Patients with higher tumor markers are likely to have higher tumor burden, higher oxidative stress and, therefore, are more likely to have lower post IVC plasma levels.
Our data also showed that cancer patients with metastasis tend to have lower post-IVC vitamin C levels than those without metastasis
Lower peak plasma concentrations are obtained in cancer patients than in healthy subjects. Cancer patients who are deficient in vitamin C prior to therapy tend to achieve lower plasma levels post infusion.
Patients with higher inflammation or tumor burdens, as measured by CRP levels or tumor antigen levels, tend to show lower peak plasma ascorbate levels after IVC.
Patients with metastatic tumors tend to achieve lower post infusion plasma ascorbate levels than those with localized tumors.
Meta-analyses of clinical studies involving cancer and vitamins also conclude that antioxidant supplementation does not interfere with the efficacy of chemotherapeutic regiments
Most of the prostate cancer patients studied, 75±19% (95% confidence), showed reductions in PSA levels during the course of their IVC therapy
Laboratory studies suggest that, at high concentrations, ascorbate does not interfere with chemotherapy or irradiation and may enhance efficacy in some situations
Cameron and Pauling observed fourfold survival times in terminal cancer patients treated with intravenous ascorbate infusions followed by oral supplementation
The inflammatory microenvironment of cancer cells leads to increasing oxidative stress, which apparently depletes vitamin C, resulting in lower plasma ascorbate concentrations in blood samples post IVC infusion. Another explanation for this finding may be that cancers are themselves more metabolically active in their uptake of vitamin C, causing subjects to absorb more of the vitamin, and as a results show lower plasma ascorbate concentrations in blood post IVC infusion.
patients with severely elevated CRP levels attain plasma ascorbate concentrations after IVC infusions that are only 65% of those attained for subjects with normal CRP levels
The finding of decreased plasma ascorbate levels in cancer patients may relate to the molecular structure of ascorbic acid; in particular, the similarity of its oxidized form, dihydroascorbic acid, to glucose
Since tumor have increased requirement for glucose [67], transport of dehydroascorbate into the cancer cells via glucose transport molecules and ascorbate through sodium-dependent transporter may be elevated
Increased accumulation of ascorbic acid in the tumor site was supported by measurements of the level of ascorbic acid in tumors in animal experiments
patients with advanced malignancies may have lower level of ascorbic acid in tissue, creating a higher demand for the vitamin C
IVC therapy appears to reduce CRP levels in cancer patients.
CRP concentrations directly correlate with disease activity in many cases and can contribute to disease progression through a range of pro-inflammatory properties.
Being an exquisitely sensitive marker of systemic inflammation and tissue damage, CRP is very useful in screening for organic disease and monitoring treatment responses
ncreases in CRP concentrations have been associated with poorer prognosis of survival in cancer patients, particularly with advance disease independent of tumor stage
Regarding inflammation, 73±13% of subjects (95% confidence) showed a reduction in CRP levels during therapy. This was an even more dramatic 86±13% (95% confidence) in subjects who started therapy with CRP levels above 10 mg/L
patients treated by IVC with follow-up several year showed that suppression of inflammation in cancer patients by high-dose IVC is feasible and potentially beneficial
Inflammation is a marker of high cancer risk, and poor treatment outcome
The subjects with highly elevated CRP concentrations have a three-fold elevation “all-cause” mortality risk and a twenty-eight fold increase in cancer mortality risk
cancer patients may need higher doses to achieve a given plasma concentration.
patients with lower vitamin C levels may see more distribution of intravenously administered ascorbate into tissues and thus attain less in plasma.
When treating patients with IVC, the first treatment likely serves to replenish depleted tissue stores, if those subjects were vitamin C deficient at the beginning of the treatment. Then, in subsequent treatments, with increasing doses, higher plasma concentrations can be attained. On-going treatments serve to progressively reduce oxidative stress in cancer patients.
large doses given intravenously may result in maximum plasma concentrations of roughly 30 mM, a level that has been shown to be sufficient for preferential cytotoxicity against cancer cells
oral intake of vitamin C exceeded 200 mg administered once daily, it was difficult to increase plasma and tissue concentrations above roughly 200 μM.
Great review on the use of IV vitamin C in cancer and to reduce inflammation. The article does a great job of discussing the mechanism of vitamin C therapy in cancer as well as the proposed reasons for low vitamin C in cancer patients. The study also highlights the obstacles to rise in vitamin C levels post IV vitamin C in cancer patients.
Pesticides disrupt the testicular function, in part, through oxidative damage. This study found Alpha lipoic acid to be a promising, effective mechanism to reduce the oxidative stress. They also found tocopherols to be effect, but to a lesser extent.
methylmercury mediates neurotoxicity via mitochondrial damage, inflammation, and oxidative stress. Astrocytes accumulated the methyl mercury. The destruction of the astrocytes will result in an increase in glutamate. Methylmercury is synergistic with other toxins in the development of immunoexcitotoxicity.
Six cups of green tea daily in those men with prostate cancer found to reduce PSA, NK-KappB, and oxidative stress. These levels were followed in men before and after surgery.
The ketogenic diet (KD) is a high-fat, low-protein, low-carbohydrate diet that has been employed as a treatment for medically refractory epilepsy for 86 years
The hallmark feature of KD treatment is the production of ketone bodies by the liver
almost any diet that produces ketonemia and/or diminished blood glucose levels can induce an anticonvulsant effect.
Diet can be a direct cause of inflammation. A anti-inflammatory diet is a must in those with chronic, inflammatory diseases.
In this study, triglycerides, oxidative stress, and inflammation was found immediately after a single meal of saturated fat.
For those interested in learning the DASH diet. The dash diet has been shown to reduce blood pressure, weight, oxidative stress, inflammation, and insulin resistance.
preeclampsia associated with oxidative stress. Low levels of glutathione, vitamin C found in placentas of those with preeclampsia. Implications for therapy?
AGEs are protein modifications that contribute to the formation of the histopathological and biochemical hallmarks of AD: amyloid plaques, neurofibrillary tangles and activated microglia
estradiol plays an important role in neuropreservation following cerebral ischemia. The mechanism is through ER alpha stimulation. The result is a reduction of ROS and oxidative stress. This occurs through the classic intranuclear and the rapid membrane receptors as well.