Scientists discover a surprising link between vitamin C and cancer survival

A surprising clinical trial suggests that taking vitamin C daily could improve survival in people with precancerous blood disorders and early-stage blood cancers. Patients receiving the supplement had fewer adverse events and showed a promising survival advantage, raising hopes that a common vitamin could help protect against leukemia-related complications. Vitamin C plays an important role in keeping the immune system healthy, helping wounds heal, and protecting cells from damage. However, people with precancerous blood disorders and blood cancers often have persistently low vitamin C levels. Researchers have been investigating whether correcting this deficiency could improve their health and treatment outcomes. New findings from the phase 2 EVITA clinical trial suggest that vitamin C supplementation may offer important benefits for people with precancerous blood conditions and early-stage blood cancers.

The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was conducted by the Van Andel Institute-Stand Up To Cancer® Epigenetics Dream Team. The results, published in the American Cancer Society journal CANCER, revealed that patients who received 1,000 mg of oral vitamin C every day for one year experienced fewer adverse events during the study and its follow-up period. The supplement also changed the levels of certain immune signaling molecules, known as cytokines, in ways associated with more favorable outcomes. These changes suggest that vitamin C could