Written by Tatjana Djakovic, Staff Writer. In a large study of 1,459 Chinese breast cancer patients, those that consumed an average daily dose of 2.3 g of ginseng daily had a 7% increase in probability of survival and a 7.5% increase in the probability in remaining disease free compared to those that did not take ginseng.
Breast cancer is a type of cancer that develops in the tissues of the breast and affects 1 in 8 women during their lives. In the year 2013, American Cancer Society estimates that there will be 232,340 new cases and 39,620 deaths from breast cancer in women in the United States (1). There has been an increased amount of interest in using complementary or alternative medicine throughout the world, in order to improve the survival rate and quality of life (2). Ginseng is a popular herbal supplement that has been used to promote health, vitality and longevity in Asian countries for thousands of years (3). The active compounds in ginseng are known as ginsenosides and are thought to contribute to anti-cancer activity in multiple ways. It is thought that ginseng inhibits the growth of breast cancer cells, causes death of the cancer cells, and increases the function of traditional treatments such as chemotherapy (4).
A large study was conducted to evaluate the effects of ginseng use on breast cancer survival and the survivors’ quality of life in 1,459 Chinese breast cancer patients (5). The survival rate was assessed using Kaplan-Meier method which estimates the 5 years survival rates after breast cancer diagnosis between regular ginseng users and nonusers. The patient’s quality of life was assessed using a questionnaire that analyzed physical, psychological, social and material well being.
At the beginning of the study, 27.4% of patients reported having used ginseng on a regular basis, (at an average daily dose of 1.3g of ginseng root material) and 72.6% report never having used ginseng before diagnosis. In total, 99.5% of the ginseng users (n=398) and 99.3% of non-ginseng users (n=1,057) had received at least one type of standard treatment for breast cancer (surgery, chemotherapy, or radiotherapy) after cancer diagnosis. All of the patients were followed for an average time of 4.8 years to analyze survival. The Kaplan Meier survival curve showed that ginseng users had better overall health and better disease free breast cancer survival rates after diagnosis. According to the Kaplan Meier plot, after an average of 4.8 years, the patients that consumed ginseng had a 7% increase in the probability of survival and a 7.5% increase in the probability in remaining disease free compared to those that did not take ginseng (p<0.01). The beneficial effects of ginseng use started 2.5 years after cancer diagnosis for a better overall survival rate. This large population based study suggests that regular use of ginseng at a dose of 1.3 g per day may improve survival rates, quality of life and remaining disease free in Chinese women diagnosed with breast cancer. (5)
Source: Cui, Yong, et al. “Association of ginseng use with survival and quality of life among breast cancer patients.” American journal of epidemiology 163.7 (2006): 645-653.
© 2006 by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Copyright
Posted April 4, 2013.
References:
- Obtained from American Cancer Society “Breast Cancer”.
- Ernst E. et al., The prevalence of complementary/alternative medicine in cancer: a systemic review. Cancer 1998; 83:777-82.
- Blumenthal M. et al., Ginseng root. Herbal medicine: expanded Commission E monographs. American Botanical Council. Newton, MA: Integrative Medicine Communications, 2000.
- Duda RB et al., American ginseng transcriptionally activates p21 mRNA in breast cancer cell lines. J Korean Med Sci 2001; 16(suppl): S54-S60.
- Cui, Yong, et al. “Association of ginseng use with survival and quality of life among breast cancer patients.” American journal of epidemiology 163.7 (2006): 645-653.
