PSK has been shown to reduce chemotherapy-induced IL2 suppression in ovarian cancer patients and to increase the survival rate of mice with human ovarian cancer1-3. PSK also showed combined benefit with cisplatin, a finding confirmed by in vitro studies4.
A polysaccharide extract of Agaricus subrufescens was reported to increase NK cell activity and improve quality of life in patients with ovarian cancer, as well as other gynaecological cancers5.
REFRENCES
1. Effects of cimetidine and PSK on interleukin-2 production by PBL in patients with advanced ovarian carcinoma during the course of chemotherapy. Kikuchi Y, Kizawa I, Oomori K, Iwano I, Kita T, Miyauchi M, Kato K. Nippon Sanka Fujinka Gakkai Zasshi. 1987;39(11):1987–1992.
2. Effects of PSK on interleukin-2 production by peripheral lymphocytes of patients with advanced ovarian carcinoma during chemotherapy. Kikuchi Y, Kizawa I, Oomori K, Iwano I, Kita T, Kato K. Jpn J Cancer Res. 1988;79(1):125–130.
3. Antitumour effect of PSK and its combined effect with CDDP on ovarian serous adenocarcinoma-bearing nude mice. Ishii K, Kita T, Hirata J, Tode T, Kikuchi Y, Nagata I. Nippon Sanka Fujinka Gakkai Zasshi. 1993;45(4):333–339.
4. Enhancement of anti-cancer activity of cisdiaminedichloroplatinum by the protein-bound polysaccharide of Coriolus versicolor QUEL (PS-K) in vitro. Kobayashi Y, Kariya K, Saigenji K, Nakamura K. Cancer Biother. 1994;9(4):351–358.
5. Natural killer cell activity and quality of life were improved by consumption of a mushroom extract, Agaricus blazei Murill Kyowa, in gynecological cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Ahn WS, Kim DJ, Chae DJ, Lee JM, Bae SM, Sin JI, Kim YW, Namkoong SE, Lee IP. Int J Gynecol Cancer. 2004;14(4):589–594.