Ginseng, Flaxseed May Help Cancer Patients

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About a quarter of patients in the 1,000-milligram and 2,000-milligram groups reported "moderately better" or "much better" fatigue levels compared with just 10 percent in both the 750-milligram and placebo groups, the researchers found.

"We believe that Wisconsin ginseng deserves to be studied in a larger trial, and we are planning to do so in our research group," said researcher Debra L. Barton, an associate professor of oncology at Mayo Clinic.

On a more negative note, shark cartilage appeared to have no benefit on advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

Lung cancer, the leading cancer killer in both men and women, is notoriously difficult to treat.

This trial, the first of its kind, looked at an actual drug in development, AE-941 (Neovastat), not an over-the-counter supplement. The drug was developed by Aeterna Zentaris, which funded the trial in concert with the U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI).

Cartilage does not have blood vessels, indicating that it may have properties that impede a tumor's blood supply. The public has also long believed that shark cartilage may have healing properties, because sharks have a low incidence of cancer.

For this Phase III study, initiated at the request of the NCI, almost 400 newly diagnosed lung cancer patients underwent chemotherapy and chemo-radiation and were then randomized to receive either shark cartilage or a placebo, both in the form of a liquid taken twice daily.

After a follow-up of almost four years, researchers could find no statistically significant difference in survival between patients taking shark cartilage (14.4 months) and those receiving a placebo (15.6 months).

"This is the first large, rigorous, scientifically done clinical trial of shark cartilage," said study author Dr. Charles Lu, an associate professor in the department of thoracic, head and neck medical oncology at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Texas. "For the first time, oncologists will have something to discuss with their patients. When the patient asks whether he or she should spend his money on shark cartilage, the oncologist can at least say there has been one large trial funded by the National Cancer Institute and, unfortunately, it was negative."

The company has stopped development of the product.

More information

There's more on complementary and alternative cancer treatments at the U.S. National Cancer Institute.