Vitamin C and Dog Cancer Update
ByThere is much talk on the use of vitamin C (ascorbic acid), in it’s various forms, for cancer treatment in the “alternative” medical community. It’s use in conventional cancer care is routinely ignored.
In the spirit of full-spectrum care and rational analysis, let’s take a closer look.
Due to some interesting observations, focus on vitamin C for cancer is still alive and well in the research community. I’d like to separate the wheat from the chaff and give you some main points.
- Vitamin C, given by mouth, does not have direct anticancer effects on cancer cells. The concentration in the blood is too low following oral administration.
- Vitamin C is known as an anti-oxidant. While it is at lower doses, the anti-cancer effects at the needed super-doses are actually pro-oxidant. (For more on these concepts, click here)
- The way to create the doses needed (vaguely 1000 micromol/L in the blood) is by giving IV injections of the vitamin. There are published protocols of this having success in a few severe human cancer cases, put out by the Canadian Medical Association. These can be used with your veterinarian’s cooperation to formulate a plan.
- In 39 people with terminal cancer, a study found that quality of life improved combining IV and oral vitamin C (less pain, fatigue, nausea, and improved appetite).
- In a test tube, another study found that high doses of vitamin C killed cancer cells including lymphoma, mammary cancer, pheochromocytoma, kidney cancer, bladder cancer, lung cancer and glioblastoma cells.
- There is a concern that low (antioxidant) levels (like those achieved from vitamin C taken by mouth) may, at least theoretically, reduce the effectiveness of chemotherapy and radiation.
- Vitamin C may increase the odds of certain kinds of urinary stones (calcium oxalates) and should not be used in patients with this problem.
What to make of all of this? When you are dealing with a life-threatening canine cancer, and your dog does not have calcium oxalate urinary stones, you should consider adding IV vitamin C to your dog’s treatment plan. This is especially true if your dog is not receiving chemo and radiation. Many more outside the box treatments can be found in The Dog Cancer Survival Guide.
Get your vet involved. Be your dog’s number one health advocate! Even if your canine companion does not experience a dramatic remission, there is at least evidence that quality of life may improve.
Best to all,
Dr D
About the Author
Dr. Demian Dressler, DVM is known as the "dog cancer vet" and is author of Dog Cancer Survival Guide: Beyond Surgery, Chemotherapy & Radiation. Visit his blog and sign up free to get the latest information about canine cancer. Go to http://DogCancerBlog.com.
8 Comments
December 17th, 2009 at 6:48 am
I have a Beagle who is having her final chemo treatment in Jan. and will go into her first remission. What are your thoughts on using Vitamin C as a preventative measure? It is likely that we will not opt for a second round of treatment for her–she is a very anxious girl (due to previous abuse) and chemo was stressful for her.
December 17th, 2009 at 12:41 pm
My 11 year old has SCC in her lower jaw we have done radiation and chemo therapies. What are other modes of treatments and do you think the vitamin C IV would work.
December 18th, 2009 at 5:15 am
Dr. Dressler,
I would like to comment about the IV use of vitamin C. You call ascorbic acid vitamin C. I do not believe that ascorbic acid is vitamin C and the reason for that belief was placed in my mind by an article by Dr. Szent-Gy ö rgyi (the discoverer of vitamin C) in a monthly publication named “Executive Health” which I kept for years, but it disappeared some time ago, but not the thought that Dr. Szent-Gy ö rgyi put there.
Dr. Szent-Gy ö rgyi was called in to treat the Crown Prince of Belgium for subcutaneous bleeding. Dr. Szent-Gy ö rgyi believed the Prince had a vitamin deficiency, but could not understand why since he had available the best chefs and food sources. Dr. Szent-Gy ö rgyi treated the Prince and the condition with his extracted (ascorbic acid) was resolved. Not long after that, he was called in to treat another man with the same condition. The ascorbic acid did not resolve the problem. Dr. Szent-Gy ö rgyi then went back to his original vitamin C source which he had extracted from Paprika and the problem was resolved. Dr. Szent-Gy ö rgyi concluded that there must be trace “food factors” in the “raw” vitamin C which were not in ascorbic acid. These trace markers vary with the source (Acerola Cherry has one of the highest concentrations of vitamin C) and is highly touted in most all vitamin C supplements sold. However, Chemists at the largest manufacturer of vitamin C from Acerola Cherry (owning 90% + of all the sources in the world) does not find those trace food factors in vitamin C claiming to be derived from Acerola Cherries).
I hope that any IV preparations supplied are real vitamin C and not ascorbic acid.
Dr. Szent-Gy ö rgyi approached Merck & Co. with his discovery of vitamin C. The Merck question to Dr. Szent-Gy ö rgyi was, “what does you vitamin C cure”? Dr. Szent-Gy ö rgyi replied, scurvy. Merck responded, “we have no scurvy, therefore we have no need for your vitamin C.” I believe that goats produce ~140,000mg of vitamin C daily. Humans produce none.
Remember that it took the Brits 90 years to discovery the cure for beriberi!
Fred
December 22nd, 2009 at 9:44 pm
Dear John
I am sorry to say that the studies have not been done to answer your question with any certainty. It is not likely to hurt once the radiation and chemo is complete, but I would give some time between them to be on the safe side, very roughly about 2 months as a rough estimate. As far as other things that can be done, one could fill a book…which I did with the e-book….
Diet, life quality, sunlight, supplements, etc. all can give an edge.
Best,
Dr D
December 28th, 2009 at 6:27 am
Dr. Dressler,
I have a 7 years old German Boxer, who was diagnosed with ” Suspected epitheliotrophic malignant lymephoma” as written on his report after biopsy. At first most of the Vets told me its an ulcer, then after biosy i had this diagnosis. Its on his upper left lip, a huge open wound. I bought your book and i applied some of your procedure. Iam located in Kuwait , but there is no good Vets here. They gave me 6 month for my Boxer to live. He had this for a whole year before biospy and never had any other symptoms up until now. I gave him K-9 immunity also, now iam giving him PAW PAW cell reg, i read about it online. Now i would like to add the IV VIT. C, but Dr. Dressler what is the dosage? and how many times .. daily or once a week etc?
The Vets here told me no use for chemo, they totally gave up on my dog,and he is acting totally fine , no symptoms for over a year now. so everything iam doing is from my own reading, no vet will do anything here. You have been a great help, thank you so much.
December 29th, 2009 at 6:54 am
Hello Dr.
I’ve got a dog very sick and I do not know what to do with glaze went to 4 veterinary doctor did not give me a clear result and I hope that you never help me with advice
Dog-type Rottweiler and overhaul two years and three months, suddenly does not want to eat after 7 days was the lack of talents from 64 to 30 kilograms and now his eyes were purple happened two days after swelling in the abdomen, where he became like a pregnant female can not move and never distract him Dr. needle every 2 on a penicillin and vitamin C for 5 days was not the result we come please help me I’m never knowing that the medicine the human form in Libya is very bearish, what about veterinary medicine please help me
December 30th, 2009 at 12:12 pm
Dear Nora,
There are no published protocols for this use in dogs, so we have to modify what has been done in humans. Your vet can help with that. Here is an excerpt from the link in the blog post used for a human:
“The patient declined chemotherapy and radiotherapy, opting instead for 30 grams of vitamin C twice a week for three months, followed by 30 grams once every one to two months for four years, interspersed with periods during which he had more frequent infusions.”
I hope this helps,
Dr D
December 30th, 2009 at 12:18 pm
Dear Wisam
I am sorry but there could be many different things wrong- abdominal swelling could be from heart failure, tumor, kidney or liver disease, and many other things. We need more information here. No ultrasound available?
Dr D