However, clearly, chemotherapy has a downside as it’s a highly toxic treatment and in many patients is poorly tolerated, and there are studies in the conventional oncology literature that imply that a significant number of patients can die of chemotherapy, as opposed to the cancer. A recent play televised at peak viewing time on BBC2 in December 2002, called ‘WIT’, portrayed a harrowing drama about a woman, an English Professor, dying of cancer. The heroine was brilliantly acted by Emma Thompson. The dramatic high point of the drama was when the heroine said to camera. “it’s not the cancer that’s killing me, it’s the treatment”.

Gawanda (2202) states that “everyone in medicine understands that a great deal of uncertainty about what to do for people, will always remain in any illness. Human disease and lives are too complicated for reality to be otherwise. In his book ‘Complications: A Surgeon’s Notes on an Imperfect Science’ he goes on to say that cancer is just such a complex illness. However, what happens if you do not wish to partake of the conventional treatment option such as chemotherapy ?

Are there alternatives ? -

Yes, there are, but they currently have a poor evidence base, and are never likely to have the quality of evidence base which backs chemotherapy.

 Providing the cancer sufferer knows what the evidence is, then they can make treatment choices on an informed consent basis. In our view it is unethical for patients to be offered any of these treatments without as good an evidence-base as chemotherapy, other than on an informed consent basis. High dose intravenous vitamin C is one of these treatments, and we use it extensively in our clinic. It is one of our most effective treatments. Clearly because of the poor evidence base we largely see chemotherapy and radiotherapy failures, but interestingly enough those patients who deliberately seek us out and wish to try these approaches as a first line option, tend to be the ‘more well informed’ public, and amongst these, number some doctors, which is indeed a curious situation.

Vitamin C (ascorbate acid) is a major water soluble anti-oxidant with a variety of biological functions. It may be important in maintaining proper immune cell function. Even though vitamin C commonly functions as an anti-oxidant is can also act as a pro-oxidant, that is actually oxidising tissues, which is what chemotherapy does. Vitamin C converts free radicals into hydrogen peroxide, a molecule that can damage cell membranes if not neutralised by an enzyme inside the cell called Catalase.

Tumour cells have 10-100 times less Catalase than normal cells, and are therefore more sensitive than normal to hydrogen peroxide. Vitamin C accumulates in solid tumours at concentrations higher than those in surrounding normal tissue. The accumulation of vitamin C preferentially in cancer tissues, has raised concerns that vitamin C may provide tumours with anti-oxidant protection from chemotherapeutic agents. In practice therefore, the avoidance of vitamin C and indeed all anti-oxidants, when going through a chemotherapy programme, is important.

To obtain vitamin C levels at pro-oxidant levels, at which level it destroys cancer cells, is only achievable by intravenous infusion. Plasma levels of vitamin C between 300-400 milligrams per 100 mls are what is required in order to kill significant numbers of cancer cells. This requires intravenous infusions of 75 grams of vitamin C, (in some cases less, depending on the size of the patient and the tumour cell mass), infused intravenously on a daily basis for three weeks in order to be able to attain these plasma levels.

It’s important to realise that the highest plasma level of vitamin C achievable in humans using oral supplementation is 4.5 milligrams per 100 mls, Riordan et al 1995 Many studies have been done on this approach in the laboratory and Phase 1 and Phase II clinical trials have been completed on this approach. (Phase II clinical trials have been carried out in Nebraska, USA and are about to be published). Phase III clinical studies are in discussion.

Our most common protocol is the use of 75 grams of vitamin C, in sterile water, with a number of minerals, particularly Magnesium, Zinc, Chromium, Selenium, B12 and some B vitamins. The patient is infused over 2½ hours daily for 3 weeks (excluding weekends). The vitamin C levels at the end of the infusion course is tested and if this is sufficiently high then some significant tumour kill has happened. If it isn’t, then this regime may have to be repeated.

The advantage of using this approach is that it doesn’t carry the downsides of chemotherapy, and can be repeated many times. The main downside is that if we are working with patients who have fluid accumulation in the chest, say from a lung cancer, or fluid accumulation in the abdomen say from ovarian cancer, then the fluid load that these intravenous infusions involve can make these situations worse. So in those patients we choose other safe options to kill cancer cells.

Concurrently with the high dose intravenous vitamin C, we use supplements, the most important of which is Lipoic acid. Lipoic acid has been found to enhance the cancer killing effect of vitamin C, and the mechanism for this is unknown.

The only side effect we see in this treatment is tiredness due to tumour cell death, as well as increased fluid accumulation in particular groups of patients, as mentioned above.


Conclusion

Even though chemotherapy has such a high quality evidence-base, it doesn’t mean that other less well researched treatments do not also work.


References:

1. Gawande A (2002). Complications – A Surgeon’s Notes On An Imperfect Science. Profile Books, London

2. Riordan N H et al (1995). Intravenous Ascorbate as a Tumour Cytotoxic Chemotherapeutic Agents. Medical Hypothesis 44.207-213. Pearson Professional Limited.


AUTHOR’S RELEVANT INFORMATION – As requested

1. Mrs
2. Kimber Joanna
3. Nurse Manager
4. Diploma in Nursing Sciences
5. Dove Clinic for Integrated Medicine
6. Northfields Farm, Hazeley Road, Twyford, Nr Winchester
7. SO21 1QA
8. England
9. 97 37 99 F
10. 01962 717803
11. -
12. 01962 717804
13. nursing@doveclinic.com
14. N/A
15. Are there safer ways of killing cancer cells than chemotherapy ?
16. That chemotherapy/radiotherapy is not the only line of treatment available.

17. To obtain vitamin C levels at pro-oxidant levels, at which level it destroys cancer cells, is only achievable by intravenous infusion. Plasma levels of vitamin C between 300-400 milligrams per 100 mls are what is required in order to kill significant numbers of cancer cells. This requires intravenous infusions of 75 grams of vitamin C, (in some cases less, depending on the size of the patient and the tumour cell mass), infused intravenously on a daily basis for three weeks in order to be able to attain these plasma levels. It’s important to realise that the highest plasma level of vitamin C achievable in humans using oral supplementation is 4.5 milligrams per 100 mls, Riordan et al 1995 Many studies have been done on this approach in the laboratory and Phase 1 and Phase II clinical trials have been completed on this approach. (Phase II clinical trials have been carried out in Nebraska, USA and are about to be published). Phase III clinical studies are in discussion.

18. All done through British Society of Integrated Medicine.
19. Thomas Levy et al (2002) Xlibris Corporation 1-888-795-4274:
iSBN1-4010-6964-9

20. Presentation
21. Dipoma in Nursing Sciences, Community Staff Nurse, Practice Nurse, Clinic Nurse.
22. Integrated Medicine
23. Yes

 

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