Clinical efficacy of superfine dispersed lentinan (beta-1,3-glucan) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
Recently, complementary alternative medicine is actively performed for cancer therapy. We investigated the effectiveness of supplementary food containing superfine dispersed lentinan (beta-1,3-glucan) in patients with unresectable or recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma in a multi-center study.


METHODS
Peripheral blood was collected prior to the test food ingestion and was incubated with fluorescein-labeled lentinan. The rates of lentinan-binding CD14+ monocytes were determined by flow cytometry. Patient survival times were followed up for 3 years.


RESULTS
Thirty-six patients were eligible among 40 enrolled patients. Median survival time of eligible patients was 13.6 months (95% confidence interval, 8.7-18.9 months). Survival times of patients who ingested test food for a mean period of 47 weeks (range, 26 to 145 weeks) were significantly longer than that of patients who ingested for 7 to 12 weeks (p < 0.05). The rates of lentinan-binding cells in CD14+ monocytes showed individual variations (0.1-19.7%; Median, 1.6%). Survival times (median survival time, 16.3 months) of lentinan-high-binding group were significantly longer than those (median survival time, 12.5 months) of lentinan-low-binding group (p < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
A superfine dispersed lentinan-containing supplementary food is effective for hepatocellular carcinoma patients' survival. Long-time ingestion is preferable. Assessment of lentinan-binding CD14+ monocytes is a promising prognostic predictor.
Isoda
Norio
N
Department of Internal Medicine, Jichi Medical University, Tochigi, Japan.
Eguchi
Yuichiro
Y
Nukaya
Haruhiko
H
Hosho
Keiko
K
Suga
Yasuyo
Y
Suga
Tetsuya
T
Nakazawa
Saburo
S
Sugano
Kentaro
K
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000188:drug therapy*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007912:Lentinan / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D007912:Lentinan