High-Dose Asian Ginseng (Panax Ginseng) for Cancer-Related Fatigue

Abstract

Introduction and Objective. Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is the most common and severe symptom in patients with cancer. The number and efficacy of available treatments for CRF are limited. The objective of this preliminary study was to assess the safety of high-dose Panax ginseng (PG) for CRF. Methods. In this prospective, open-label study, 30 patients with CRF (≥4/10) received high-dose PG at 800 mg orally daily for 29 days. Frequency and type of side effects were determined by the National Cancer Institute’s Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, version 4.0. Scores on the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy–Fatigue (FACIT-F) scale, Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS), and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) were assessed at baseline, day 15, and day 29. Global Symptom Evaluation (GSE) was assessed at day 29. Results. Of the 30 patients enrolled, 24 (80%) were evaluable. The median age was 58 years; 50% were females, and 84% were white. No severe (≥grade 3) adverse events related to the study drug were reported. Of the 24 evaluable patients, 21 (87%) had an improved (by ≥3 points) FACIT-F score by day 15. The mean ESAS score (standard deviation) for well-being improved from 4.67 (2.04) to 3.50 (2.34) ( P = .01374), and mean score for appetite improved from 4.29 (2.79) to 2.96 (2.46) ( P = .0097). GSE score of PG for fatigue was ≥3 in 15/24 patients (63%) with median improvement of 5. Conclusion. PG is safe and improves CRF fatigue as well as overall quality of life, appetite, and sleep at night. Randomized controlled trials of PG for CRF are justified.

Effect of Red Ginseng on Genotoxicity and Health-Related Quality of Life after Adjuvant Chemotherapy in Patients with Epithelial Ovarian Cancer: A Randomized, Double Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial

“…Specifically, red ginseng was associated with improved emotional functioning and decreased symptoms such as fatigue, nausea and vomiting, and dyspnea in the EORTC QLQ-C30, reduced severity of worst fatigue and interference in the BFI, decreased interference affecting enjoyment of life in the BPI, reduced anxiety in the HADS and improved daytime somnolence in the MOS-SS. These results suggest that red ginseng may improve quality of life after chemotherapy in patients with EOC, which can be supported by previous studies [ 41 , 42 , 43 ]. Although there is a lack of evidence about underlying mechanisms which link genotoxicity and HRQL in EOC patients, oxidative stress and chronic inflammation is known to be related with public health [ 44 ].…”

Anti-Fatigue Effects of Small Molecule Oligopeptides Isolated from Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer in Mice

“…There are currently few studies about GOP in human. A preliminary report declared that the regular dosage of ginseng was under 1 g/day [40]. However, a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial showed that administering 2 g/day of ginseng extract was beneficial to patients with idiopathic chronic fatigue [14].…”

Therapeutic Potential of Ginsenosides as an Adjuvant Treatment for Diabetes

“…The present research focus on ginseng ( Panax ginseng C. A. Mey), which is a perennial herb, with a root height of 30–60 cm, hypertrophic, fleshy, yellow-white, cylindrical or spindle-shaped, with a slightly-branched, short, upright rhizome (reed) (Figure 1 ). Currently, dry ginseng root is used worldwide to treat diabetes (Gui et al, 2016 ), cancer-related fatigue (Yennurajalingam et al, 2015 ), cardiovascular disease (Kim, 2012 ), stroke (Rastogi et al, 2014 ), and other diseases.…”