Nov 6, 2006 8:10 pm US/Eastern
Woman With Cancer Claims Vitamin C Saved Her Life
by Dr. Mallika Marshall
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
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Denise tried an alternative therapy -- massive doses of Vitamin C administered intravenously.
CBS
A popular vitamin once thought to be the cure for the common cold is now being used in the treatment of cancer. It's Vitamin C and while some patients have seen dramatic improvement, this alternative therapy is not without controversy.
"Everybody assumed you're lucky if you're going to make it a year." That was the prognosis for Denise McCabe after she was diagnosed with breast cancer that had spread to other parts of the body. She started intense chemotherapy which left her debilitated, "I couldn't get off the couch, it was that terrible, so I decided I had to do something."
What Denise did was to try an alternative therapy -- massive doses of Vitamin C administered intravenously. After just a few sessions Denise felt better and had a little more energy. And even more importantly, "I started to notice that my cancer markers suddenly started to drop," says Denise.
Helen Kwak believes intravenous Vitamin C saved her mother's life. After chemotherapy and radiation, her mother lost 70 pounds in less than two months. "I thought she was going to die," says Helen. But after a few intravenous Vitamin C sessions her mother started eating again, "She had so much energy, I just couldn't believe it."
Dr. Glenn Rothfeld, an Arlington physician offers his patients intravenous Vitamin C, usually in combination with traditional treatments, "In a number of patients, although certainly not all, it has seemed to arrest or slow down the progression of their cancer." The key is the delivery method. The intravenous injections have the Vitamin C equivalent of 500 oranges and it goes right into the bloodstream. "It's fairly unquestioned in science that when you use Vitamin C in very high doses in a test tube, it kills cancer cells," says Rothfeld.
But others in the medical field have their doubts such as Dr. Richard Penson, an oncologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, "There really has been no study that's shown a significant impact on cancer." Penson says what is successful in the lab most often does not translate to success in humans, "If you pursue unrealistic things, there's a chance you may not pursue better options."
But Denise McCabe disagrees. "When you think of it, it is pretty amazing." That's because she believes she's here today and enjoying life again because of something as simple as Vitamin C.
Intravenous Vitamin C costs about $100 a session and patients require two-to-three sessions per week. It is usually not covered by insurance.
(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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