Treatment of pancreatic cancer with intravenous vitamin C: a case report

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) has a dismal prognosis and is often discovered at an advanced stage with few therapeutic options. Current conventional regimens for PDA are associated with significant morbidity, decreased quality of life, and a considerable financial burden. As a result, some patients turn to integrative medicine therapies as an alternate option after a diagnosis of PDA. Intravenous pharmacologic ascorbic acid (PAA) is one such treatment. The use of PAA has been passionately debated for many years, but more recent rigorous scientific research has shown that there are significant blood concentration differences when ascorbic acid is given parenterally when compared to oral dosing. This pharmacologic difference appears to be critical for its role in oncology. Here, we report the use of PAA in a patient with poorly differentiated stage IV PDA as an exclusive chemotherapeutic regimen. The patient survived nearly 4 years after diagnosis, with PAA as his sole treatment, and he achieved objective regression of his disease. He died from sepsis and organ failure from a bowel perforation event. This case illustrates the possibility of PAA to effectively control tumor progression and serve as an adjunct to standard of care PDA chemotherapy regimens. Our patient's experience with PAA should be taken into consideration, along with previous research in cell, animal, and clinical experiments to design future treatment trials. Written work prepared by employees of the Federal Government as part of their official duties is, under the US. Copyright Act, a 'work of the United States Government' for which copyright protection under Title 17 of the United States Code is not available. As such, copyright does not extend to the contributions of employees of the Federal Government. Correspondence to Jeanne A. Drisko, MD, University of Kansas Health System, 3901 Rainbow Blvd, Mail Stop 1017, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA Tel: +1 913 588 6208; fax: +1 913 588 0012; e-mail: jdrisko@kumc.edu Received November 2, 2017 Accepted January 17, 2018 Copyright © 2018 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

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