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March 8, 2012
For decades, scientists around the world have been trying to find new technologies and approaches to boosting the effectiveness of the existing cancer treatments in order to increase the chances of millions of sufferers to get cured from this serious disease. According to the most recent findings, received during the studies on brain cancer treatments, it can be effective to use vitamin C to speed up and boost the effectiveness of radiation therapy. It is reported that showering brain tumor cells with this vitamin can assist in softening the cells up and speeding up the elimination of the tumors.
An international group of scientists from the University of Otago, New Zealand, led by Patries Herst and Melanie McConnell discovered that combining radiation therapy with administering vitamin C in high doses impacts the lifespan of brain tumor cells. After a series of laboratory experiments and tests, it became apparent that vitamin C can be effective since it causes DNA damage in brain cells, affected by cancer. 
This property of vitamin C can be used to boost the effects of radiation therapy and make radiation treatments much more efficient for all types of brain tumors.
It is a known fact that brain cancer s considered among the most aggressive, that is why in a great deal of cases the patients who suffer from this type of cancer have pessimistic prognosis. In addition, brain cancer tumors are extremely resistant to even the most intense radiation therapy. That is why these findings of the scientists from New Zealand are considered almost revolutionary in the medical science world. This discover can give hope to many of those who are suffering from this type of cancer.
Patries Herst said that the debate about the effects of vitamin C on brain tumor treatment had quite a long history, and her team had managed to receive positive results both in lab tests and experiments with lab rats. “If carefully designed clinical trials show that combining high dose vitamin C with radiation therapy improves patient survival, there may be merit in combining both treatments for radiation-resistant cancers, such as glioblastoma multiforme,” Herst underlined. The findings of this interesting study were published in one of Feb issues of the journal Free Radical Biology and Medicine.
Author Info: Hi! My name is Carla and I am a 5th year medical student at HYMS. I am interested in alternative medicine and I have done months researching the topic of herbal medicine. Besides, I like interviewing people and learning more about their experiences with one or another type of herbal treatments. I am willing to contribute to this site with my knowledge, and I would be happy to help you out to the best of my ability with any specific questions or problems related to alternative medicine.
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