Adjuvant PSK Immunotherapy in Patients with Carcinoma of the Nasopharynx

Authors: P. Go and C.-H. Chung

Journal: The Journal of International Medical Research

Study Design: Randomized controlled trial

• Participants: 38 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma who had previously received radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy
• Intervention:
  • PSK immunotherapy group (n = 21): PSK (1 g/day orally) for at least 1 month and a maximum of 2 years
  • Control group (n = 17): No PSK
• Primary Outcomes: Survival rate

Summary: The study investigated the effect of adjuvant PSK immunotherapy on the survival of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma. The results showed that PSK did not significantly improve local disease control but decreased the risk of distant metastasis. The estimated median survival time was significantly increased in the PSK-treated group compared to the control group (35 months vs. 25 months). The 5-year survival rate was also significantly better in the PSK group (28% vs. 15%).