Vitamin C & Chemotherapy

The use of vitamin C and other antioxidant vitamins during chemotherapy represents a subject of considerable debate among cancer researchers. Certain research suggests vitamin C interferes with the efficacy of chemotherapy drugs; other research asserts that vitamin C benefits cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Speak to your doctor or health care provider about vitamin C supplementation during chemotherapy.

Interference

According to a study published in the October 2008 issue of "Cancer Research," vitamin C reduced the effectiveness of chemotherapy drugs. The study examined leukemia and lymphoma cells that had been treated with vitamin C and concluded that the antioxidant vitamin reinforced the strength of the cancer cells and blocked the action of the chemotherapy drugs.

Challenge

In the October 2009 issue of the journal "Cancer Research" published a comment on the study from October 2008 from researchers at the National Institutes of Health's molecular and clinical nutrition section. In it, the researchers claimed the study had serious flaws, namely that the type of vitamin C referred to in the study did not accurately reflect the actual form of vitamin C the body uses, and that the study conditions misrepresented the action of vitamin C in the body.

Review

Researchers from the Institute for Integrative Cancer Research and Education conducted a comprehensive literature review, published in August 2007 in "Cancer Treatment Reviews" to evaluate the effect of antioxidant supplementation on chemotherapy drugs. The review associated vitamin C supplementation with prolonged survival times, as well as a greater tumor response to the chemotherapy drugs. Lead author Keith I. Block, M.D. also found "no scientific support for the blanket objection to using antioxidants during chemotherapy. In addition, it also appears that these supplements may help mitigate the side effects of chemotherapy."

Final Word

Antioxidants, such as vitamin C, may benefit cancer patients during treatment; however, research continues to generate debate for and against their use. Whether or not to supplement vitamin C during chemotherapy needs to be a decision made between you and your doctor. If you are undergoing chemotherapy treatment, seek medical advice before you take vitamin C supplements.