title: Ginseng and anticancer drug combination to improve cancer chemotherapy: a critical review.
abstract: Ginseng, a well-known herb, is often used in combination with anticancer drugs to enhance chemotherapy. Its wide usage as well as many documentations are often cited to support its clinical benefit of such combination therapy. However the literature based on objective evidence to make such recommendation is still lacking. The present review critically evaluated relevant studies reported in English and Chinese literature on such combination. Based on our review, we found good evidence from in vitro and in vivo animal studies showing enhanced antitumor effect when ginseng is used in combination with some anticancer drugs. However, there is insufficient clinical evidence of such benefit as very few clinical studies are available. Future research should focus on clinically relevant studies of such combination to validate the utility of ginseng in cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Xiamen Medical College, Xiamen, Fujian 361008, China ; Center for Advancement of Drug Research and Evaluation, College of Pharmacy, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA 91766, USA.
authors.forename: Shihong
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Center for Advancement of Drug Research and Evaluation, College of Pharmacy, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA 91766, USA.
authors.forename: Zhijun
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-8783-8946
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA 91766, USA.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA 91766, USA.
authors.forename: Stephen A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: O'Barr
authors.affiliation: Center for Advancement of Drug Research and Evaluation, College of Pharmacy, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA 91766, USA.
authors.forename: Rebecca A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.affiliation: Center for Advancement of Drug Research and Evaluation, College of Pharmacy, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA 91766, USA.
authors.forename: Steven
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-2624-8739
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yeung
authors.affiliation: Center for Advancement of Drug Research and Evaluation, College of Pharmacy, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA 91766, USA.
authors.forename: Moses Sing Sum
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Chow