A new clinical trial reported in ScienceDaily has turned up an unexpected link between a common supplement and cancer outcomes. Researchers found that patients with precancerous blood disorders or early-stage blood cancers who took vitamin C every day showed a promising survival advantage compared with those who did not.
The same group also reported fewer adverse events, suggesting the supplement was well tolerated. The trial's results have raised hopes that a simple, inexpensive intervention could play a role in managing certain blood cancers, though the report stops short of recommending routine use.
Because this is a single trial, the findings are preliminary. The authors and commentators would need larger studies to confirm whether the survival benefit holds and to understand the biological mechanism behind the link.