Cordycep Cures Prostate Cancer?

 

I received a video in a WhatsApp Chat where a urologist speaking on behalf of a patient with prostate cancer claimed how his patient was totally cured using cordyceps roots. His testimony was verified by the patient who was with him.

Following that video claim, a doctor friend sought my opinion. First, I have not come across such a case before. We in clinical and medical research designed studies using very stringent protocols where very large populations are studied with controlled groups. We do not base our results and conclusion just on one case or on the testimony of one patient or one doctor. We use very large populations with test and placebo groups to compare. The sampling is randomized to prevent bias as in RCT (Randomised Clinical Trials). The physicians who gave the test medicine are “blind” which is the real medicine undergoing tests, and which ones are the placebo that has no medicinal value.  

The same with the receivers (patients) of a drug or herbal medicine. They too do not

know which is the real tablet, and which is the placebo tablet. In other words, neither

the giver, nor the receiver knows which is the real medicine, and which is just the

placebo. We call this “a double-blind study”.

Both the real tablet or medicine and the placebo tablet look identical to prevent bias.

After the trial has ended over a certain period of time, an independent physician will be called in to examine and assess both groups.  Neither he knows which group was given the real drug or botanical or herbal medicine, and which group was on the placebo. He too is blind in that sense. All the data from the clinical and laboratory investigations or any other findings are collected and statistically analysed using appropriate mathematical procedures or formula by an independent biostatistician, and the results reviewed again by an independent team of researchers before the write up is sent for publication in an international peer-reviewed scientific journal.

Medical research to test out a new drug or a new treatment is not so easy as in that video claim by that urologist / doctor as well as by that patient who both claimed he was completely cured of his prostate cancer by those cordyceps tablets the patient was taking. That was just one patient (one sample), not thousands of them undergoing RCT.

Unfortunately, in that video, both the urologist and the patient even showed the brand name of the cordyceps tablets. It was instantly so obvious to me both were advertising a commercial product. I think that urologist / doctor was highly unethical and highly unprofessional and highly unscientific to use social media to claim a cure using some commercial tablets made of cordyceps as a “cure” for prostate cancer.

 I have been in leading teams of scientists and doctors in medical research in RCT for 25 years and we know how scientifically and statistically strict we need to be, and how we need to design the RTC.  We don’t use just one patient or select only one sample, completely without any control group.  

In fact, in one study using cordyceps to treat prostate cancer showed the opposite result. See here:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30273008/

However, this does not mean cordyceps or other botanical medicines from the plants have no medicinal or curative valves.  On the contrary botanical or herbal medicines have been used for thousands of years in traditional and native medicine across all civilizations, and they have shown very impressive clinical outcomes without even needing any RCT to show their clinical efficacies.

The clinical efficacies of traditional and botanical medicine were through untold trials and errors showing the same therapeutic results and conclusion unlike modern drug-based medicines where we need lab based, and evidence-based RCT

Perhaps, to be fair, I need to describe a bit about this fungus.

Cordyceps, a genus of parasitic fungi, has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries. One of the most studied species is Cordyceps sinensis, which is reputed for its various health benefits.

Let me give an overview regarding the use of Cordyceps for prostate cancer.

The active components and mechanisms of Cordyceps rest on its active compounds consisting of several bioactive components, including cordycepin (3'-deoxyadenosine), polysaccharides, and sterols, which are thought to contribute to its medicinal properties. Cordyceps mechanisms of action against cancers probably rest on its immunomodulation effects on the immune system, potentially enhancing the body's ability to fight cancer cells. On this note, it may surprise a lot of my readers and outside readers that most of us have been getting all types of cancers all their lives without us knowing this. The body silently fight back without us knowing this. Read here my explanation:

Our Body’s Own Natural Immunological Battle Against Cancers

https://scientificlogic.blogspot.com/2024/05/

The same may have been for this patient who had prostate cancer, except he knew it though symptoms and clinical presentations. For the rest of us we do not know cancers have been lurking all over our bodies at microscales very silently. It is happening all the time in every one of us, bearing in mind from 1,500 papers published ending on 20 September 2023, the average adult male human has around 36 trillion cells — that's 36 followed by 12 zeros — while adult females have 28 trillion and 10-year-old children have about 17 trillion. Most are normal cells with probably 0.001 % of them cancerous cells in circulation. That is just a passing remark before I continue.

In another words, that patient in the video own immunological system has fought for him to bring his cancer down, and it has nothing to do with the codycep he was taking which his urologist also thought. I am sorry as a former senior clinical-medical researcher, I think both of them were wrong, off tangent in their beliefs. This event has happened in many, many cases in recorded medical history where the patients' cancer confirmed by HPE (histopathological examination) just simply disappeared on their own without any treatment. Let this be very clear to everyone, including specialist doctors. Do not underestimate the natural healing powers of our own bodies God has endowed for us when He put us here in this world  

 This said, cordyceps also has strong antioxidant properties to reduce oxidative stress and protect cells from damage. There is some evidence through studies that cordyceps induce apoptosis (programmed cell death) including prostate cancer cells.  Studies suggest that Cordyceps can induce apoptosis (programmed cell death) in cancer cells, including prostate cancer cells. Apoptosis with or without cordyceps happening in our bodies all the time, very silently without us knowing. That is why there may be only less than 0.001 % cancer cells circulating in the body all the time.

This fungus has also exhibited anti-angiogenesis, meaning, inhibiting the formation of new blood vessels that supply tumours, thereby restricting tumour growth.

While Cordyceps has shown promising anti-cancer properties in preclinical studies (cell culture and animal models), robust clinical evidence in humans, particularly for prostate cancer, is still limited. Some key points in preclinical studies have demonstrated that cordycepin can inhibit the proliferation of prostate cancer cells and induce apoptosis. Cordyceps extracts have shown anti-tumour activity in animal models, but not in human cells this far that I know. So do many other plant-based medicines showed the same, and many of these plants have successfully been used in traditional medicine to treat tumours

There are few clinical trials directly assessing the efficacy of Cordyceps in treating prostate cancer. Most existing studies focus on its general health benefits, immune modulation, and potential adjunctive role in cancer therapy.

Anecdotal reports and case studies, such as the video claim I received and resent to me for comment by another doctor suggest potential benefits but are not sufficient to establish a clear cause-and-effect relationship.

There may be potential benefits in taking cordyceps as it may offer supportive benefits for prostate cancer patients, including enhancing overall immune function, reducing fatigue, and possibly inhibiting cancer cell growth through various biological mechanisms. As an adjunct to conventional therapies, it may improve the quality of life and provide additional therapeutic effects.

Having said this, I think there are limitations due to the lack of large-scale, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) specifically targeting prostate cancer treatment with Cordyceps. Then we also have this problem on the variability in the quality and concentration of active compounds in different Cordyceps supplements. But I think safety and interaction with food is not a concern as cordyceps are generally considered safe for most people when taken in appropriate doses. My concern is the potential interactions with conventional cancer treatments especially with anti-cancer drugs.  This should be considered

While Cordyceps shows potential as a complementary approach in the management of prostate cancer, it should not be viewed as a standalone cure. The current evidence supports its use as an adjunct therapy rather than a primary treatment. Patients interested in using Cordyceps should discuss it with their and other more expert healthcare providers including nutritionists and nutritional scientists and molecular biologists, and researchers in that area of expertise, not just with the clinician alone to ensure it is appropriate for their specific situation and to avoid potential interactions with conventional treatments and other adjunct therapies.

 Continued research, particularly well-designed clinical trials, is necessary to fully understand the role of Cordyceps in cancer therapy.

For further information, please visit my blog on:

1.      Synthetic Drugs vs Botanical and Herbal Medicines. Which is Better?

https://scientificlogic.blogspot.com/2024/05/my-brother-in-law-ong-geok-soo-senior.html

2.      The Therapy of Choice.  Synthetic Drugs vs. Botanical Medicines

https://sg.docworkspace.com/d/sICPzzKWFAdvkmLMG

 

lim ju boo