Fatigue is a commonly reported side effect in about 90 percent of cancer patients that leaves patients feeling tired, sluggish and run down during and after treatment. Researchers at Mayo Clinic found ginseng root, a natural energy booster, may help alleviate cancer-related fatigue (CRF).
Researchers gave 340 cancer patients in treatment or who had completed treatment a high daily dose of 2,000 milligrams of pure, ground American ginseng root or a placebo.
After taking the herb treatment for four weeks, participants — 60 percent of whom were breast cancer patients — saw only a slight improvement in fatigue symptoms. But at eight weeks, they reported a 20 percent improvement in their energy levels without any apparent side effects, compared to the placebo group.
The study results are being presented at the 2012 American Society of Clinical Oncology’s annual meeting, June 1-5 in Chicago.
The study’s lead author, Debra Barton, Ph.D., an associate professor of oncology at the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center in Rochester, Minn., said the ginseng given to patients differs from many over-the-counter herbal supplements.
“Off-the-shelf ginseng is sometimes processed using ethanol, which can give it estrogen-like properties that may be harmful to breast cancer patients,” she said in a written statement.
Some dietary and herbal supplement can interfere with cancer treatments causing them not to work as well as they should, according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
Consumers should be aware that nutritional and herbal supplements are not regulated and therefore, some "natural" products may contain ingredients that are not on the label.
As a safety precaution, cancer patients should always report all supplements they are taking to their doctors.
Ginseng has long been a staple in traditional Chinese medicine, typically used as a natural energy booster. Until this study, its effects had not been tested extensively against the debilitating fatigue occurring in cancer patients, although Dr. Barton said it is one of the more scientifically studied herbs.
Fatigue in cancer patients has been linked to an increase in the immune system's inflammatory cytokines as well as poorly regulated levels of the stress-hormone cortisol.
Ginseng's active ingredients, called ginsenosides, have been shown in animal studies to reduce cytokines related to inflammation and help regulate cortisol levels, Dr. Barton said.
CRF isn’t just a short-term nuisance. Some cancer survivors have reported experiencing chronic fatigue up to a decade after their treatments ended.
Previous studies have shown ginseng decreases inflammation and the stress hormone cortisol, two possible contributing factors to CRF. However no gold standard treatment for CRF currently exists.
“Progress in cancer treatment means we have more survivors than ever before,” Dr. Barton said. “We just can’t ignore these quality-of-life issues that so many survivors are facing once the cancer is gone.”
Dr. Barton's next study will look closely at ginseng's effects on the specific biomarkers for fatigue.
National Cancer Institute and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation funded the current study.
Lynette Summerill is an award-winning writer and Scuba enthusiast living in San Diego, CA with her husband and two beach loving dogs. In addition to writing about cancer-related issues for EmpowHER, her work has been seen in newspapers and magazines around the world.
Sources and Consumer information:
Cancer Symptom Science: Measurement,Mechanism, and Management. CS Cleeland, MJ Fisch and AJ Dunn. pp 110-116. Cambridge University Press. 2011. Accessed online 4 June, 2012 at: http://www.cambridge.org/9780521869010
Cancer and Complementary Health Therapies. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Accessed online 4 June 2012 at:
http://nccam.nih.gov/health/cancer/camcancer.htm
Ginseng fights fatigue in cancer patients, Mayo Clinic-led study finds. Joe Dangor. 4 June 4, 2012. Accessed at: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-06/mc-gff053112.php
Reviewed June 4, 2012
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith