Previously the most common cancer in Japan1, mushroom polysaccharide extracts form part of mainstream treatment and their effects have been evaluated in several large scale clinical trials with very positive results.
A recent meta-analysis of trials with PSK including 8,009 patients confirmed improved survival of patients after curative gastric cancer resection and an individual patient data meta-analysis of 690 patients from 5 trials with Lentinan showed it to offer a significant advantage over chemotherapy alone in terms of survival for patients with advanced gastric cancer2,3.
REFERENCES
1. Epidemiology of gastric cancer in Japan. Inoue M, Tsugane S. Postgrad Med J. 2005;81:419–424.
2. Efficacy of adjuvant immunochemotherapy with polysaccharide K for patients with curative resections of gastric cancer. Oba K, Teramukai S, Kobayashi M, Matsui T, Kodera Y, Sakamoto J. Cancer Immunol Immunother. 2007;56(6):905–911.
3. Individual patient based meta-analysis of lentinan for unresectable/recurrent gastric cancer. Oba K, Kobayashi M, Matsui T, Kodera Y, Sakamoto J. Anticancer Res. 2009;29(7):2739–2745.