Vitamin C Evaluated for Cancer Therapy

U.S approval of a clinical trial on intravenous vitamin C as a cancer treatment lends credence to alternative cancer care, according to U.S. researchers.

Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA; Chicago, IL, USA) recently won U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval to begin the trial, a move the hospital group reported added credibility to its research into alternative methods for cancer medical care. It is the first FDA-approved trial for CTCA.

Only a few patients will be eligible, according Christopher Lis, the firm's vice president of research and development. "Only patients who have exhausted all other conventional treatment options are eligible to receive the therapy,” Mr. Lis said.

The first phase will be to determine the optimal dose for the patients and to determine whether the treatment is safe and can be tolerated, according to Mr. Lis. Further research over several years would be needed to demonstrate whether it is effective. Earlier studies conducted with vitamin C supplements administered orally did not to demonstrate a clinical benefit to cancer patients.

Cancer Treatment Centers, with facilities in Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Oklahoma, provides traditional and alternative treatment for cancer patients.



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Cancer Treatment Centers of America