In this new series, I’m sharing some of the most effective natural strategies I explored in my personal fight against cancer. We’re starting with one that played a powerful role in my recovery — and that continues to support me more than forty years later.

People often ask me, “What did you do? What made the difference?”

High-dose vitamin C was a large part of the answer.

When I was first diagnosed with Stage 4 melanoma, I’ll be honest — if someone had told me vitamin C would become part of my strategy, I probably would have shrugged it off. Vitamin C? The stuff in orange juice?

I had a lot to learn.

The Rath Protocol

Early in my healing journey, a relative handed me the work of Dr. Linus Pauling on vitamin C. In it, Dr. Pauling described how terminal cancer patients who received very high doses — ten grams or more daily — often experienced longer survival and an improved quality of life.

That got my attention, especially as I was facing a Stage 4 melanoma diagnosis.

I didn’t just read about it. I began implementing high-dose vitamin C myself, along with key supportive nutrients. What struck me was how basic — and yet profound — the science was.

Humans can’t manufacture vitamin C, and it’s difficult to obtain therapeutic levels from food alone. The body doesn’t produce lysine either — a critical amino acid involved in collagen strength. To reach meaningful levels, these nutrients must be supplemented in highly absorbable forms. And because vitamin C is water-soluble and quickly excreted, it needs to be taken regularly — or delivered intravenously — to maintain elevated concentrations.

In Chapter 8 of my book, I Used to Have Cancer, I shared what I had learned from The Rath Protocol, developed by Dr. Matthias Rath and Dr. Pauling. It was built on a simple but powerful premise: in order to spread, cancer cells must break down collagen — the structural scaffolding that holds our tissues together.

Their research focused on a targeted combination of micronutrients, including vitamin C (ascorbyl palmitate), L-lysine, L-proline, and green tea extract (EGCG), selected to help reinforce connective tissue and counteract the enzymes cancer cells use to invade surrounding tissue.

And the more I studied it, the more I realized there was an additional mechanism at play.

The Fascinating Hydrogen Peroxide Connection

When vitamin C reaches very high concentrations in the bloodstream, it can generate hydrogen peroxide in the extracellular fluid surrounding tumors.

Healthy cells are equipped with enzymes such as catalase that quickly neutralize hydrogen peroxide. Many cancer cells, however, have weaker antioxidant defenses, making them more vulnerable to oxidative stress.

The result is selective pressure placed on cancer cells while normal cells remain largely protected — a difference that appears to depend on concentration.

This is why high-dose vitamin C continues to be studied in oncology settings today.

A Case of Mistaken Identity

The favorite food of cancer cells is glucose (sugar). But here’s the interesting part. Because vitamin C closely resembles glucose at the molecular level, cancer cells can actively transport it into themselves — essentially mistaking it for the very fuel they depend on.

When vitamin C is given in high amounts — either intravenously or orally — significant levels can enter cancer cells. At these higher concentrations, vitamin C shifts roles. Instead of acting only as an antioxidant, it creates a small amount of hydrogen peroxide inside the cancer cells. As that builds up, it places stress on the cell and triggers apoptosis, or programmed cell death. Interestingly enough, healthy cells are able to protect themselves from this effect.

At The Center for Healing Arts, established in 1975, Dr. Hugh Riordan routinely measured plasma vitamin C levels in chronically ill patients and found that many cancer patients had remarkably low reserves — findings consistent with published research. His work helped demonstrate that, when administered intravenously in sufficient doses, vitamin C could exert this selective effect.

From my own experience and research, I’ve also come to believe that diet plays a critical role. When someone shifts to a low-sugar, low-carbohydrate diet, glucose availability drops. In that setting, cancer cells may take up even more vitamin C.

Combined with proper immune support, regular exercise, and high doses of easily digestible, absorbable vitamin C — whether intravenous or oral — the metabolic terrain begins to change.

What This Really Means

High-dose vitamin C was one tool in my toolbox — not the only one, but an important one.

Forty years later, I’m still here. Looking back, I can see how each decision added up.

I’ll share another of those key decisions in the next installment.

 

Resources:

Levy, Thomas E. Curing the Incurable: Vitamin C, Infectious Diseases, and Toxins. 3rd Edition. Henderson, NV: MedFox Publishing, 2011. McIntosh, James. “Collagen: What is it and what are its uses?” Medical News Today. June 16, 2017. www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/262881.php

O’Melveny Woods, John. “Dr. Hal Alan Huggins, Noted Dental Pioneer, Passes Away,” Integrative Medicine: A Clinician’s Journal 14, 1 (2015). Sep. 12, 2018. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/ articles/PMC4566458

Rath, M., and L. Pauling. “Plasmin-Induced Proteolysis and the Role of Apoprotein(a), Lysine, and Synthetic Lysine Analogs.” Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine 7 (1992). 17–23. August 30, 2018. www.drrathresearch.org/publications/leading-publications/167-plas min-induced-proteolysis-and-the-role-of-apoprotein-a-lysine-and-synthetic-lysine-analogs

Weir, Hannah K., Robert N. Anderson, et al. “Heart Disease and Cancer Deaths–Trends and Projections in the United States, 1969-2020.” CME Activity Vol. 13 (November 17, 2016). Sep. 7, 2018. www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2016/16_0211.htm

Wright, Jonathan. “Frederick R. Klenner M.D., The Originator of Successful High-Dose Intravenous Vitamin C Therapy.” The Alliance for Natural Health USA. July 7, 2018. https://anh-usa.org/frederick-r-klenner-m-d-the-originator-of-successful-high-dose-intravenous-vitamin-c-therapy/

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