Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34113504›Full record

ArticleCureus2021

Impact of Intravenous Vitamin C Administration in Reducing Severity of Symptoms in Breast Cancer Patients During Treatment.

Farah Mansoor, Sham Kumar, Prashant Rai, Faryal Anees, Navneet Kaur, Arooj Devi, Besham Kumar, Muhammad Khizar Memon, Sidrah Khan

Open access · diamondAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cureus, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
1.1field-weighted citation impact, top 26% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 11 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Review
  2. The interplay between vitamin C and thyroid.Endocrinology, diabetes & metabolism · 2023
    Review
  3. Review
  4. High-dose intravenous vitamin C, a promising multi-targeting agent in the treatment of cancer.Journal of experimental & clinical cancer research : CR · 2021
    Review
  5. Observational
  6. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 4 institutions in 3 countries.

Farah MansoorInternal Medicine, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi, PAK.
Sham KumarInternal Medicine, Civil Hospital Karachi, Karachi, PAK.
Prashant RaiInternal Medicine, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi, PAK.
Faryal AneesObstetrics and Gynecology, Agha Khan University Hospital, Karachi, PAK.
Navneet KaurInternal Medicine, Adesh Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Buchu Kalan, IND.
Arooj DeviOncology, Ghulam Muhammad Mahar Medical College, Sukkur, PAK.
Besham KumarInternal Medicine, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi, PAK.
Muhammad Khizar MemonInternal Medicine, Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Hyderabad, PAK.
Sidrah KhanInternal Medicine, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi, PAK.
Aga Khan University Hospital · PKInstitute of Aging · CACivil Hospital Karachi · PKLiaquat University of Medical & Health Sciences · PK

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introduction Alternative medicine during treatment is often used to make the quality of life (QoL) better. Women with early-stage breast cancer, particularly the ones who possess lower QoL, are more prone to opt for complementary medicine. This study aims to explore the effects exerted by intravenous vitamin C (IVC) on symptoms and adverse events associated with breast cancer treatment. Methods This single-center, parallel-group, single-blind interventional study was conducted in the oncology ward of a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan. For this study, after informed consent was taken, breast cancer patients with Union for International Cancer Control stages IIA to IIIb were included in the study. Three hundred and fifty (n = 350) patients were randomized into two groups at a ratio of 1:1. Study group was randomized to receive 25 grams per week of IVC at a rate of 15 grams per hour for four weeks in addition to their current standard treatment, and the control group received placebo (normal saline drip with label removed) in addition to their current standard treatment. Results In patients who had received IVC, there was a significant decrease in the mean severity score after 28 days for the following symptoms: nausea (2.65 ± 0.62 vs. 2.59 ± 0.68; p-value: 0.0003), loss of appetite (2.26 ± 0.51 vs. 2.11 ± 0.52; p-value: 0.007), tumor pain (2.22 ± 0.45 vs. 1.99 ± 0.40, p-value: <0.0001), fatigue (3.11 ± 0.32 vs. 2.87 ± 0.29; p-value: <0.0001), and insomnia (2.59 ± 0.35 vs. 2.32 ± 0.36, p-value: <0.0001). Conclusion Our study showed improvement in the mean severity score of nausea, fatigue, tumor pain, loss of appetite, and fatigue. More studies are also needed to assess the long-term effects of IVC in the cancer management. This shall help incorporate the use of IVC in standard practice to make the journey of cancer management comfortable for the patients.

Indexed as

breast cancercomplementary medicineintravenous vitamin cpakistanvitamin c

Identifiers

PMID34113504
PMCPMC8177022
OpenAlexW3158144233

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.