title: Coriolus versicolor polysaccharide peptide slows progression of advanced non-small cell lung cancer.
abstract: 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the evaluable PSP patients did not improve in NSCLC-related symptoms, there were significantly less PSP patients withdrawn due to disease progression, than their control counterparts (5.9 and 23.5%, respectively; P=0.04; OR 4.00).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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China. kwttsang@hku.hk
authors.forename: K W
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Tsang
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Lam
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Mak
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Ooi
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lam
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Man
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Sham
authors.forename: W K
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Lam
mesh_terms: 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*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D011509:Proteoglycans; C093216:polysaccharide peptide