Colorectal cancer (CRC) is continuously classified as one of the most mortal and incidental types of cancer worldwide. The positive outcomes from conventional treatment are often interrupted by the highly toxic effects these drugs have on the body. Unfortunately, major side effects experienced by patients can often limit or suspend their treatment schedule (which is rarely a good thing). Growing evidence is showing that adding high doses of vitamin C may play a positive role throughout a patients’ conventional CRC treatment plan. Treatment strategies are arising which show that vitamin C may make cancer cells more sensitive to the killing effects of chemotherapy, and that vitamin C might also then help reduce the side effects associated with many of these chemotherapeutic drugs. 

The reduced sensitivity of some tumours to chemotherapy and the highly associated adverse effects continue to be some of the major obstacles in the effective treatment of colorectal cancer. In a continued quest to figure out how treatments can be effective but with diminished side effects, vitamin C may be an answer. Typical of the most common colorectal cancer drugs used to treat patients, studies have been done to see if high doses of vitamin C can in fact help. What has been determined, is that high intravenous (IV) doses of vitamin C have been able to help reduce side effects and increase chemotherapies’ effects on cancer cells. At Cornerstone Naturopathic Inc., we’ve been using this method for a long time; taking advantage of the synergistic effects of vitamin C on many of colorectal cancers’ well known drug therapies. 

What the studies have shown is that vitamin C can not only reduce the harsh side effects of chemotherapy regimens, but can do it safely and without reducing the effects of the drugs themselves. Not only is it unlikely that high doses of vitamin C interfere with colorectal cancer drug treatments, but it’s likely that vitamin C actually improves how these drugs work to target cancer. In some of the most recent studies to date, many of colorectal cancers’ chemotherapy drugs have actually been reduced in dose, as vitamin C has been able to better sensitize the targeted cancer cells to the drugs themselves. Not only have these benefits been identified, but it’s proving to both stabilize and shrink tumours. So with the potential of lower doses of these harsh chemotherapy drugs being given to patients, it means fewer side effects while still being able to do what they need to do; kill cancer cells. 

Within the realm of integrative cancer care, the approach using high doses of vitamin C (intravenous, or IV) has been used for years. We know the real potential that the combination of high dose vitamin C and chemotherapies have to offer, so these benefits are continuing to support the use of high dose vitamin C during colorectal cancer treatments. Integrative cancer care not only understands the synergy of this approach, it’s also been using high doses of vitamin C on its own with colorectal cancer for years to benefit both quality of life and its real anti cancer potential.