pressrelease/pg937.pdf

Contact: Marcia Vital
Canadian Medical Association Journal

Garlic's Efficacy Against Cancer And Heart Disease

March 29, 2006

Garlic, recognized for its healing powers in ancient times, is now being rediscovered by medical scientists, who have new evidence of its efficacy against cancer and heart disease. Dr. Richard Rivlin, of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, is guest co-editor of a special March peer-reviewed supplemental issue to The Journal of Nutrition. The issue comprises 35 articles representing the latest research on garlic -- findings that were first presented at a symposium held last year at Georgetown University.

"Medical texts from China, India, Egypt, Greece and Italy mention medical applications of garlic," says Dr. Rivlin, professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College, attending physician at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, and director of the Nutrition Center at the Strang Cancer Prevention Laboratory. "Cultures that developed independently came to the same general conclusions, namely, that garlic could be administered to provide strength and to increase work capacity. Hippocrates, considered the Father of Medicine, used garlic as an essential component of one of his therapies."

Dr. Rivlin believes that while much promising research has been made pointing to the disease-preventive and therapeutic effects of garlic, at the present time, it should be considered complementary medicine, not alternative therapy. "The rapid pace of advances in garlic research provides increasing evidence that garlic has significant potential as a complement to established therapies."

New research on the health benefits of garlic, as published in The Journal of Nutrition special issue, include the following:

-- Selenium -- a compound found in garlic -- may be instrumental to garlic's anti-cancer properties. ("Cancer Chemoprevention by Garlic and Garlic-Containing Sulfur and Selenium Compounds," by Drs. K. El-Bayoumy and R. Sinha, Penn. State; Dr. J. Pinto, Cornell-Burke Medical Research Institute; and Dr. R. Rivlin, Weill Cornell Medical College)

-- Garlic may slow the progression of coronary artery calcification in patients on statin therapy. ("Aged Garlic Extract Retards Progression of Coronary Artery Disease," by Dr. M. Budoff, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center)

-- In addition to its cholesterol-lowering potential, blood-pressure-lowering effects, and antioxidant properties, garlic may help moderate levels of homocysteine, an amino acid that is a marker for coronary artery disease. ("Homocysteine-Lowering Action Is Another Potential Cardiovascular Protective Factor of Aged Garlic Extract," by Drs. Y. Yeh and S. Yeh, Penn. State)

-- Garlic may inhibit platelet aggregation -- a major contributing factor to cardiovascular disease -- by suppressing calcium mobilization. ("Aged Garlic Extract May Inhibit Aggregation in Human Platelets by Suppressing Calcium Mobilization," by Drs. G. Allison, G. Lowe, and K. Rahman, Liverpool John Moores University, U.K.)

-- Garlic may reduce pre-cancerous gastric lesions. ("Factorial Trial Including Garlic Supplements Assesses Effect in Reducing Precancerous Gastric Lesions," by Dr. M. Gail, National Cancer Institute, and Dr. W. You, Beijing Institute of Cancer Research)

-- Garlic may suppress progression of precancerous lesions of the large bowel. ("Aged Garlic Extract Has Potential Suppressive Effect on Colorectal Adenomas in Humans," by Drs. S. Tanaka, Hiroshima University, Japan; K. Haruma, Kawasaki Medical School, Japan; M. Yoshihara, Hiroshima University, Japan; G. Kajiyama, Onomichi General Hospital, Japan; K. Kira, Wakunaga Pharmaceutical, Japan; H. Amagase, Wakunaga of America; and K. Chayama, Hiroshima University, Japan)

Studies published in the journal were made possible through a variety of public and private funding sources.

http://www.nyp.org

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