Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is a water soluble antioxidant that has a number of biological functions.  It plays a role in maintaining proper immune cell function, in collagen synthesis, in carnitine synthesis, and protects normal tissue from free radical damage.  Ascorbic acid and its salts can also act as a cytotoxic chemotherapeutic agent that is preferentially toxic to cancer cells at sufficient plasma concentrations (Casiari,2001).  Ascorbic acid does this by acting as a pro-oxidant which converts free radicals into hydrogen peroxide.  Hydrogen peroxide is a molecule that can cause damage to cell membranes and DNA if not neutralized by the cellular enzyme catalase.  Tumor cells tend to be catalase deficient and high doses of intravenous vitamin C can cause an increase of hydrogen peroxide to the level of cancer cell death (Benade et al,1969).  Vitamin C accumulates in solid tumors at concentrations higher than those of the surrounding tissue (Langemann et al, 1989; Agus et al,1999).  When undergoing chemotherapy the concern is that Vitamin C may offer protection to cancer cells from the chemotherapeutic agent.  A recent study looking at first-line chemotherapy and the use of vitamin C with other antioxidants for ovarian cancer found that "anti-oxidants( vitaminC primarily), when added adjunctively, to first line chemotherapy, may improve the efficacy of chemotherapy and may prove to be safe (Drisko et al, 2003).  More recent research has been showing that if sufficient plasma levels of vitamin C are achieved, vitamin C is preferentially cytotoxic to tumor cells however on the other hand low doses of oral vitamin C tends to be tumor protective (Casciari et al,2001).

Other Facts about Vitamin C:

• Vitamin C has potential as a chemotherapeutic agent that does not possess the adverse side effects that most chemotherapeutic drugs do.(Riordan et al, review)
• Vitamin C is toxic to tumor cells when used intravenously at doses of 50 grams per day. (Riordan et al review; Padayatty et al, 2000)
• Vitamin C at proper doses can increase efficacy of tumor remission when undergoing chemotherapy.(Drisko et al 2003)
• Vitamin C levels are decreased in cancer patients, and normalizing blood levels prior to surgery are an effective means of preventing postoperative complications.(Gorozhanskaia et al, 1989)
• Vitamin C is of value in normalizing immunological abnormalities (neutrophil motility, lymphocyte transformation and antimicrobial activity).(Anderson, 1982)
• Epidemiological studies have shown vitamin C to be important in the prevention of cancer including bladder, breast, cervical, colorectal, esophagus, lung, pancreatic, prostate, salivary gland, stomach, leukemia and non-hodgkin,s lymphoma.(Altern Med Rev 1998; 3(3):174-186)
• "Scientists should "rigorously explore" the possibility of giving cancer patients high-dose intravenous vitamin C when all other treatments have failed" (Canadian Medical Association Journal)

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