Natural Aids for Cancer: from Medicinal Mushrooms to Moducare

By Valerie Blankenship

(Published in the Colorado Springs Health Magazine)

Cancer is a word that strikes terror in the hearts of most of us here in the U.S. The “race for a cure” has yielded little, and the number of cancer victims continues to climb. But there is hope. The field of natural medicine, specifically the use of herbs, offers great promise in the treatment of cancer. Although herbs may not be considered to be an actual “cure” for cancer, they can play a very important and effective part in cancer treatment. It is important to note that the rate of long-term recovery from cancer using standard western chemotherapy and radiation methods is very small. A percentage of patients experience complete recovery using conventional surgery in cases where the cancer is completely localized in an organ or some part of the body that can be removed. However, the majority of cancers that are diagnosed each year have already metastasized beyond a localized point. The official cancer treatments that are available in the US at this time – radiation, drugs and chemotherapy -- are usually only offered to prolong life in these cases, not in hopes of a cure.

Herbs Can Lesson Side Effects

Although new drugs and procedures are being introduced that may one day offer some promise to cancer patients, scientists have been seeking a cure for cancer since the 1940’s, always with the promise that the cure is coming very soon. But cancer rates just keep climbing. Moreover, the current methods used in western medicine are very toxic to the system, many times causing irreversible damage to the very tissues and organs that the doctors are trying to save. The immune system, which plays a critical part in keeping a patient cancer free following therapy, can be severely damaged, placing them at high risk for disease and re-occurance with cancer. In addition, radiation can cause extreme nausea, hair loss, and other painful side effects to the patient. In all of these areas, herbs can be an important aspect in helping to lesson the serious side effects of cancer therapy. It would benefit anyone struggling with cancer or any doctor treating a cancer patient, to investigate how herbs may play a part in their cancer protocol.

A Promising Approach from China

In China, doctors treat cancer patients with a type of therapy similar to western chemotherapy. However, as part of their therapy, they give their patients herbs that will alleviate most of the toxic effects of the chemotherapy. Herbs that are frequently used include siberian ginseng, panax ginseng, astragalus, codonopsis, reishi mushroom, and schizandrae berry. Patients that submit to this type of therapy, regularly come out of their treatment series with an intact immune system. They tend to feel better, complaining less of the pain, hair loss, nausea, digestive problems, and other side effects by taking the herbal combinations prescribed. In observing their success using these methods, it is obvious that this is an area where herbs and orthodox treatment together are probably better than either of them used by themselves.

Western Herbalists Try a New Technique

One exciting technique that is used by several herbalists who treat cancer, is that of rotating herbs frequently. The herbalist that developed this unique method of treating cancer is veteran herbalist and ethnobotanist David Winston. Winston is a renowned herbalist who lectures all over the world. He is the author of several books and has over 25 years of clinical herbal experience. According to Winston, his clinical success with cancer clients was greatly enhanced through the practice of continually rotating his formulas each month. Because cancer cells duplicate so quickly, the possibility that cancer cells will become acclimated to any drug or herb is quite high. Winston has observed that by rotating their herbal preparations on a monthly basis, his clients continue to remain cancer free for a longer period of time. Winston theorizes that by using this method, the cancer cells are not given an opportunity to mutate and become resistant to any single herbal formula. The method seems to hold great promise. Whereas previously, his clients usually went into remission for 18 months to two years, Winston says he now has many clients that have been cancer-free for four to five years.

Two Types of Herbs Used in Cancer Therapy

The holistic approach to cancer should consider a whole range of factors, including diet and lifestyle. However, for the sake of brevity, only a sample of some of the herbs and supplements used by herbalists will be examined here. Herbs used for cancer generally fall into two distinct categories. The first category contains herbs called “alteratives.” At one time, herbalists called these herbs “blood cleansers,” because of their action on the liver and lymph. Alteratives are herbs that gradually restore the function of the body and increase strength and vigor.

Several famous and effective herbal alterative formulas are the “Hoxsey” formula, “Scudder’s Alterative Compound” and “Eli Jones Compound Scrophularia” are all formulas that falls into this category, and are frequently used for cancer. These herbal therapies are thought to normalize and balance the body's chemistry makeup, allowing it to essentially create a self-healing environment in which tumors shrink and die. The Hoxsey formula contains licorice, red clover, burdock root, stillingia root, barberry, cascara sagrada, prickly ash bark, buckthorn bark, and potassium iodide. Scudder’s Alterative Compound contains corydalis, black alder, mayapple, figwort, and yellowdock. The Eli Jones Compound contains figwort (scrophularia), poke root, yellowdock, American bittersweet, Podophyllin, juniper berries, guaiacum wood, and oil of sassafras.

The other group of herbs used in cancer therapy is the category of immune potentiating herbs, or herbs that strengthen the immune system, making it harder for cancer cells to take hold and spread. The following are some of the herbs that fall into this category:

Important Medicinal Mushrooms

One group of immune potentiating herbs that is gaining more recognition from herbalists working with cancer clients is that of medicinal mushrooms. Reishi, Shiitake, Maitake, Chaga and Cordyceps are all excellent mushrooms for cancer, especially when used in combination. (1) One of the superstars in this group of medicinal mushrooms is Reishi. Research has shown that Reishi extracts exert an inhibition effect on tumor growth. Reishi has been called an “immune potentiator” and can increase the production of Interleukin-1 & 2. But this mushroom has been considered an important tool for herbal healers for a very long time. In fact, the herbal history of reishi was documented in the oldest Chinese pharmacopoeia written in the first or second century B.C. In this important document, Reishi was purported to have extensive and effective healing powers. In ancient China and Japan, some of these mushrooms were so valued that only emperors or royal families could afford them. The effectiveness of these mushrooms seems to come from the fact that they contain polysaccharides, which increase immunologic function and body strength. Reishi is currently used as an important adjunct to cancer treatments in Japan and China.

Another one of these mushrooms, Chaga, is a little-known medicinal mushroom that has exciting potential in supporting healthy immune function. Chaga mushroom has a slightly bitter, coffee-like flavor. Chaga contains large amounts of betulinic acid. The anti-cancer properties of betulinic acid are now being studied for use as a very promising chemotherapeutic agent. Chaga also contains the full spectrum of immune-stimulating phytochemicals found in other medicinal mushrooms. It is interesting to note, that in every place where it grows, every culture uses it as a treatment for cancer. Chaga has been used for centuries in Russia as a cancer cure, including cancer of the lip, lung, throat, lung, uterus, breast and stomach. The research done in Russia showed that after six months of usage, most patients had tumor shrinkage and had an increased quality of life. An important note about Chaga, is that it must be cooked in order to be effective.

Shiitake is another important medicinal mushroom. An extract (Lentinan) from Shiitake has been licensed as an anti-cancer drug by the Japanese FDA. Lentinan has shown some effect on colon, liver, stomach, ovarian and lung cancers. Lentinan stimulates the production of T lymphocytes and natural killer cells and can potentiate the effect of AZT in the anti-viral treatment of A.I.D.S. For centuries called "Elixir of Life,” shiitake is rich in several anti-oxidants, including selenium, & vitamin A, E, & C. Cordyceps mushroom can be another powerful stimulant for macrophage activity, strengthening the immune system’s ability to fight against bacterial and viral infection as well as cancer. Human clinical studies indicate that Cordyceps can be effective for the treatment of lung cancer, high cholesterol, poor libido/impotence, arrhythmia, and chronic kidney failure. (2) Maitake is another important mushroom that has been shown to stimulate the immune system and to be effective against some tumors.(3)

Other Immune Building Herbs

Other herbs that bear mentioning include Astragalus, which has the action of enhancing cellular and humoral immunity. Considered a superior tonic root in Chinese medicine, Astragalus strengthens the body's resistance and invigorates and promotes tissue regeneration. As a non-specific immunostimulant and protector of adrenal cortical function, it shows promise for cancer patients undergoing radiation and chemotherapy as well as environmental allergies. Codonopsis is one of the most famous and widely used Chinese tonic herbs. It is rich in immune stimulating polysaccharides which are beneficial to people with cancer as well as those who are healthy. These polysaccharides have been shown to be useful in supporting the immune systems of people with cancer who are using the herbs in conjunction with conventional cancer therapies. Codonopsis has been demonstrated to have radiation protection activity and can be effective in protecting cancer patients receiving radiation therapy from the side effects without diminishing the benefits of the therapy. Codonopsis also has an interferon-inducing activity that may be of importance in many immune deficiency conditions, including HIV infection.

A Very Special Plant Extract

One important product that can be particularly useful in the treatment of cancer is Moducare™. Moducare™ is a proprietary product that is made up of sterols and sterolins that are extracted from various plants, including pine trees. These extractions are actually plant fats, and they can have a profound effect on the body’s immunity and it’s ability to fight off foreign invaders, including cancer cells. After more than a decade of clinical research and double-blind studies, Moducare™ has proved to be effective at treating autoimmune disorders as well as cancer and HIV. In fact, an HIV trial showed that over the five year term of the study, T-cell counts remained stable in subjects that were given the sterol and sterolin combination.

If you are considering including herbal therapy in your cancer treatment, contact a trained herbalist who is skilled in treating immune deficiency and related diseases. In addition, you will want to seek out a doctor who is open-minded about including natural therapies in your overall cancer treatment protocol. The combination of these two therapies can greatly enhance your survival rate, as well as increasing the quality of life as you experience this healing journey.

1) Borchers AT, et al. 1999. Mushrooms, tumors, and immunity. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. Sep;221(4):281-93. Review.

2) Bok JW, et al. 1999. Antitumor sterols from the mycelia of Cordyceps sinensis. Phytochemistry. Aug;51(7):891-8.

3) Adachi, K., Nanba, H., and Kuroda, H. 1987. Potentiation of Host-Mediated Antitumor Activity in Mice by Beta-glucan Obtained from Grifola frondosa (Maitake), Chem. Pharm. Bull. 35;262-270