Treatment of pancreatic cancer with intravenous vitamin C: a case report

Anticancer Drugs. 2018 Apr;29(4):373-379. doi: 10.1097/CAD.0000000000000603.

Abstract

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) has a dismal prognosis and is often discovered at an advanced stage with few therapeutic options. Current conventional regimens for PDA are associated with significant morbidity, decreased quality of life, and a considerable financial burden. As a result, some patients turn to integrative medicine therapies as an alternate option after a diagnosis of PDA. Intravenous pharmacologic ascorbic acid (PAA) is one such treatment. The use of PAA has been passionately debated for many years, but more recent rigorous scientific research has shown that there are significant blood concentration differences when ascorbic acid is given parenterally when compared to oral dosing. This pharmacologic difference appears to be critical for its role in oncology. Here, we report the use of PAA in a patient with poorly differentiated stage IV PDA as an exclusive chemotherapeutic regimen. The patient survived nearly 4 years after diagnosis, with PAA as his sole treatment, and he achieved objective regression of his disease. He died from sepsis and organ failure from a bowel perforation event. This case illustrates the possibility of PAA to effectively control tumor progression and serve as an adjunct to standard of care PDA chemotherapy regimens. Our patient's experience with PAA should be taken into consideration, along with previous research in cell, animal, and clinical experiments to design future treatment trials.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Administration, Intravenous
  • Aged
  • Ascorbic Acid / administration & dosage
  • Ascorbic Acid / blood
  • Ascorbic Acid / therapeutic use*
  • Biliary Tract Surgical Procedures / adverse effects
  • Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal / blood
  • Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal / diagnostic imaging
  • Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal / drug therapy*
  • Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal / surgery
  • Disease Progression
  • Humans
  • Integrative Medicine
  • Male
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / blood
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / surgery
  • Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography
  • Prognosis
  • Stents / adverse effects

Substances

  • Ascorbic Acid