Provided herein is a method for treating a tracheo-bronchial-alveolar tract disease in a subject in need thereof, the method comprising the step of administering to a subject in need of such treatment a pharmaceutical composition comprising a therapeutically effective amount of ascorbate or a derivative thereof. Also provided is a method for treating non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in a subject in need thereof, the method comprising the step of administering to the subject in need of such treatment a pharmaceutical composition comprising a therapeutically effective amount of ascorbate or a derivative thereof.