In 1990,
The Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine published an article by Abram Hoffer, MD, and Linus Pauling, Ph.D., which analysed the differences between a group of cancer patients who took a regimen of vitamins and minerals and a similar group of patients who did not.
These were patients of Dr. Hoffer, terminal cancer patients who had been referred to him for psychiatric care. In addition to counselling or treatment of depression and anxiety, Dr. Hoffer recommended a vitamin/mineral regimen and a dietary plan. Some patients complied, and some did not. The two groups were compared.
I have a basic knowledge of statistics, and it is true that statistical manipulation can sometimes make black seem like white, or vice versa. But I think it would be hard to explain away the results as mere artifacts of playing with the numbers. The magnitude of the effect is simply too large.
Thirty-one patients who did not follow Dr. Hoffer's protocol had a mean survival time of 5.9 months.
Of those who followed the protocol, response seemed to be divided in to two groups. About 20% of the patients responded "poorly" -- which is to say that their survival nearly doubled, to 10 months on average. That response would be considered poor only by comparison to the larger part of the group, the remaining 80%, who saw survival time jump up to 20 times that of the non-compliant patients.
Even lumping the "poor" responders and the good responders together, survival time was 16 times longer than patients who refused the vitamin/mineral and diet advice.
Patients were advised to take 12 grams of vitamin C daily, in divided doses, plus niacin or niacinamide at 1.5 - 3 grams daily, vitamin B-6 250 mg/day, vitamin E 800 I.U. daily, beta carotene 30,000 I.U. daily, selenium 200 - 500 mcg/day, and other vitamins and minerals in large amounts. Advice about selection of nutritious foods was also given (emphasizing, I believe, basic principles like eating whole grains, the importance of green and yellow vegetables, reduction of sugar and empty carbohydrates, etc.)
Doctor Hoffer's current recommendations can be found at this web page:
https://web.archive.org/web/20050120085959/http://www.islandnet.com/~hoffer/
The page is poorly formatted, but the information is there. Look for the heading "Anti Cancer Nutrition" approximately two thirds of the way down the very long page.
This simple protocol can have dramatic effects in some patients. By dramatic, I mean
they did not die as expected. All of the patients who refused the protocol died quickly or were still ill 49 months into the study. (Actually, only one patient out of 31 survived that long.) Among the group who followed the dietary advice and took their vitamins, many were alive and actually well, up to ten years after starting the treatment. Vitamins and diet are not a sure cure for cancer. Many of those taking vitamins died, though with extended survival times compared to their non-vitamin taking peers.
Reference:
Hoffer A, Pauling L: The Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine 5(3):143-154, 1990.
