Failure of high-dose vitamin C (ascorbic acid) therapy to benefit patients with advanced cancer. A controlled trial

clinical trial · 1979

type:clinical trial

year:1979

citation:Creagan ET, Moertel CG, O'Fallon JR, Schutt AJ, O'Connell MJ, Rubin J, Frytak S. Failure of high-dose vitamin C (ascorbic acid) therapy to benefit patients with advanced cancer. A controlled trial. N Engl J Med. 1979;301(13):687-690. PMID: 384241.

LINK

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/384241/

SUMMARY

The first Mayo Clinic randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of oral high-dose (10 g/day) vitamin C in 150 patients with advanced cancer. Found no difference in symptoms, performance status, appetite, weight, or survival between the vitamin C and placebo groups (median survival about seven weeks in both). PMID resolved directly on PubMed; title, authors (Creagan, Moertel, O'Fallon, Schutt, O'Connell, Rubin, Frytak), journal, volume/issue/pages all match.

NOTES

The first controlled, randomized test of the Cameron-Pauling cancer claim, and the first to contradict it directly.