Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. The study suggests that panax ginseng, used widely in the United States and shown to directly affect memory, sleep quality, anxiety/depression, and pain may benefit cancer patients.
For people with cancer, one symptom that takes a significant toll on their quality of life is cancer-related fatigue, which affects 60-90% of cancer patients (1, 2). This decreased quality of life results in the inability to perform daily activities and affects mood, social relationships, and work (3, 4).
Now a new study (5) suggests that panax ginseng, used widely in the United States and shown to directly affect memory, sleep quality, anxiety/depression, and pain (6, 7, 8) may benefit cancer patients.
The study involved 24 patients (12 men, 12 women) aged 48 to 68 with cancer-related fatigue (defined as scoring at least 4/10 on the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS) (9)). They received 800 milligrams of panax ginseng per day for 29 days (no control group was used). Before the study, at day 15, and day 29, each subject completed questionnaires on fatigue, pain, anxiety, sleep, and quality of life.
After 15 days, the researchers noted the following improvements in the subjects:
| Score | Result | p - value |
|---|---|---|
| ESAS Pain | 28.4% decrease (3.10 to 2.22) | 0.01 |
| ESAS Fatigue | 39.7% decrease (6.20 to 3.74) | 0.0001 |
| ESAS Appetite | 32.5% decrease(4.10 to 2.77) | 0.0097 |
At day 29:
| Score | Result | p - value |
|---|---|---|
| ESAS Fatigue | 39.7% decrease (6.20 to 4.13) | 0.001 |
| ESAS Sleep | 32.4% decrease (4.97 to 3.36) | 0.004 |
| ESAS Anxiety | 52.2% decrease(2.13 to 1.02) | 0.002 |
No side effects were reported by the subjects. When suggesting how panax ginseng elicits these benefits, the researchers suggested that ginsenosides and polysaccharides in ginseng help decrease the activity of pro-inflammatory proteins called cytokines (10, 11, 12).
For the researchers, “high-dose panax ginseng is safe and tolerable and rapidly improves cancer-related fatigue”, that “Our findings also suggest that panax ginseng can improve symptoms such as pain, appetite, sleep disturbances, and overall quality of life” and that “Randomized, placebo-controlled trials of panax ginseng are justified.”
Source: Yennurajalingam, Sriram, et al. “High-dose Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng) for cancer-related fatigue: a preliminary report.” Integrative cancer therapies 14.5 (2015): 419-427.
© The Author(s) 2015
Posted December 28, 2016.
Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Hauppauge, NY. You can contact Dr. Arnold directly by emailing him at PitchingDoc@msn.com or visiting his web site at www.PitchingDoc.com
References:
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- Teunissen SCCM, Wesker W, Kruitwagen C, de Haes HCJM, Voest EE, de Graeff A. Symptom prevalence in patients with incurable cancer: a systematic review. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2007;34:94-104
- Beijer S, Kempen GIJM, Pijls-Johannesma MCG, de Graeff A, Dagnelie PC. Determinants of overall quality of life in preterminal cancer patients. Int J Cancer. 2008;123:232-235
- Wilson IB, Cleary PD. Linking clinical variables with healthrelated quality of life: a conceptual model of patient outcomes. JAMA. 1995;273:59-65
- Yennurajalingam S. High-Dose Asian Ginseng (Panax Ginseng) for Cancer-Related Fatigue: A Preliminary Report. Integr Cancer Ther 2015 Sep;14(5):419-27. doi: 10.1177/1534735415580676. Epub 2015 Apr 14.
- Christensen LP. Ginsenosides: chemistry, biosynthesis, analysis, and potential health effects. Adv Food Nutr Res. 2009;55:1-99
- Lee NH, Son CG. Systematic review of randomized controlled trials evaluating the efficacy and safety of ginseng. J Acupunct Meridian Stud. 2011;4:85-97
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- Hwang SS, Chang VT, Rue M, Kasimis B. Multidimensional independent predictors of cancer-related fatigue. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2003;26:604-614
- Pannacci M, Lucini V, Colleoni F, et al. Panax ginseng C.A. Mayer G115 modulates pro-inflammatory cytokine production in mice throughout the increase of macrophage toll-like receptor 4 expression during physical stress. Brain Behav Immun. 2006;20:546-551
- Wang J, Li S, Fan Y, et al. Anti-fatigue activity of the watersoluble polysaccharides isolated from Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer. J Ethnopharmacol. 2010;130:421-423
- Lee DC, Lau AS. Effects of Panax ginseng on tumor necrosis factor-α-mediated inflammation: a mini-review. Molecules. 2011;16:2802-2816
