Vitamin C supplementation and blood cancer interception is the focus of a new phase 2 trial called EVITA. Researchers gave 109 people with precancerous blood conditions, such as clonal cytopenia of undetermined significance and early myelodysplastic disorders, either 1,000 mg of oral vitamin C daily or a placebo for one year. Those taking vitamin C had fewer adverse events and shifts in inflammatory signaling molecules linked to better outcomes. The supplement did not slow the expansion of abnormal blood cells. However, an exploratory analysis found that vitamin C recipients were significantly more likely to be alive after roughly three years. The investigators stress this survival signal is preliminary and must be confirmed in a larger phase 3 trial before anyone changes clinical practice. The work reflects a growing push toward cancer interception: acting before a cancer fully develops.
