Shiitake Mushroom for Gastric Cancer

A 2009 meta-analysis found that lentinan, a compound in shiitake mushrooms, significantly prolonged survival in people with gastric cancer when added to standard treatment. There is evidence lentinan may work by enhancing the immune system. Lentinan may have an effect on lung cancer as well but it is unclear if the prolonged survival lasts beyond 1 year. Another study found that lentinan may also improve chemotherapy-induced taste disorders. Shiitake mushrooms may cause a rash or other side effects.

Oba K, Kobayashi M, Matsui T, Kodera Y, Sakamoto J. Individual patient based meta-analysis of lentinan for unresectable/recurrent gastric cancer. Anticancer Res. 2009 Jul;29(7):2739-45. PMID: 19596954.

Wang Y, Wang H, Chai K, Guo S, Zhai Y, Shi R, Zhang F, Huang J, Jin Z, Gao Y, Tao X, Yang S, Li J, Zhou J, Qiao C, Stalin A, Wu J. Systematic review and meta-analysis on the efficacy and safety of Injectable Lentinan combined with chemotherapy in the treatment of gastric cancer. Phytomedicine. 2024 Jan;123:155242. doi: 10.1016/j.phymed.2023.155242. Epub 2023 Dec 9. PMID: 38100922.

Wang H, Cai Y, Zheng Y, Bai Q, Xie D, Yu J. Efficacy of biological response modifier lentinan with chemotherapy for advanced cancer: a meta-analysis. Cancer Med. 2017 Oct;6(10):2222-2233. doi: 10.1002/cam4.1156. Epub 2017 Sep 21. PMID: 28940986; PMCID: PMC5633561.

Yanagimoto H, Hirooka S, Yamamoto T, Yamaki S, Sekimoto M. Efficacy of Lentinula edodes MyceliaExtract on Chemotherapy-Related Tasted Disorders in Pancreatic Cancer Patients. Nutr Cancer. 2023;75(1):236-246. doi: 10.1080/01635581.2022.2107226. Epub 2022 Aug 11. PMID: 35950537.

“Lentinan | Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.” Www.mskcc.org, 20 Oct. 2023, www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/integrative-medicine/herbs/lentinan.