A Phase 1/2 interventional study of Ascorbic Acid and Control group in Colon Cancer Stage Iv, sponsored by National Taiwan University Hospital. Status unknown at 1 site in Taiwan. Open to participants aged 20 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2019-07-29.
Sponsored by National Taiwan University Hospital · Phase 1/2, Interventional, and Treatment
The purpose is to evaluate the effectiveness of high dose intravenous vitamin C (IVC) therapy plus very low carbohydrate diet (VLCD) for stage IV colon cancer (with KRAS and BRAF mutation ) with or without chemotherapy.
High dose IVC induces pro-oxidant effects, inhibits energy metabolism, acts as cytotoxic effect, and induces cancer cell apoptosis and necrosis. The recent advance in Warburg effect makes a new direction in high dose IVC therapy. The Warburg effect is the enhanced conversion of glucose to lactate observed in tumor cells, even in the presence of normal levels of oxygen. Converting glucose to lactate, rather than metabolizing it through oxidative phosphorylation in the mitochondria, is far less efficient as less ATP is generated per unit of glucose metabolized. Therefore, a high rate of glucose uptake is required to meet increased energy needs to support rapid tumor progression..
Vitamin C shares very similar structure with glucose. The high-dose IVC gets accessibility to glucose transporter, with competition to glucose. Having a reduced level of blood sugar seems to be a necessary parameter to increase IVC's anticancer effectiveness. VLCD with high dose IVC showed effectiveness in case series.
The investigator's project is a single-centered, clinical trial (pilot study) for stage IV colon cancer patients with or without chemotherapy. The experimental group will receive high dose vitamin C 75 or 100g (with blood vitamin C level > 350 mg/dl) in 1000 ml distilled water in 2-hour infusion, twice per week for 12 weeks. Then maintenance dose is 75-100 g once per 2 weeks for 12 weeks. Very low carbohydrate diet will be executed for the first 12 weeks. The control group will be matched for age, sex and chemotherapy and target therapy medication. The control group will receive usual care. The primary outcome will be the response rate by computerized tomography (CT) of the chest, abdomen and pelvis at 12 weeks and 24 weeks. The secondary outcome will be the improvement of tumor markers (CEA and Ca199).
This is the first clinical trial of IVC therapy with VLCD for stage IV colon cancer in Taiwan and in the world. This innovation will give us a primitive answer on the effectiveness of IVC therapy with VLCD for cancers. Vitamin C is a cheap and harmless therapy. The study result will open a door for alternative cancer treatment.
1,432 studies on the registry are indexed under Colonic Neoplasms; 357 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 40 is below the median of 90 across 1,034 interventional studies indexed under Colonic Neoplasms.
Browse Colonic Neoplasms studies →National Taiwan University Hospital is the lead sponsor of 2,563 studies on the registry; 569 are open to participants now.
Of its 11 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 2 (18%) have results posted.
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Exclusion Criteria:
1. Initiation of High dose IVC therapy: start with 25g IVC biweekly for one week; 50g IVC biweekly for one week; 75g biweekly for one week. 2. Blood vitamin C level measurement: Confirm the plasma vitamin C level above 350 mg/dl by Arkray company PocketChem VC ( Kyoto, Japan) from the 75g/dose 3. Once the target blood level is confirmed, the dose remains g biweekly for 12 weeks. If the target blood level is below 350mg/dl, the dose will titrate up to 100 g/dose or maximal dose of 1.5g/kg/dose to achieve the target level. The blood vitamin C level will be checked again and record. The final dose will be kept for 12 weeks. 4. The Riordan IVC protocol (Taiwan) 5. Maintenance dose: 75-100g every 2 week will be maintained for additional 12 weeks 6. The infusion schedule change within 2 weeks is accepted with the fixed frequency per week or month 7. VLCD intervention in the first 12 weeks
Drug: Ascorbic Acid
1. Selection of control group: stage IV colon cancer patients match for sex, age and chemotherapy /target therapy drugs 2. Usual care
Other: Control group
1. Start with IVC (intravenous ascorbic acid) 25 g biweekly, 50 g biweekly, and 75 g biweekly. If the target blood level is below 350mg/dl, the dose will titrate up to 100 g/dose or maximal dose of 1.5g/kg/dose to achieve the target level. 2. The final dose will be kept for 12 weeks. 3. Maintenance dose: 75-100g every 2 week will be maintained for additional 12 weeks
Also known as: VLCD (very low carbohydrate diet) intervention in the first 12 weeks
1. Selection of control group: stage IV colon cancer patients match for sex, age and chemotherapy /target therapy drugs 2. Usual care
Change from baseline by computerized tomography of Chest, abdomen and pelvis
all the participants will be evaluated by CT of the chest, abdomen and pelvis for possible response to treatment, using the Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors (RECIST 1.1) criteria at 12 weeks by the same radiologist, who is blind to the patients group.
Time frame: 12 weeks
Number of participants with changes of tumor markers
CEA, and Ca 199
Time frame: 12 weeks
Plan to share: Yes
Supporting information: Study protocol, Icf
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
This study is status unknown, as verified in Jul 2019. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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National Taiwan University Hospital