Coriolus versicolor polysaccharide peptide slows progression of advanced non-small cell lung cancer.
BACKGROUND
Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a leading cause of cancer deaths, and over 60% of patients present with advanced stages. Although polysaccharide peptides (PSP), isolated from the fungus Coriolus versicolor, have been reported to have anti-tumor effects, its clinical efficacy has not been properly evaluated.


METHODS
Double-blind placebo-controlled randomized study to evaluate the effects of 28-day administration of PSP (Windsor Pharmaceutical, Hong Kong) on patients, who had completed conventional treatment for advanced NSCLC.


RESULTS
Thirty-four patients, with no significant difference in their baseline demographic, clinical or tumor characteristics, or previous treatment regimes (P>0.05) were recruited into each of the PSP and control arms. After 28-day treatment, there was a significant improvement in blood leukocyte and neutrophil counts, serum IgG and IgM, and percent of body fat among the PSP, but not the control, patients (P<0.05). Although the evaluable PSP patients did not improve in NSCLC-related symptoms, there were significantly less PSP patients withdrawn due to disease progression, than their control counterparts (5.9 and 23.5%, respectively; P=0.04; OR 4.00). There was no reported adverse reaction attributable to the trial medications.


CONCLUSIONS
PSP treatment appears to be associated with slower deterioration in patients with advanced NSCLC.
Tsang
K W
KW
Department of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China. kwttsang@hku.hk
Lam
C L
CL
Yan
C
C
Mak
J C
JC
Ooi
G C
GC
Ho
J C
JC
Lam
B
B
Man
R
R
Sham
J S
JS
Lam
W K
WK
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy*; D018450:Disease Progression; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011509:Proteoglycans / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D011509:Proteoglycans; C093216:polysaccharide peptide