There have been two reports of unresectable pancreatic cancer responding to combined chemotherapy and PSK/Lentinan and one in vitro study showing PSK enhancing docetaxel induced apoptosis through NF-kB inhibition1-3.
Clinically triterpene-rich Ganoderma lucidum products are often used in China and there is in vitro evidence of benefit for triterpenes from Poria cocos as well as a natural ubiquinone derivative from Taiwanofungus camphoratus, syn.: Antrodia camphorata4,5.
REFERENCES
1. Two cases of unresectable pancreatic cancer responding to combined chemotherapy with cisplatin, PSK and UFT. Sohma M, Kitagawa T, Okano S, Utsumi M, Mutoh E, Takeda S, Kanda M, Suzuki Y, Okamura K, Namiki M. Gan To Kagaku Ryoho. 1987;14(6 Pt 1):1926–1929.
2. A case of unresectable pancreatic cancer that responded to UFT chemotherapy. Sato Y, Sakai T, Okada T, Sasano Y, Ando T, Haruta J, Kanayama K, Kuwahara Y, Tachino H, Tahara H. Gan No Rinsho. 1990;36(11):2073–2078.
3. PSK-mediated NF-kappaB inhibition augments docetaxelinduced apoptosis in human pancreatic cancer cells NOR-P1. Zhang H, Morisaki T, Nakahara C, Matsunaga H, Sato N, Nagumo F, Tadano J, Katano M. Oncogene. 2003;22(14):2088–2096.
4. Antroquinonol, a natural ubiquinone derivative, induces a cross talk between apoptosis, autophagy and senescence in human pancreatic carcinoma cells. Yu CC1, Chiang PC, Lu PH, Kuo MT, Wen WC, Chen P, Guh JH. J Nutr Biochem. 2012;23(8):900–907.
5. Triterpenes from Poria cocos suppress growth and invasiveness of pancreatic cancer cells through the downregulation of MMP- 7. Cheng S, Eliaz I, Lin J, Thyagarajan-Sahu A, Sliva D. Int J Oncol. 2013;42(6):1869–1874.