title: Improvement of QOL and prognosis by treatment of superfine dispersed lentinan in patients with advanced gastric cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Intravenous lentinan administration has life prolongation effect for gastric cancer patients when combined with chemotherapy. Recently, superfine dispersed lentinan--an oral formulation--has become clinically available. In order to evaluate the efficacy of superfine dispersed lentinan, was conducted multicenter clinical study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-seven patients with unresectable or recurrent gastric cancer were enrolled and answered the quality of life questionnaire before and 4, 8, and 12 weeks after the initiation of superfine dispersed lentinan administration. Survival times were evaluated according to results of 3-year follow-up survey.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no adverse event with causal relation to superfine dispersed lentinan. Median survival time was 17.1 months (95% confidence interval: 6.9-25.9 months) in 26 eligible patients. Six (23%) out of 26 patients were alive longer than 3 years. There was a significant correlation between the quality of life scores at 12 weeks of superfine dispersed lentinan treatment and survival times.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Superfine dispersed lentinan is deemed free of anything harmful. Quality of life status at 12 weeks of superfine dispersed lentinan treatment appears to be a promising prognostic predictor.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery II, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Yamaguchi, Japan.
authors.forename: Shigefumi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yoshino
authors.forename: Seiji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Motohiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Imano
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Suga
authors.forename: Saburo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nakazawa
authors.forename: Shoichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hazama
authors.forename: Masaaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oka
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007912:Lentinan / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010316:Particle Size; D011788:Quality of Life; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D007912:Lentinan