Astragalus
A natural product commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine herbal mixtures may help to improve quality of life, manage side effects, and treat certain cancers.
Astragalus at a glance
Astragalus is a plant belonging to the legume (pea or bean) family. It has been used in cancer care mainly to reduce the severity of side effects, such as nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and immune suppression, from chemotherapy.1Ellen Conte and the CAM Cancer Consortium. Astragalus spp. June 22, 2020. Viewed July 12, 2024. Astragalus is also used to treat various cancers. One of the most commonly used herbs in traditional Chinese medicine, astragalus is often combined with other herbs.
Astragalus (within herbal mixtures) may improve your clinical response to chemo/radiotherapy while improving your quality of life and reducing many common side effects. Because several herbal mixtures have been investigated, assessments are difficult to make and comparisons across studies are unreliable.
CancerChoices ratings for astragalus
We rate astragalus on seven attributes, with 0 the lowest rating and 5 the highest. We rate the strength of the evidence supporting the use of astragalus for a medical benefit, such as improving treatment outcomes or managing side effects.
See how we evaluate and rate complementary therapies ›
Improving treatment outcomes
See More- Astragalus is one of our top therapies beneficial across several cancer types
- Modest evidencesignificant effects in at least three small but well-designed RCTs, or one or more well-designed, mid-sized clinical studies of reasonably good quality (RCTs or observational studies), or several small studies aggregated into a meta-analysis (this is the CancerChoices definition; other researchers and studies may define this differently) of better tumor response to chemotherapy among people treated with herbal mixtures containing astragalus
- Modest evidence of better survival, tumor response rate, and clinical effectiveness of chemotherapy among people with colorectal cancer treated with astragalus either alone or as part of herbal mixtures
- Modest evidence of better survival, performance status, and clinical effectiveness of radiotherapy among people with esophageal cancer treated with herbal mixtures containing astragalus
- Modest evidence of better survival, performance status, and clinical effectiveness of transcatheter hepatic arterial chemoembolization (TACE) among people with liver cancer treated with herbal mixtures containing astragalus
- Modest evidence of better clinical efficacy and overall response to FOLFOX among people with stomach cancer treated with astragalus polysaccharides injection
- Modest evidence of better survival, disease control, performance status, and tumor response to chemotherapy among people with lung cancer treated with herbal mixtures containing astragalus
Optimizing your body terrain
See More- Preliminary evidencesignificant effects in small or poorly designed clinical studies OR conflicting results in adequate studies but a preponderance of evidence of an effect (this is the CancerChoices definition; other researchers and studies may define this differently) of higher markers of immune function among people with cancer treated with intravenous astragalus or an herbal mixture containing astragalus
- Preliminary evidence of less inflammation after mastectomy among people treated with an herbal mixture containing astragalus
Managing side effects and promoting wellness
See More- Good evidencesignificant effects in one large or several mid-sized and well-designed clinical studies (randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with an appropriate placebo or other strong comparison control or observational studies that control for confounds) (this is the CancerChoices definition; other researchers and studies may define this differently) of less chemotherapy-induced neurotoxicitytoxicity from a biological, chemical, or physical agent producing an adverse effect on the structure or function of the central and/or peripheral nervous system among people treated with herbal mixtures containing astragalus
- Good evidence of fewer blood-related side effects such as neutropeniaan abnormally low number of neutrophils in the blood, leading to increased susceptibility to infection and anemia among people with colorectal, stomach, or advanced non-small cell lung cancers treated with astragalus, with substantial effect sizes in some of the lung cancer studies
- Good evidence of less radiation esophagitisinflammation of the esophagus or pneumonitisinflammation of lung tissue during radiation therapy among people with lung cancer treated with Aidi injection or Shenqi Fuzheng injection, herbal mixtures based on astragalus
- Good evidence of better quality of life during chemotherapy or radiotherapy among people treated with herbal medicines containing astragalus
- Modest evidencesignificant effects in at least three small but well-designed randomized controlled trials (RCTs), or one or more well-designed, mid-sized clinical studies of reasonably good quality (RCTs or observational studies), or several small studies aggregated into a meta-analysis (this is the CancerChoices definition; other researchers and studies may define this differently) of less toxicity from paclitaxel-based chemotherapy among people with lung cancer treated with Aidi injection containing astragalus
- Modest evidence of substantially better appetite during treatment among people with advanced non-small cell lung cancer treated with an herbal mixture containing astragalus
- Modest evidence of substantially less fatigue during chemotherapy among people treated with an herbal mixture containing astragalus
- Modest evidence of less chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting or diarrhea among people treated with astragalus-based Chinese medicines
- Modest evidence of less liver dysfunction related to chemotherapy with an herbal mixture containing astragalus
- Preliminary evidencesignificant effects in small or poorly designed clinical studies OR conflicting results in adequate studies but a preponderance of evidence of an effect (this is the CancerChoices definition; other researchers and studies may define this differently) of less pain among people with advanced cancers treated with astragalus polysaccharides
Reducing cancer risk
See MoreWe did not find any published evidence investigating astragalus for reducing cancer risk.
Use by integrative oncology experts
See More- Recommended at least weakly as part of an herbal mixture in clinical practice guidelines integrating traditional Chinese and Western medical care
- Used by many integrative cancer professionals
- Used widely by practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine
Safety
See More- Generally well tolerated and considered safe, but a few side effects are noted
- May interact with anticoagulants, diuretics, and antihypertensive drugs
- May interfere with some chemotherapy drugs and/or affect hormone-sensitive cancers
- Before using this therapy, consult your oncology team about interactions with other treatments and therapies. Also make sure this therapy is safe for use with any other medical conditions you may have.
Affordability and access
See More- Widely available as a supplement
- Prices are generally low to moderate (less than $2000 US/year)
- Intravenous treatment and injections require administration by a licensed healthcare professional and are more expensive than supplements
Keep reading about astragalus
Authors
Maria Williams is a research and communications consultant who brings over 15 years’ experience in research, consumer education, and science communication to CancerChoices. She has worked primarily in public health and environmental health.
Laura Pole is senior clinical consultant for CancerChoices. Laura is an oncology clinical nurse specialist who has been providing integrative oncology clinical care, navigation, consultation, and education services for over 40 years. She is the co-creator and co-coordinator of the Integrative Oncology Navigation Training at Smith Center for Healing and the Arts in Washington, DC. Laura also manages the “Media Watch Cancer News That You Can Use” listserv for Smith Center/Commonweal. In her role as a palliative care educator and consultant, Laura has served as statewide Respecting Choices Faculty for the Virginia POST (Physician Orders for Scope of Treatment) Collaborative as well as provided statewide professional education on palliative and end-of-life care for the Virginia Association for Hospices and Palliative Care.
For CancerChoices, Laura curates content and research, networks with clinical and organizational partners, brings awareness and education of integrative oncology at professional and patient conferences and programs, and translates research into information relevant to the patient experience as well as clinical practice.
Laura sees her work with CancerChoices as a perfect alignment of all her passions, knowledge and skills in integrative oncology care. She is honored to serve you.
Ms. Hepp is a researcher and communicator who has been writing and editing educational content on varied health topics for more than 20 years. She serves as lead researcher and writer for CancerChoices and also served as the first program manager. Her graduate work in research and cognitive psychology, her master’s degree in instructional design, and her certificate in web design have all guided her in writing and presenting information for a wide variety of audiences and uses. Nancy’s service as faculty development coordinator in the Department of Family Medicine at Wright State University also provided experience in medical research, plus insights into medical education and medical care from the professional’s perspective.
Reviewer
Andrew Jackson, ND, serves as a CancerChoices research associate. As a naturopathic physician practicing in Kirkland, Washington, he teaches critical evaluation of the medical literture at Bastyr University in Kenmore, Washington. His great appreciation of scientific inquiry and the scientific process has led him to view research with a critical eye.
Last update: July 12, 2024
Last full literature review: March 2021
CancerChoices provides information about integrative in cancer care, a patient-centered approach combining the best of conventional care, self care and evidence-informed complementary care in an integrated plan cancer care. We review complementaryin cancer care, complementary care involves the use of therapies intended to enhance or add to standard conventional treatments; examples include supplements, mind-body approaches such as yoga or psychosocial therapy, and acupuncture therapies and self-care lifestyle actions and behaviors that may impact cancer outcomes; examples include eating health-promoting foods, limiting alcohol, increasing physical activity, and managing stress practices to help patients and professionals explore and integrate the best combination of conventionalthe cancer care offered by conventionally trained physicians and most hospitals; examples are chemotherapy, surgery, and radiotherapy and complementary therapies and practices for each person.
Our staff have no financial conflicts of interest to declare. We receive no funds from any manufacturers or retailers gaining financial profit by promoting or discouraging therapies mentioned on this site.
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References[+]
| 1 | Ellen Conte and the CAM Cancer Consortium. Astragalus spp. June 22, 2020. Viewed July 12, 2024. |
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