High-dose IV vitamin C
vitamin C given by drip. Vitamins & minerals.
- Verdict
- UnclearThere isn't enough human evidence to say either way.
- How sure
- Rung 2 · LimitedFew, small or conflicting human studies, or only indirect measures such as blood markers.
The rung shows how sure the science is, not how big the effect is. How to read these ratings
Cancers affected
Colorectal, pancreatic
What the evidence shows
In the 442-patient VITALITY trial in metastatic colorectal cancer, adding IV vitamin C to chemotherapy did not lengthen progression-free survival overall (8.6 vs 8.3 months), though a subgroup with RAS mutations did better. In a 36-patient randomized trial in metastatic pancreatic cancer, median survival was 16 vs 8.3 months.
What to do
Only within a clinical trial or with your oncologist's agreement. Vitamin C pills are not the same thing.
Sources
Spotted an error? Tell us and we’ll check it against the sources.
Step by step
For the whole picture, from prevention and screening to treatment and life after, see the colorectal cancer page.