As many know, pancreatic cancer isn’t typically found until it has progressed to a late stage diagnosis. Although leaps and bounds have been made with respect to treating and managing this cancer, its aggressiveness still persists as a driver toward unpredictable and unwelcome results. With the advances around standard of care treatment approaches showing some promise, pancreatic cancer still requires both a more aggressive yet health promoting plan. Intravenous (IV) vitamin C is an integrative treatment that continues to show promise as part of the overall management of pancreatic cancer.
What is Intravenous (IV) Vitamin C?
Intravenous (IV) Vitamin C, as discussed in previous articles, works by infusing large (and safe) doses of Vitamin C directly into a person’s circulatory system. This practice has been clinically used, with benefit, for many years. Once infused, with large doses, vitamin C begins to act as a pro oxidant (versus its usual anti oxidant action), targets cancer cells from surviving and impacts the overall status of cancer in the body in a multitude of other ways. Not only has research shown safety and benefit with direct respect to cancer, it also works as an adjunct (addition) alongside conventional chemotherapy and other treatments to help improve quality of life, reduce adverse side effects, and cancer and treatment outcomes.
Why Should I Consider Intravenous (IV) Vitamin C If I Have Pancreatic Cancer?
Not only is intravenous (IV) vitamin C safe and effective to use on its own (studies verify this), it’s best used in combination with other conventional pancreatic cancer therapies. Recently, a study has shown that a patient diagnosed with aggressive, and poorly differentiated pancreatic cancer, when treated with intravenous (IV) vitamin C (as a sole treatment), survived an additional 4 years, and achieved objective regression of his disease (this patient passed away of complications unrelated to his pancreatic cancer). More and more evidence is showing similar impacts in pancreatic cancer when it comes to being treated with intravenous (IV) vitamin C. From a strictly clinical perspective, intravenous (IV) vitamin C, when used as a treatment support, can prove to significantly enhance how a patient feels (better energy, less fatigue, less pain), and also helps to greatly reduce (or avoid) many of the harsh side effects that the standard care treatments tend to create. All in all, we see better overall outcomes (in the majority of parameters) with patients who include intravenous (IV) vitamin C into their already active, or pre or post treatment regimen.
How Do I start and What Should I Expect?
If you have already been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, are under current conventional treatment, have yet to begin treatment, or are in a position where conventional treatment(s) are complete, the vitamin C approach will differ for each. Generally speaking however, expect to receive intravenous (IV) vitamin C treatments a minimum of two days per week. Here at Cornerstone Naturopathic, it’s critical we follow all regulatory standards to the tee when it comes to IV therapy. This means that prior to beginning IV vitamin C, some blood testing may be required. Once treatment is underway, objective measures (such as imaging, blood testing, or other endpoints) will be put into place in order to help verify the success or activity of the treatment itself. Following roughly two months of treatment, based on objective results, it’s reliable to determine next steps, if other supportive treatments may be required, or if frequency of treatments need to increase (with progressive illness) or decrease (with stable disease outcomes). Either way, IV vitamin C treatments tend to make people feel well, improve overall pancreatic cancer outcomes (disease state, longevity, wellness etc), come with little to no adverse effects, is financially realistic, and continues to show additive benefit for patients who subscribe and enrol in an integrative approach to care versus simply committing to either a conventional or alternative medicine only approach to pancreatic cancer treatment.
Want to understand more about what integrative cancer care is and how it can likely help you? Read more here, here, and here.