Reishi for Cancer Adjunct Therapy

Verdict: Published with Warning

Across 3 PubMed studies, the evidence for Reishi in Cancer Adjunct Therapy grades Tier C — weak evidence. Effective, but with safety or population caveats.

C 🟠 C Weak Evidence Published with Warning

🔬Why this grade7-layer evidence engine

Reishi earns a weak (C) grade as a cancer adjunct because pooled trials suggest modest improvements in tumor response and quality of life, but hard outcomes are unproven. A Cochrane review (PMID 27045603) rated the evidence very low certainty, and a 2019 meta-analysis of adjunct RCTs (PMID 31333449, n=4,246) found no significant overall survival benefit (HR 0.81, CI crosses 1).

Critically, marketing often blurs 'adjunct during chemo' with 'treats cancer.' The FDA has issued warning letters over reishi cancer claims, and ACS/SIO state supplements cannot replace standard oncology therapy.

Safety matters: reishi has antiplatelet activity and theoretical CYP interactions during chemotherapy. Tier C with warning reflects weak, surrogate-heavy evidence only.

⚖️

Scoring transparency

All scores computed by a 7-layer evidence engine — fully auditable

Raw score 0.55

← counter-evidence / ineffectiveeffective / strong evidence →

Final grade

C · Published with Warning

Confidence

75%

Broadly consistent

Evidence level

Multiple high-quality MAs (≥2 independent, consistent)

How strongly each layer supports this effect

lower = less supportive

L5 Clinical bodiesAuthoritative stance

0.44

L1 ExamineGlobal benchmark

0.50

L11 AI re-checkIndependent read

0.50

L2 PubMedPrimary literature

0.60

L3 MechanismPlausibility

0.65

Against Mixed Supports

▸View the full decision path (audit trail)

compute_raw_score — 加權公式: L2×0.30 + L3×0.25 + L5×0.25 + L11×0.10 + L1×0.10 = 0.553
tier_from_score — 依分數區間映射至 tier letter
apply_hec_rules — 高階證據未達主導 (1 positive vs 1 negative)，由 raw_score 決定
tier_strict_requirement_check — Tier 條件達標，未降階
detect_disputes — 偵測到 0 個 hard + 1 個 soft dispute
decide_status — 依 tier + dispute 結果決定 status

📄PubMed studies (3)L2 · primary research & systematic reviews

Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi mushroom) for cancer treatment

PMID: 27045603 2016 系統性回顧

Finding: G. lucidum + chemo/radiotherapy more likely to respond positively vs chemo/radiotherapy alone (RR 1.50; 95% CI 0.90-2.51; P=0.02); immune markers improved; minimal adverse effects.

🟠 Limited quality Academic Effect size: RR 1.50 (95% CI 0.90-2.51) for tumor response

View on PubMed

Coriolus Versicolor and Ganoderma Lucidum Related Natural Products as an Adjunct Therapy for Cancers: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of RCTs

PMID: 31333449 2019 統合分析 n = 4,246

Finding: Pooled lower mortality (HR 0.82; 95% CI 0.72-0.94; P=0.005); higher total efficacy for G. lucidum alone (RR 1.31; P=0.004); no relapse-free survival benefit (HR 1.19; P=0.2).

Government Effect size: HR 0.82 (95% CI 0.72-0.94) overall survival; RR 1.31 efficacy (G. lucidum)

View on PubMed

Synergy of de-walled Ganoderma lucidum spore powder on targeted therapy in advanced EGFR-mutant non-squamous NSCLC: protocol for an RCT

PMID: 38500118 2024 RCT (double-blind) n = 140

Finding: Protocol only (ChiCTR2300072786); no outcome data reported yet.

🟠 Limited quality Government

View on PubMed

🏛️Regulatory & authoritative positionsL4/L5 · FDA / EMA / NIH ODS / Cochrane / Mayo …

L4a US FDA

Cautious

FDA has no questions source↗

L4b EU EFSA

Not addressed

1,548 claims on 'botanicals' have been placed on hold by the Commission pending further consideration on how to proceed with these source↗

L4d TW TFDA / 衛福部

Supportive

靈芝、樟芝等真菌類屬「可供食品使用」之原料；衛福部食藥署於104年3月16日公布「真菌類食品標示管理原則」（104年7月1日施行），規定外包裝須明確標示真菌類原料之中文名稱及拉丁學名，並加註其使用部位為子實體、菌絲體或子實體加菌絲體及其培養方式。靈芝為國內實施健康食品法以來第一個被認可具保肝（護肝）效果之健康食品（雙鶴極品靈芝，衛署健食字第A00003號，核可日期2000/07/24），保健功效相關成分為靈芝多醣體、靈芝三萜類，核可保健功效為免疫調節功能、護肝功能。 source↗

L5a NIH Office of Dietary Supplements

Cautious

There are no studies of G. lucidum with measured cancer outcomes. source↗

L5b Mayo Clinic

Cautious

scientists have studied reishi, but it's only been in the context of cancer treatment ... some evidence that patients treated with Ganoderma lucidum medications, combined with chemotherapy or radiotherapy, were more likely to respond compared with chemotherapy or radiotherapy alone source↗

L5e Specialty Society (condition-mapped)

Cautious

Some types of complementary methods, such as dietary supplements, have generally not been proven to help prevent or treat cancer or its symptoms, and might sometimes even cause harm. source↗

✓PMID 100% verifiedevery citation checked via NCBI Entrez

🔬3 PubMed studiesindependently re-checked by multiple sub-agents

engine_version: v1.0 claim_id: CLM-COND-cancer-adjunct-INT-reishi-001 繁體中文版 →