A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Multicenter Study of Ganoderma lucidum (W.Curt.:Fr.) Lloyd (Aphyllophoromycetideae) Polysaccharides (Ganopoly\u00ae) in Patients with Advanced Lung Cancer

Authors: Yihuai Gao, Xihu Dai, Guoliang Chen, Jingxian Ye, Shufeng Zhou

Journal: International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms

Study Design:

• Intervention: Ganopoly (600 mg three times daily) or placebo
• Participants: 68 patients with histologically confirmed advanced lung cancer
• Duration: 12 weeks
• Outcome Measures:
  • Disease stability
  • Quality of life (Karnofsky Performance Status [KPS] score)
  • Cancer-related symptoms (fever, cough, weakness, sweating, insomnia)
  • Immune function (lymphocyte reactivity, CD3, CD4, CD8 percentages, natural killer cell activity)

Summary: This study investigated the efficacy and safety of Ganopoly, a polysaccharide extract from Ganoderma lucidum, in patients with advanced lung cancer. The results showed that Ganopoly treatment led to stable disease in 35.1% of patients, which was significantly higher than the 22.6% in the placebo group. Ganopoly also significantly improved quality of life, as measured by KPS scores, and reduced cancer-related symptoms such as fever, cough, weakness, sweating, and insomnia. Additionally, Ganopoly enhanced several immune functions, including lymphocyte reactivity, CD3 percentage, and natural killer cell activity. The treatment was well-tolerated, with only a few mild adverse events reported. These findings suggest that Ganopoly may have a role as an adjunct therapy in the treatment of advanced lung cancer.