Innovation vs. quality control: An ‘unpublishable’ clinical trial of supplemental ascorbate in incurable cancer

Cameron, Ewan; Campbell, Allan

doi:10.1016/0306-9877(91)90127-k

Cited by 39 publications

(42 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…ascorbate (n 5 4,380 participants) (Table 3). One study was a randomized controlled trial [45], three were nonrandomized phase I or II studies [48][49][50], four were observational studies [10,11,46,47], and four were case reports [9,23,51,52]. The median year of publication was 1991 (range, 1974-2012).…”

Section: Characteristicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The median year of publication was 1991 (range, 1974-2012). Five studies had a comparator arm [10,11,[45][46][47]; in three studies this was a matched population who had not received ascorbate [10,11,46], in one study the comparison made was high dose versus low dose and no ascorbate [47], and in one study ascorbate was the control arm compared with ascorbate and a further investigational compound [45]. The median sample size was 46 ( range, 1-1,826).…”

Section: Characteristicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Is There a Role for Oral or Intravenous Ascorbate (Vitamin C) in Treating Patients With Cancer? A Systematic Review

et al. 2015

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Background. Many cancer patients receive supplemental ascorbate (vitamin C) in the belief that it synergizes the anticancer effects of chemotherapy and reduces its toxicity. Methods. A systematic review was performed to evaluate the antitumor effects and toxicity of ascorbate treatment. Medline (1946 to March 2014), EMBASE (1947 to March 2014), and the Cochrane central register (1993 to March 2014) were searched for randomized and observational studies. Results. Of 696 identified records, 61 full‐text articles were screened and 34 were included. In total, 5 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) (n = 322), 12 phase I/II trials (n = 287), 6 observational studies (n = 7,599), and 11 case reports (n = 267) were identified. Because of study heterogeneity, no meta‐analyses were performed. No RCTs reported any statistically significant improvements in overall or progression‐free survival or reduced toxicity with ascorbate relative to control arm. Evidence for ascorbate's antitumor effects was limited to case reports and observational and uncontrolled studies. Conclusion. There is no high‐quality evidence to suggest that ascorbate supplementation in cancer patients either enhances the antitumor effects of chemotherapy or reduces its toxicity. Given the high financial and time costs to patients of this treatment, high‐quality placebo‐controlled trials are needed.

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Section: Characteristicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Characteristicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Is There a Role for Oral or Intravenous Ascorbate (Vitamin C) in Treating Patients With Cancer? A Systematic Review

et al. 2015

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“…Cameron and Campbell also tried to publish another article where they demonstrated that the survival rate of terminal cancer patients treated with ascorbate, is significantly higher than that of the controls, but they couldn't disseminate this knowledge as they would have [70].…”

Section: High Doses Of Ascorbate In Cancer: Vain Promise or Unaccaptamentioning

confidence: 99%

The Cure from Nature: The Extraordinary Anticancer Properties of Ascorbate (Vitamin C)

Milardi¹,

Massai²

2016

J Integr Oncol

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The anticancer properties of Vitamin C (ascorbic acid o sodium ascorbate) are known since at least four decades, However, being a cheap and "natural" product, Vitamin C is not patentable and therefore has never been developed as an anticancer molecule.Recent in vitro investigations have confirmed the extraordinary antitumor properties of high doses of Vitamin C (sodium ascorbate), particularly when administered by the intravenous route, and phase I/II randomized, controlled clinical trials have been started to verify its anticancer properties in vivo.Unfortunately, the controlled clinical trials performed so far, do not confirm the extraordinary results obtained with Vitamin C (sodium ascorbate) in vitro. However, this may depend on a number of different factors, such as the pharmaceutical preparation (Sodium ascorbate may be more suitable than buffered ascorbic acid), the schedule of administration (slow infusion better than rapid infusion), tumor tissue oxygenation (Cancer tissue oxygenation is lower that oxygenation of tumor cell lines, in vitro), etc., which deserve further in depth investigation.Even with these limitations, Vitamin C (sodium ascorbate) in high doses, administered by intravenous route, beyond being extremely effective in vitro, against a number of human tumor cell lines, is safe, has minimal contraindications, improves the quality of life of patients, and is highly selective for cancer cells.The Authors discuss these important aspects and suggest possible solutions to improve the in vivo anticancer effects of Vitamin C (sodium ascorbate).

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“…6 The investigators concluded that "incurable patients coming under the care of physicians who routinely prescribed supplemental ascorbate lived quite significantly longer than those coming under the care of physicians who did not, at least in the three Scottish hospitals studied." 22 In a retrospective study of advanced cancer patients, Hoffer and Pauling (1993) examined the clinical outcomes among cancer patients who received a mixture of high-dose ascorbate and 8 other micronutrients. Of 134 cancer patients, 101 patients followed a mixed vitamin-mineral regimen that included 12 g ascorbate.…”

Section: Block Meadmentioning

confidence: 99%

Vitamin C in Alternative Cancer Treatment: Historical Background

Block¹,

Mead²

2003

Integr Cancer Ther

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Ascorbic acid is the single-nutrient supplement most commonly used by cancer patients, although in most cases this takes place without the physician's knowledge or supervision. A comprehensive review of the literature is presented on the impact of ascorbic acid on cancer survival. Findings from 6 uncontrolled studies suggest that ascorbic acid may increase survival, whereas 2 controlled trials have yielded null results. The relative strengths and limitations of these studies are discussed. A turning point occurred with the release of the 2 controlled (null) studies, which influenced many physicians to turn away from nutrition in the care of cancer patients. Controversy about these trials still persists, however, in the alternative cancer community.

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Innovation vs. quality control: An ‘unpublishable’ clinical trial of supplemental ascorbate in incurable cancer

Cited by 39 publications

References 7 publications

Is There a Role for Oral or Intravenous Ascorbate (Vitamin C) in Treating Patients With Cancer? A Systematic Review

Is There a Role for Oral or Intravenous Ascorbate (Vitamin C) in Treating Patients With Cancer? A Systematic Review

The Cure from Nature: The Extraordinary Anticancer Properties of Ascorbate (Vitamin C)

Vitamin C in Alternative Cancer Treatment: Historical Background

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