Reishi Mushroom
Reishi mushroom is a natural product that may enhance immunity and response to chemo/radiotherapy, improve quality of life, and manage some side effects.
Reishi mushroom at a glance
Reishi, also known as lingzhi, is a medicinal mushroom available in dried form and as a supplement in capsules. It is used in cancer care to enhance chemo/radiotherapy treatment.
Reishi mushroom may improve your clinical response to chemo/radiotherapy while improving quality of life and reducing side effects. Modest clinical evidence shows it improves your body environment (terrain) to make it less supportive of cancer growth and development. Evidence to date shows that reishi by itself does not improve survival among people with cancer as a whole.
CancerChoices ratings for reishi mushroom
We rate reishi mushroom on seven attributes, with 0 the lowest rating and 5 the highest. We rate the strength of the evidence supporting the use of reishi mushroom for a medical benefit, such as improving treatment outcomes or managing side effects.
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Improving treatment outcomes
See More- 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 a better response to chemo/radiotherapy among people with cancer as a whole treated with reishi mushrooms
- No evidence of an effectoverall, one or more studies did not demonstrate that a treatment or intervention led to an expected outcome; this does not always mean that there is no effect in clinical practice, but that the studies may have been underpowered (too few participants) or poorly designed. Larger, well-designed studies provide more confidence in making assessments. on long‐term survival among people treated only with reishi in a combined analysis of studies
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Optimizing your body terrain
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 higher markers of immune function among people with cancer treated with reishi mushrooms
- 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 greater antioxidant activity among people without cancer treated with reishi supplements
- No evidence of a clinical effectoverall, one or more studies did not demonstrate that a treatment or intervention led to an expected outcome; this does not always mean that there is no effect in clinical practice, but that the studies may have been underpowered (too few participants) or poorly designed. Larger, well-designed studies provide more confidence in making assessments. on blood sugar or insulin resistance among people with type 2 diabetes treated with reishi mushrooms in a combined analysis of 3 small studies
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Managing side effects and promoting wellness
See More- 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 better levels of blood components during chemotherapy among people treated with reishi mushrooms
- Modest evidence of better quality of life during chemotherapy or endocrine therapy among people treated with reishi mushroom
- 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 anxiety, better appetite, better cognitive function, less depression, less severe fatigue, and less sleep disruption during endocrine therapy among people with breast cancer treated with reishi mushroom
- Preliminary evidence of better emotional function during endocrine therapy among people with breast cancer treated with reishi mushrooms
- Preliminary evidence of less sleep disruption during endocrine therapy among people with breast cancer treated with reishi mushroom
- Preliminary evidence of less sleep disruption among people with advanced lung cancer treated with reishi mushroom
- Preliminary evidence of fewer cancer-related symptoms as a whole among people with advanced cancer treated with reishi mushrooms
See How can reishi mushroom help you? What the research says ›
Reducing cancer risk
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 substantially fewer and smaller new colorectal adenomas among people with prior adenomas treated with reishi mushroom
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Use by integrative oncology experts
See More- Evaluated but no consensus was achieved for recommendation in practice guidelines from a Chinese medicine clinical service
- Used in several of our program sources
- Used by many practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine
Safety
See More- Moderate caution is needed; consult your oncology team about interactions with other treatments and therapies
- May interact with other treatments, including radio/chemotherapy
- Supervision by a medical professional is highly recommended
- May amplify the effects some medications; before use, make sure reishi mushroom is safe for use with your other medical conditions
Affordability and access
See More- Widely available as a supplement and also in dried form
- Generally inexpensive (less than $500 US/year)
Keep reading about reishi mushroom
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: December 20, 2023
Last full literature review: June 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.