First, Do No Harm If you were in the battle of your life against cancer, how do you think you might feel about taking a drug that came packaged with this word of caution? "Warnings: Increased mortality, serious cardiovascular and thromboembolic events, and increased risk of tumor progression or recurrence." No gray areas in that notice, which appears as a black-box warning for Procrit, the absurdly expensive medication that treats anemia prompted by chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Earlier this year, the FDA ordered the new warning for Procrit, as well as two other products in this class of drugs: Epogen and Aranesp. Is there a better way to go? Absolutely. And not only is it safer, it's hundreds of dollars less expensive. Ginseng is widely regarded as an adaptogen, which means it works through the adrenal glands to help the body adapt to and cope with stresses such as fatigue and anxiety. A study that examined the effect of ginseng on cancer patients was presented at the 2007 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. Researchers based at the Mayo Clinic recruited more than 280 cancer patients who were all expected to live for at least six months. Subjects were divided into four groups to receive three different daily dosage levels of ginseng (750 mg, 1,000 mg, or 2,000 mg), or placebo. The ginseng used in the study was Wisconsin ginseng, grown from the same crop and tested to ensure uniform potency. The intervention period lasted eight weeks. RESULTS: - Subjects who received the 750 mg dose of ginseng reported little improvement in fatigue or general well-being - comparable to the placebo group
- In the 1,000 mg group, 25 percent reported moderately better or much better fatigue symptoms, with improvements in vitality and well-being
- In the 2,000 mg group, 27 percent reported moderately better or much better fatigue symptoms, with improvements in vitality and well-being
Another ginseng study, published in a 2006, was conducted by a team from the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center at Vanderbilt University Medical Center - a facility that focuses on an "interdisciplinary approach" to cancer care, treatment and prevention. Researchers recruited more than 1,450 subjects who joined the Shanghai Breast Cancer Study between 1996 and 1998. Information on the subjects' ginseng use before and after breast cancer diagnosis was gathered through the end of 2002. Nearly 30 percent of the subjects were regular ginseng users before their cancer diagnosis. The Vanderbilt team found that these subjects had a significantly reduced risk of death compared to subjects who never used ginseng. Meanwhile, ginseng use after diagnosis was associated with higher quality of life (QOL) scores, especially in the areas of psychological and social well-being. The authors noted: "QOL improved as cumulative ginseng use increased." Each of the subjects also underwent some form of conventional cancer treatment, such as chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery. One of the authors of the study - Ziao-Ou Shu, M.D., Ph.D. - noted that there are two primary classes of ginseng: red and white. White ginseng root is naturally dried and is reputed to promote general good health over a long period. Red ginseng gets its color from a drying process that increases potency. This variety is used by some herbalists to aid in disease recovery. Cancer patients should talk to their doctors before using ginseng to address fatigue. Sources:
"Herb Shows Potential to Reduce Cancer-Related Fatigue" North Central Cancer Treatment Group press release, 6/2/07, eurekalert.org
"ASCO: American Ginseng May Ease Cancer-Related Fatigue" Peggy Peck, Medpage Today, 6/2/07, medpagetoday.com | 
