A Phase I/II Study of a Ganoderma lucidum (Curt.: Fr.) P. Karst. Extract (Ganopofy) in Patients with Advanced Cancer

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

Journal: International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms

Study Design:

• Intervention: 1800 mg of Ganopoly (crude polysaccharide fractions extracted from G. lucidum) three times daily
• Participants: 143 patients with advanced, previously treated cancer
• Duration: 12 weeks
• Outcome Measures:
  • Disease progression
  • Quality of life (FACT-G questionnaire)
  • Hematologic, biochemical, and immune function parameters

Summary: This study investigated the efficacy and safety of Ganopoly, a Ganoderma lucidum extract, in patients with advanced cancer. While no objective tumor responses were observed, 26.6% of patients experienced stable disease for 12 weeks or more. Ganopoly also showed palliative effects on cancer-related symptoms like sweating and insomnia, and significantly improved quality of life scores in patients with stable disease. Additionally, Ganopoly enhanced lymphocyte reactivity and natural killer cell activity in these patients. The extract was well-tolerated, with only mild adverse events reported. These findings suggest that Ganopoly may have a role as an adjunct therapy in cancer treatment, but further research is needed to confirm its efficacy.