Continuous ascorbate infusions in the management of the patients with advanced colon cancer

Abstract

Objective: Cytotoxic effect of ascorbic acid on colon cancer cells has been demonstrated in pre-clinical models. In this study, we analyzed data of a previous clinical trial of the treatment of late stage colon cancer patients by continuous ascorbic acid infusions.Design: The author analyzed the effect of continuous intravenous ascorbic acid (10 g–50 g) administered by injection pumps for 6-8 weeks. Adverse effects, hematologic and blood chemistry parameters, and time to survival were monitored during treatment. Subjects: 17 terminal colon cancer patients.Outcome measures: Blood was collected to measure ascorbic acid (AA), absolute lymphocyte count (ALC), neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), lactate dehydrogenase concentration (LDH), glucose concentration, ratio of immature neutrophils to total white blood cells (IN/WBC), albumin and creatinine concentrations. Patients’ survival time was correlated with measured biomarkers.Results: The evaluation of the initial blood chemistry parameters as prognostic factors of patients’ survival demonstrated strong correlation with survival for lactate dehydrogenase, creatinine, and albumin levels. Continuous ascorbate infusions demonstrated a regulatory effect on ALC, lymphopenia, and NLR, which suggested a benefit of using medium continuous ascorbate doses for improvement of immune functioning. The rate of growth of LDH in patients with elevated initial levels was decreased in most cases. Treatments were accompanied by reduced serum glucose and uric acid concentrations. In addition, our data demonstrated that continuous IVC can be administered safely.Conclusions: Continuous IVC infusions show potential to benefit colon cancer patients with minimal side effects. Further research and clinical studies investigating the efficacy of continuous IVC therapy for colon cancer are warranted.Keywords: continuous infusion, ascorbic acid, colon cancer, survival, lymphopenia, lactate dehydrogenase, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio.