Intravenous Cancer Therapies

Intravenous and Oral vitamin C

This therapy has been shown to increase survival time in cancer patients, decrease the amount of radiation required, enhance chemotherapy, protect from damage of chemotherapy, inhibit the growth of some cancers, and reverse some abnormal cell lines back to normal. (Note: avoid large doses, over 1000mg/day, on days when chemotherapy or radiation are administered). The injectable form allows much higher levels to be administered and enhances the anti-cancer effect. At levels only reached by intravenous administration, vitamin C is a pro-oxidant that kills tumor cells but not normal healthy cells. Quality of life is generally greatly enhanced for patients who have Vitamin C infusions. See www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/highdosevitaminc for research review.

Intravenous Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA)

Dr. Burton M. Berkson has pioneered this therapy due to successes he has had treating Pancreatic Cancer with and without metastasis. This almost universally fatal cancer is very hard to treat, yet, Dr. Berkson reports that several advanced cases have been put into remission with a therapy of IV ALA plus oral low dose naltrexone (LDN).

See Dr. Berkson’s talk on Youtube by entering: “Dr Burt Berkson complete talk LDN09”. ALA functions in the body by the following mechanisms: Mitochondrial stimulant (increasing cellular energy), acts as both a fat and water soluble scavenger of free radicals and thus a reducer of oxidative stress (100 times stronger inhibitor of free-radicals than Vitamin E and C combined), increases glutathione activity to help detoxify the liver, detoxifies toxic heavy metals, reduces the side effects of radiation and chemo, strengthens the effect of and regenerates other antioxidants, reduces inflammation, improves tissue regeneration, stimulates the immune system, protects DNA, reduces fibrosis, can reverse neuropathies, stimulates apoptosis (cancer cell death), enhances and restores kidney filtration, and modifies gene expression.

Intravenous and Oral DCA (Dichloroacetate)

This small chemical is being studied at the University of Alberta by the Michelakis research team. They have shown that DCA turns on the mitochondria of cancer cells, allowing them to resume normal cell suicide (also known as apoptosis). One of the ways cancer survives is by turning off normal metabolism in the mitochondria, and thus, turning off apoptosis. Cancer cells burn sugar at a very high rate (200 times normal) using the “Warburg effect”, a term known as aerobic glycolysis. This bypasses normal mitochondrial energy production. Dr. Akbar Kahn at Medicor Cancer Centres in Toronto, Ontario, is conducting ongoing observational research with cancer patients.

As of April 2009, he had treated 347 cancer patients with DCA, most of whom had exhausted conventional therapies. They were able to demonstrate a 60% response rate (response defined as reduction in tumour size, reduction in tumour markers, improvement in blood tests, symptomatic improvement, and/or disease stabilization). Rat studies have shown that DCA slows the growth rate of tumours, and in a small human trial, DCA slowed the rate of, or shrank brain tumours known as Glioblastoma.

These and other therapies including diet and supplements with targeted nutrients are helping cancer patients to live longer, healthier lives.