Department of Surgery, Fukuoka University Chikushi Hospital, 1-1-1 Zokumyoin, Chikusino-shi, Fukuoka 818-8502, Japan.
Anticancer Res. 2012 Jun;32(6):2365-8.
Developed as a biological response modifier (BRM), lentinan mitigates patients' symptoms by boosting the immune system. In combination with S-1 (tegafur, gimeracil, oteracil), lentinan is reported to mitigate adverse reactions to therapy for unresectable recurrent gastric cancer and prolong survival. However, there are few reports from actual clinical practice, and precise methods of using lentinan have not yet been established. This study retrospectively examined the usefulness of lentinan in patients.
The subjects of this study were 39 patients who were diagnosed with unresectable gastric cancer, based on preoperative examinations or findings at laparotomy in our Department. These patients underwent S-1/paclitaxel therapy. Nineteen of the patients received lentinan while 20 did not, and these two groups of patients were compared.
There were no significant differences in patients' characteristics such as the male:female ratio, age at the start of chemotherapy, and staging classification of the 19 patients receiving lentinan and the 20 patients not receiving lentinan. Comparison of the two groups revealed no significant differences in overall survival time, but comparison of the duration of therapy revealed that therapy tended to be longer for the group taking lentinan than the group not taking lentinan. Adverse events were noted in 61.5% (24 patients) of the total patients group; such events tended to occur less frequently in the group receiving lentinan.
Lentinan inclusion in therapy did not seem to prolong survival. Nevertheless, the duration of therapy tended to be longer for patients taking lentinan. This may be due to the fact that adverse events tended to occur less frequently in these patients during therapy. A decline in the incidence of adverse events increases the duration of therapy and improves the patients' quality of life (QOL); it may also prolong survival. Optimal methods of using lentinan need to be established.
香菇多糖作为一种生物反应调节剂（BRM），通过增强免疫系统来缓解患者的症状。香菇多糖与 S-1（替加氟、吉美嘧啶、奥替拉西）联合用于治疗不可切除的复发性胃癌，可以减轻治疗的不良反应，延长患者的生存时间。然而，实际临床实践中此类报道较少，香菇多糖的使用方法也尚未确定。本研究回顾性地评估了香菇多糖在患者中的应用价值。
本研究的对象为在我院经术前检查或剖腹探查确诊为不可切除胃癌的 39 例患者。这些患者接受 S-1/紫杉醇治疗。其中 19 例患者接受香菇多糖治疗，20 例患者未接受香菇多糖治疗，对这两组患者进行比较。
接受香菇多糖治疗的 19 例患者和未接受香菇多糖治疗的 20 例患者在患者特征（如男女比例、化疗开始时的年龄、分期分类）方面无显著差异。两组患者的总生存时间无显著差异，但治疗持续时间的比较显示，接受香菇多糖治疗的患者的治疗时间往往更长。总患者组中 61.5%（24 例）出现不良事件；接受香菇多糖治疗的患者发生不良事件的频率往往较低。
香菇多糖治疗并未延长患者的生存时间。然而，接受香菇多糖治疗的患者的治疗时间往往更长。这可能是由于在治疗过程中接受香菇多糖治疗的患者发生不良事件的频率较低。不良事件发生率的降低会延长治疗时间，提高患者的生活质量（QOL），并可能延长生存时间。需要建立香菇多糖的最佳使用方法。
