{"id":2000121846,"date":"2026-08-08T17:13:06","date_gmt":"2026-08-08T15:13:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/?p=2000121846"},"modified":"2026-08-08T17:14:59","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T15:14:59","slug":"scientists-explore-vitamin-cs-potential-in-fighting-cancer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/scientists-explore-vitamin-cs-potential-in-fighting-cancer\/","title":{"rendered":"Scientists explore vitamin C\u2019s potential in fighting cancer"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The renewed interest comes from research into high doses of vitamin C given intravenously, rather than through ordinary tablets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scientists say intravenous treatment can produce much higher levels of vitamin C in the blood and may cause biological effects that cannot be achieved by taking supplements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The story dates back to the 1970s, when American scientist Linus Pauling, a two time Nobel Prize winner, worked with Scottish doctor Ewan Cameron to investigate high doses of vitamin C in patients with advanced cancer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their early work suggested that some patients receiving large amounts of vitamin C lived longer and experienced an improved quality of life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, two major trials conducted by the Mayo Clinic later found no survival benefit from vitamin C pills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scientists now believe the difference between intravenous vitamin C and tablets may help explain the conflicting results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When vitamin C is taken orally, the digestive system limits how much can enter the bloodstream. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Intravenous administration, however, can raise blood concentrations to levels many times higher than those reached through tablets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At very high concentrations, vitamin C may behave differently from its usual role as an antioxidant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Laboratory studies suggest it can help generate hydrogen peroxide, a reactive substance that can damage cells. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cancer cells may be particularly vulnerable because they are already under stress and may have weaker systems for dealing with such damage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Researchers have tested intravenous vitamin C in small studies involving patients with difficult to treat cancers, including ovarian, pancreatic and brain tumors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some studies suggest that combining vitamin C infusions with chemotherapy could help certain patients live longer or experience fewer treatment related side effects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other studies, however, have found no clear benefit. Researchers say the studies remain too small and varied to provide firm conclusions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the more consistent findings has involved quality of life. Some patients receiving vitamin C alongside chemotherapy have reported less fatigue, pain and nausea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scientists are also investigating whether high levels of vitamin C could affect cancer cell growth, DNA regulation, responses to low oxygen and the immune system. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These findings are still being studied and some remain preliminary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Researchers therefore say Pauling was partly right to believe vitamin C could have a role in cancer treatment, but he overstated its benefits and was wrong to promote vitamin C tablets as a powerful cancer cure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For now, large and definitive clinical trials have not shown that high dose intravenous vitamin C can extend the lives of most cancer patients. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scientists say it should remain an experimental treatment studied in clinical trials or carefully supervised medical settings, rather than a replacement for established cancer therapies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Scientists have revisited vitamin C\u2019s potential role in cancer treatment<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Vitamin C may have a role in cancer treatment under certain conditions, but new research suggests its potential effects are more complicated than the idea that taking large amounts of vitamin C can cure cancer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":139,"featured_media":2000121848,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[151,69],"byline":[201],"hashtag":[],"class_list":["post-2000121846","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","tag-editors-choice","tag-homehighlights","byline-rania-umutoni"],"bylines":[{"id":201,"name":"Rania Umutoni","slug":"rania-umutoni","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":139}],"contributors":[{"id":201,"name":"Rania Umutoni","slug":"rania-umutoni","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":139}],"featured_image":{"id":2000121848,"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/08\/ccccc.png","alt":"","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/png","width":413,"height":231,"sizes":{"thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/08\/ccccc.png","width":413,"height":231},"medium":{"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/08\/ccccc.png","width":413,"height":231},"medium_large":{"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/08\/ccccc.png","width":413,"height":231},"large":{"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/08\/ccccc.png","width":413,"height":231},"full":{"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/08\/ccccc.png","width":413,"height":231}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000121846","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/139"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2000121846"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000121846\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2000121863,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000121846\/revisions\/2000121863"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2000121848"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2000121846"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2000121846"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2000121846"},{"taxonomy":"byline","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/byline?post=2000121846"},{"taxonomy":"hashtag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hashtag?post=2000121846"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}