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# Vitamin C fights breast cancer with or without chemo
- URL: https://www.foodconsumer.org/vitamin_c_fights_breast_cancer_with_or_without_chemo_1107161144/
- Published: 2016-11-08T12:44:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-22T16:31:10.000Z
- Description: In two breast cancer cell lines, high concentrations of vitamin C killed cancer cells, and both low and high doses boosted the cytotoxicity of doxorubicin, cisplatin and paclitaxel, a 1996 laboratory study found. Vitamin C and doxorubicin showed definite synergy.
- Author: Food Consumer
- Tags: Vitamins, Nutrition, #vivvo-import

Tuesday Nov 08, 2016 (foodconsumer.org) -- At least one study published as early as in 1996 indicates that use of vitamin C actually boosts the efficacy of some chemotherapy including doxorubicin, cisplatin and paclitaxel against breast cancer. Best of all, [vitamin C in high doses](https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/cam/patient/vitamin-c-pdq?ref=foodconsumer.org) (102 to 103 μM) kills breast cancer cells.

For the study, [doxorubicin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doxorubicin?ref=foodconsumer.org) (DOX), [cisplatin ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cisplatin?ref=foodconsumer.org)(DDP), and [paclitaxel ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paclitaxel?ref=foodconsumer.org)(Tx), vitamin C and combinations of vitamin C and each of the chemotherapy drug were tested in two breast cancer cell lines, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231.

In both breast cance cell lines, high levels of vitamin C (102 to 103 μM) exhibited cytotoxicity against the cancer cells. Both cell lines were found resistant to DOX and strongly sensitive to Tx. [MCF-7](https://www.atcc.org/Products/All/HTB-22.aspx?ref=foodconsumer.org) was resistant to DDP and [MDA-MB-231](https://www.atcc.org/Products/All/HTB-26.aspx?ref=foodconsumer.org) was moderately resistant to DDP.

Interestingly, when vitamin C in both a low dose (1 μM) and high dose (102μM) boosted the cytotocity of DOX, DDP and Tx significantly.

The study also showed Vitamin C and DOX had a definite synergism while vitamin C and other two drugs might have a partial additive or subadditive effect against breast cancer cells.

Some oncologists may mistakenly thank vitamin C as an antioxidant can interfere with chemotherapy in treating breast cancer or other types of cancer. This study indicates that vitamin C can actually help boost the efficacy of chemotherapy against breast cancer.

Some cancer clinics have been using IV vitamin C for many years to treat various forms of cancer. It is not just IV vitamin C that can help treat cancer. High doses of oral vitamin C can also render a similar efficacy. Clinical experience suggests that high doses of vitamin C are very safe to use.

[](http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0304383596042127?ref=foodconsumer.org)

*Christian M. Kurbacher , Uwe Wagner, Bernd Kolster, Peter E. Andreotti, Dieter Krebs, Howard W. Bruckner, Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) improves the antineoplastic activity of doxorubicin, cisplatin, and paclitaxel in human breast carcinoma cells in vitro, Cancer Letters, Volume 103, Issue 2, 5 June 1996, Pages 183-189*