Cancer Commentary - Caring About Cancer

Testing Herbal Remedies, In Focus: Turkey Tail Mushroom For Breast Cancer

by Gloria Gamat on January 4th, 2007

Researchers at the University of Minnesota’s Center for Spirituality and Healing (CSH) have launched studies to determine, through rigorous science, the efficacy of promising herbal preparations:

• Funded ($2.3 million) in 2004 by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a study investigating whether turkey tail mushroom extract can boost and maintain breast cancer patients’ immune responses after radiation therapy.
• completion of a study of an herbal remedy for hot flashes
• in planning stages of a study to test tea tree oil as an aid to wound healing.

These three projects led to the awarding of a USFDA Investigational New Drug (IND) status to the University of Minnesota Faculty allowing human testing for the herbal remedies:

• the turkey tail, a common mushroom, for breast cancer.
• a distilled oil, called tea tree oil from an Australian tree that is in wide use an antibacterial and antifungal agent, particularly targeted for staph infections resistant to methicillin (MRSA).
• a preparation of four herbs and a mushroom. Known by its Japanese name, keishi bukuryo gan: a prescription medication, drunk as a tea, that has long been used by Japanese women to control hot flashes.

The first project (the one on turkey tail mushroom and breast cancer) begun with observations of how the immune systems of breast cancer patients respond after standard chemotherapy or radiation treatment.

Led by Carolyn Torkelson, assistant professor of family practice and community health, the project will begin recruiting patients in February or March to determine the best-tolerated dose of the mushroom (given as a pill).

Are you a breast cancer patient and would like information about participating in the turkey tail mushroom study? Call (612) 625-2956.

In addition, Carolyn Torkelson is also seeking patients for a study of evening oil of primrose and vitamin E as a treatment for premenstrual breast pain, call her at (612) 625-8718 for more information.

(While the study of tea tree oil and wound healing is not yet recruiting subjects, the hot flash study is complete).

[In Photo: University researchers have tested a Japanese herb/mushroom combination for the ability to curb hot flashes.]

Find more details from the press release.

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