How can turkey tail mushroom help you? What the research says

Extracts of turkey tail mushroom (Trametes versicolor) and its constituent PSK are used with conventional cancer treatment to improve survival and reduce risk of recurrence. The constituent PSP shows some benefit for pain, appetite, and percentage of body fat.

How can turkey tail mushroom help you? What the research says

We summarize the clinical evidence for each medical benefit here. We begin with our assessment of the strength of evidence within each category, followed by a brief summary of individual studies or reviews of several studies. In assessing the strength of evidence, we consider the study design, number of participants, and the size of the treatment effect (how much outcomes changed with treatment).

To see more details, click the plus sign to the right of any section.

Our assessments of evidence for each medical benefit fall into one of these categories:

Strong evidence: consistent, significant effects in several large (or at least one very large) well designed clinical studies or at least two meta-analysesa statistical analysis that combines the results of two or more research studies; the results of smaller research studies addressing the same or similar questions can be analyzed as though they are one bigger, more powerful study of clinical studies of moderate or better quality (or one large meta-analysis) finding similar results
Good evidence: significant effects in one large or several mid-sized and well-designed clinical studies ( randomized controlled trialsa study design in which people are randomly assigned to either an experimental group or a control group to compare the outcomes from different treatments; an RCT is considered a strong design for determining a therapy’s effects with an appropriate placebo or other strong comparison control or observational studies that control for confounds)
Modest evidence: significant 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 observationala type of study in which individuals are observed or certain outcomes are measured, but no attempt is made to affect the outcome (for example, no treatment is given); an example is a study that records people’s diets, but doesn’t try to alter their diets, and looks for patterns of disease or other outcomes related to different foods studies), or several small studies aggregated into a meta-analysis
Preliminary evidence: significant effects in small or poorly designed clinical studies OR conflicting results in adequate studies but a preponderance of evidence of an effect
Weak evidence: one or more case studies, supported by animal evidence OR small treatment effects of limited clinical significance OR studies with no controls OR weak trends of effects
Insufficient evidence: preclinical evidence only OR clinical studies with such poor or unclear methodology that no conclusion can be drawn OR conflicting findings across clinical studies with no preponderance of evidence in one direction; conflicting evidence occurs when studies find conflicting effects (positive effect vs no effect or negative effect) with the same treatment and the same general study population (same cancer type, for example)

Learn more about how we research and rate therapies and practices in How We Rate Therapies ›

Preclinical evidence is summarized in Are you a health professional? ›

Improving treatment outcomes

Is turkey tail mushroom linked to improved survival? Is it linked to less cancer growth or metastasis? Does it enhance the anticancer action of other treatments or therapies? We present the evidence.

Cancer as a whole

Breast cancer

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 slightly longer survival: People with breast cancer treated with turkey tail alongside chemotherapy showed slightly longer survival in three studies.

Colorectal cancer

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): People with colorectal cancer who were treated with PSK alongside chemotherapy showed better survival across several studies, with stronger evidence for those taking it alongside oral chemotherapy (as opposed to intravenous). There was preliminary evidence that people with certain biomarkers – detectable serum immunosuppressive acidic protein (IAP) or a carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level of 3ng/mL or more – were more likely to benefit. One trial among people with rectal cancer alone did not show evidence of better survival.

Also see evidence of worse survival among people with colorectal cancer treated with PSK used in place of leucovorin with tegafur/uracil in Safety and precautions ›

Better survival at 3 and 5 years among people with colorectal cancer treated with PSK compared to placeboa pill, medicine, or procedure—thought to be both harmless and ineffective—prescribed for the psychological benefit to the patient or as a sham treatment in a study to allow a comparison to a therapy of interest in 2 RCTsrandomized controlled trial, a study design in which people are randomly assigned to either an experimental group or a control group to compare the outcomes from different treatments; an RCT is considered a strong design for determining a therapy’s effects, or when PSK was used with oral chemotherapy compared to oral chemotherapy alone in 14 RCTs, with a weak trendan apparent change due to a therapy, close to but not achieving full statistical significance (this is the CancerChoices definition; other researchers and studies may define this differently) toward better survival when PSK was used with intravenous chemotherapy, in a network analysis of studies of moderate to high quality³Ma Y, Wu X, Yu J, Zhu J, Pen X, Meng X. Can polysaccharide K improve therapeutic efficacy and safety in gastrointestinal cancer? A systematic review and network meta-analysis. Oncotarget. 2017 Jul 6;8(51):89108-89118.
Better 5-year survival among people with colorectal cancer treated with chemotherapy and turkey tail mushroom compared to chemotherapy alone in a meta-analysisa statistical analysis that combines the results of two or more research studies; the results of smaller research studies addressing the same or similar questions can be analyzed as though they are one bigger, more powerful study of 3 RCTs of low quality⁴Eliza WL, Fai CK, Chung LP. Efficacy of Yun Zhi (Coriolus versicolor) on survival in cancer patients: systematic review and meta-analysis. Recent Patents on Inflammation & Allergy Drug Discovery. 2012 Jan;6(1):78-87.
A weak trend toward better 5-year survival after curative resection among people with stage 2 or 3 colorectal cancer with detectable serum immunosuppressive acidic protein (IAP) who were treated with a therapy connected or added to a main treatment or therapy, not used alone tegafur/uracil and PSK compared to tegafur/uracil alone, with a larger effect in people with stage 3 cancer in a mid-sized RCT⁵Ohwada S, Ikeya T et al. Adjuvant immunochemotherapy with oral tegafur/uracil plus PSK in patients with stage II or III colorectal cancer: a randomised controlled study. British Journal of Cancer. 2004 Mar 8;90(5):1003-10.
Better 5-year survival after curative resection among people with colorectal cancer treated with adjuvanttreatment applied after initial treatment for cancer, especially to suppress secondary tumor formation chemotherapy plus PSK compared to adjuvant chemotherapy alone in a meta-analysis of 3 RCTs of indeterminate quality⁶Sakamoto J, Morita S et al; Meta-Analysis Group of the Japanese Society for Cancer of the Colon Rectum. Efficacy of adjuvant immunochemotherapy with polysaccharide K for patients with curatively resected colorectal cancer: a meta-analysis of centrally randomized controlled clinical trials. Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy. 2006 Apr;55(4):404-11.
Better recurrence-free survival, cancer-specific survival, and overall survival rates among people with colon cancer exhibiting a diffuse nuclear accumulation-type beta-catenin activation and treated with chemotherapy plus PSK compared to chemotherapy alone in a mid-sized observationala type of study in which individuals are observed or certain outcomes are measured, but no attempt is made to affect the outcome (for example, no treatment is given); an example is a study that records people’s diets, but doesn’t try to alter their diets, and looks for patterns of disease or other outcomes related to different foods study⁷Yamashita K, Ougolkov AV et al. Adjuvant immunochemotherapy with protein-bound polysaccharide K for colon cancer in relation to oncogenic beta-catenin activation. Diseases of the Colon and Rectum. 2007 Aug;50(8):1169-81.
Better 7-year survival among people with colorectal cancer and a carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level of 3ng/mL or greater or a purified protein derivative reaction (PPD) of less than 19mm and treated with a therapy connected or added to a main treatment or therapy, not used alone chemotherapy plus PSK compared to chemotherapy alone in a subgroup analysis of a small, separate RCT⁸Takahashi Y, Mai M, Nakazato H. Preoperative CEA and PPD values as prognostic factors for immunochemotherapy using PSK and 5-FU. Anticancer Research. 2005 Mar-Apr;25(2B):1377-84.
Better 10-year overall survival after curative resection among people with colorectal cancer treated with fluoropyramidines plus PSK compared to fluoropyramidines alone in a small controlled triala study design in which people are assigned to either an experimental group or a control group to compare the outcomes from different treatment; assignment is not random, and so this is not as strong a study design as a randomized controlled trial, but still stronger than an uncontrolled trial⁹Sakai T, Yamashita Y et al. Immunochemotherapy with PSK and fluoropyrimidines improves long-term prognosis for curatively resected colorectal cancer. Cancer Biotherapy & Radiopharmaceuticals. 2008 Aug;23(4):461-7.
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 survival at 3 years among three groups of patients with colorectal cancer after surgical resection treated with a combination adjuvant chemotherapy UFT/LV (uracil tegafor-leucovorin) plus PSK, UFT/LV alone, or longer term UFT/LV) plus PSK in a mid-sized clinical trial¹⁰Ogawa H, Shiraishi T. Adjuvant Chemotherapy With UFT/LV Versus UFT/LV Plus PSK in Stage II/III Colorectal Cancer. Anticancer Research. 2024 Feb; 44(2):805-14.
Comparable 3-year or 5-year overall survival after curative surgery among people with stage 2 rectal cancer treated with tegafur/uracil (UFC) plus PSK compared to surgery alone in a small RCT of reasonable quality¹¹Okuno K, Aoyama T et al. Randomized phase III trial comparing surgery alone to UFT + PSK for stage II rectal cancer (JFMC38 trial). Cancer Chemotherapy Pharmacology. 2018 Jan;81(1):65-71.

Gastrointestinal cancer

Colorectal cancer is listed separately.

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.: People with esophageal cancer treated with turkey tail alongside conventional treatment showed no evidence of an effect on survival across two studies.

No evidence of an effect: People with hepatocellular carcinoma whose liver function was too poor for standard treatment showed no evidence of an effect on survival in one study.

Good evidence: People with stomach cancer who were treated with PSK or turkey tail alongside chemotherapy showed better survival across several combined analyses of studies. There was preliminary evidence that people with stage 3A or 3B stomach cancer, and people with certain immune profiles, were more likely to benefit. There was also preliminary evidence that people whose tumors expressed the biomarker programmed death ligand 1 (PDL-1) were less likely to benefit.

Esophageal cancer:

No evidence of an effect on 5-year survival among people with esophageal cancer treated with conventional treatment and turkey tail mushroom compared to conventional treatment alone in a meta-analysisa statistical analysis that combines the results of two or more research studies; the results of smaller research studies addressing the same or similar questions can be analyzed as though they are one bigger, more powerful study of 2 RCTsrandomized controlled trial, a study design in which people are randomly assigned to either an experimental group or a control group to compare the outcomes from different treatments; an RCT is considered a strong design for determining a therapy’s effects of low quality¹²Eliza WL, Fai CK, Chung LP. Efficacy of Yun Zhi (Coriolus versicolor) on survival in cancer patients: systematic review and meta-analysis. Recent Patents on Inflammation & Allergy Drug Discovery. 2012 Jan;6(1):78-87.

Liver cancer:

No evidence of an effect on survival among people with hepatocellular carcinoma with poor liver function and deemed unfit for standard treatment who were treated with PSP compared to placeboa pill, medicine, or procedure—thought to be both harmless and ineffective—prescribed for the psychological benefit to the patient or as a sham treatment in a study to allow a comparison to a therapy of interest in a small RCT¹³Chay WY, Tham CK et al. Coriolus versicolor (Yunzhi) use as therapy in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma patients with poor liver function or who are unfit for standard therapy. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. 2017 Aug;23(8):648-652.

Stomach cancer:

Better survival at 3 and 5 years among people with stomach cancer treated with PSK compared to placebo in 2 RCTs, or when PSK was used with oral chemotherapy compared to oral chemotherapy alone in 14 RCTs, with a weak trendan apparent change due to a therapy, close to but not achieving full statistical significance (this is the CancerChoices definition; other researchers and studies may define this differently) toward better survival when PSK was used with intravenous chemotherapy in a network analysis of studies of moderate to high quality¹⁴Ma Y, Wu X, Yu J, Zhu J, Pen X, Meng X. Can polysaccharide K improve therapeutic efficacy and safety in gastrointestinal cancer? A systematic review and network meta-analysis. Oncotarget. 2017 Jul 6;8(51):89108-89118.
Moderately better 5-year survival among people with stomach cancer treated with chemotherapy and turkey tail mushroom compared to chemotherapy alone in a meta-analysis of 3 RCTs of low to moderate quality¹⁵Eliza WL, Fai CK, Chung LP. Efficacy of Yun Zhi (Coriolus versicolor) on survival in cancer patients: systematic review and meta-analysis. Recent Patents on Inflammation & Allergy Drug Discovery. 2012 Jan;6(1):78-87.
Substantially better 3-year survival rates among people with stage 3 stomach cancer treated with PSK and tagafur/uracil (UFT) compared to UFT alone in a small RCT; the PSK survival benefit was found to be greatest in a subset of people whose CD57(+) T-cell ratio increased above 18% after surgery, and for whom survival was worse than among those with lower ratios¹⁶Akagi J, Baba H. PSK may suppress CD57(+) T cells to improve survival of advanced gastric cancer patients. International Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2010 Apr;15(2):145-52.
Better 5-year survival rate only among people with granulocyte to lymphocyte (G/L) ratios less than 2.0, but no evidence of an effect on survival among people with G/L ratios greater than 2.0, treated with chemotherapy and PSK compared to chemotherapy alone in a mid-sized observationala type of study in which individuals are observed or certain outcomes are measured, but no attempt is made to affect the outcome (for example, no treatment is given); an example is a study that records people’s diets, but doesn’t try to alter their diets, and looks for patterns of disease or other outcomes related to different foods study¹⁷Toge T, Yamaguchi Y. Protein-bound polysaccharide increases survival in resected gastric cancer cases stratified with a preoperative granulocyte and lymphocyte count. Oncology Reports. 2000;7:1157–1161.
Lower overall mortality following gastric resection among gastric cancer patients treated with adjuvanttreatment applied after initial treatment for cancer, especially to suppress secondary tumor formation chemotherapy and PSK compared with adjuvant chemotherapy alone in a large observational study¹⁸Wang TY, Chen CY. Protein-bound polysaccharide K prolonged overall survival in gastric cancer patients from a non-Japanese Asian country who received gastrectomy and adjuvant chemotherapy. Medicine (Baltimore). 2022 Jul;101(29):e29632.
Increased overall survival among patients with 3A and 3B stage gastric cancer undergoing curative gastrectomy after receiving PSK and adjuvant chemotherapy compared with patients not receiving PSK in a large cohort study, but no evidence of an effect on survival among patients treated with PSK in stage II and stage IIIC. Patients who expressed programmed death ligand 1 on the cell surface of the tumor did not appear to benefit from PSK¹⁹Hsu JT, Hsu CS. Immunotherapy benefits in gastric cancer stratified by programmed death-1 lignand-1. Journal of Surgical Research. 2017 May 211:30-38.

Head, neck, and oral cancers

Preliminary evidence: People with nasopharyngeal cancer who were treated with PSK alongside radiotherapy showed better survival in one small study.

Leukemia

Preliminary evidence: People with leukemia treated with PSK added to chemotherapy showed better survival in one study.

Lung cancer

Preliminary evidence for specific patients: People with lung cancer who were treated with PSK showed slightly longer survival in two studies, with one finding a benefit for those with stage 3 but not stage 4 cancer.

Optimizing your body terrain

Does turkey tail mushroom promote an environment within your body that is less supportive of cancer development, growth, or spread? We present the evidence.

See Optimizing Your Body Terrain ›

Find medical professionals who specialize in managing body terrain factors: Finding Integrative Oncologists and Other Practitioners ›

Immune function

Increased immune system activation is not always beneficial, so your oncology team needs to determine whether immune activation would be favorable in your situation.

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): People treated with PSP or turkey tail following conventional cancer treatment showed biomarkers of higher immune function in two small studies.

Turkey tail mushroom combined with other complementary therapies

Managing side effects and promoting wellness

Is turkey tail mushroom linked to fewer or less severe side effects or symptoms? Is it linked to less toxicity from cancer treatment? Does it support your quality of life or promote general well-being? We present the evidence.

Body composition or cachexia

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): People with advanced lung cancer treated with PSP showed more body fat in one study. Loss of body fat is a concern among people with advanced cancer, and increasing body fat, as in this study, is a benefit.

Changes in appetite

Preliminary evidence: People with liver cancer and poor liver function who were treated with PSP showed better appetite in one small study.

Pain

Preliminary evidence: People with hepatocellular carcinoma and poor liver function treated with PSP reported less pain in one small study.

Reducing cancer risk

Is turkey tail mushroom linked to lower risks of developing cancer or of recurrence? We present the evidence.

Colorectal cancer

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 lower risk of recurrence: People treated with PSK together with chemotherapy for colon cancer had a lower risk of recurrence in four studies. There was 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) that people with certain biomarker profiles (detectable serum immunosuppressive acidic protein, or IAP; a carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level of >3ng/m; or a purified protein derivative reaction (PPD) of <19mm) were more likely to benefit.

Note: PSK use with one specific chemotherapy—tegafur/uracil (UFT)—may be linked to a higher risk of recurrence or mortality. See details in Safety and precautions ›

Lower risk of recurrence (better disease-free survival) for 1 to 7 years among people with colorectal cancer treated with chemotherapy and PSK compared to chemotherapy alone in a network analysis of 8 RCTsrandomized controlled trial, a study design in which people are randomly assigned to either an experimental group or a control group to compare the outcomes from different treatments; an RCT is considered a strong design for determining a therapy’s effects of high quality³⁰Ma Y, Wu X, Yu J, Zhu J, Pen X, Meng X. Can polysaccharide K improve therapeutic efficacy and safety in gastrointestinal cancer? A systematic review and network meta-analysis. Oncotarget. 2017 Jul 6;8(51):89108-89118.
Lower risk of recurrence (better 5-year disease-free survival) after curative resection among people with stage 2 or 3 colorectal cancer with detectable serum immunosuppressive acidic protein (IAP) treated with a therapy connected or added to a main treatment or therapy, not used alone tegafur/uracil and PSK compared to tegafur/uracil alone, with a larger effect among people with stage 3 cancer in a mid-sized RCT³¹Ohwada S, Ikeya T et al. Adjuvant immunochemotherapy with oral tegafur/uracil plus PSK in patients with stage II or III colorectal cancer: a randomised controlled study. British Journal of Cancer. 2004 Mar 8;90(5):1003-10.
Moderately better 5-year disease-free survival among people with colorectal cancer after curative resection treated with adjuvanttreatment applied after initial treatment for cancer, especially to suppress secondary tumor formation chemotherapy plus PSK compared to adjuvant chemotherapy alone in a meta-analysisa statistical analysis that combines the results of two or more research studies; the results of smaller research studies addressing the same or similar questions can be analyzed as though they are one bigger, more powerful study of 3 RCTs of unclear quality³²Sakamoto J, Morita S et al; Meta-Analysis Group of the Japanese Society for Cancer of the Colon Rectum. Efficacy of adjuvant immunochemotherapy with polysaccharide K for patients with curatively resected colorectal cancer: a meta-analysis of centrally randomized controlled clinical trials. Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy. 2006 Apr;55(4):404-11.
Lower risk of recurrence (better disease-free survival) at 7 years among people with colorectal cancer and specific biomarkersa chemical or substance, such as certain proteins or genetic material, that are associated with the presence of cancer or a change in status or prognosis; these markers can be detected in blood, urine, or tissue. Tumor markers are not direct measures of clinical outcomes such as survival or metastasis, and if a therapy or treatment shows an impact only on tumor markers, we cannot surmise that it will affect survival.—a carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level of >3ng/mL or a purified protein derivative reaction (PPD) of <19mm—and treated with adjunctive chemotherapy plus PSK compared to chemotherapy alone in a subgroup analysis of a small RCT³³Takahashi Y, Mai M, Nakazato H. Preoperative CEA and PPD values as prognostic factors for immunochemotherapy using PSK and 5-FU. Anticancer Research. 2005 Mar-Apr;25(2B):1377-84.

Gastrointestinal cancer

Colorectal cancer is listed separately.

Preliminary evidence for certain people: People with stage 2 or 3 stomach cancer whose tumors did not express a certain biomarker (MHC class 1) and who were treated with PSK plus chemotherapy after surgery showed a lower risk of recurrence in one study.

Gynecological cancer

Preliminary evidence: People who tested positive for human papilloma virus (HPV), which increases the risk of cervical cancer, and who were treated with a turkey tail-infused vaginal gel showed lower markers of cervical and uterine cancer risk in one study.

Head and neck cancer

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.: People with nasopharyngeal carcinoma treated with PSK plus radiotherapy did not show evidence of an effect on their risk of recurrence in one small study.

Leukemia

Weak evidenceone or more case studies, supported by animal evidence OR small treatment effects of limited clinical significance OR studies with no controls OR weak trends of effects (this is the CancerChoices definition; other researchers and studies may define this differently): People with leukemia treated with PSK alongside chemotherapy showed a lower risk of recurrence in one study.

Helpful links

Medicinal Mushrooms: A Clinical Guide, Second Edition ›

Moss Reports ›

Subscription required

Coriolus Mushroom ›

Subscription required

Trials involving PSK and cancer ›

Trials involving Trametes versicolor and cancer ›

MycoMedicinals: An Informational Treatise on Mushrooms, 3rd Edition ›

Keep reading about turkey tail mushroom

See all our reviews of complementary therapies

Authors

Sophie Kakarala

Research Assistant

View profile

Larry Scherwitz

View profile

Previous Authors

Nancy Hepp, MS

past Lead Researcher

View profile

Andrew Jackson, ND

Research Associate

View profile

Laura Pole, MSN, RN, OCNS

Senior Clinical Consultant

View profile

Last update: August 31, 2025

Last full literature review: October 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.

Learn more

Integrative Oncology Programs and Expert Guidelines

Lifestyle Practices

Moving More

Therapies

Aspirin

References[+]

References
1, 2, 4, 12, 15	Eliza WL, Fai CK, Chung LP. Efficacy of Yun Zhi (Coriolus versicolor) on survival in cancer patients: systematic review and meta-analysis. Recent Patents on Inflammation & Allergy Drug Discovery. 2012 Jan;6(1):78-87.
3, 14, 30	Ma Y, Wu X, Yu J, Zhu J, Pen X, Meng X. Can polysaccharide K improve therapeutic efficacy and safety in gastrointestinal cancer? A systematic review and network meta-analysis. Oncotarget. 2017 Jul 6;8(51):89108-89118.
5, 31	Ohwada S, Ikeya T et al. Adjuvant immunochemotherapy with oral tegafur/uracil plus PSK in patients with stage II or III colorectal cancer: a randomised controlled study. British Journal of Cancer. 2004 Mar 8;90(5):1003-10.
6, 32	Sakamoto J, Morita S et al; Meta-Analysis Group of the Japanese Society for Cancer of the Colon Rectum. Efficacy of adjuvant immunochemotherapy with polysaccharide K for patients with curatively resected colorectal cancer: a meta-analysis of centrally randomized controlled clinical trials. Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy. 2006 Apr;55(4):404-11.
7	Yamashita K, Ougolkov AV et al. Adjuvant immunochemotherapy with protein-bound polysaccharide K for colon cancer in relation to oncogenic beta-catenin activation. Diseases of the Colon and Rectum. 2007 Aug;50(8):1169-81.
8	Takahashi Y, Mai M, Nakazato H. Preoperative CEA and PPD values as prognostic factors for immunochemotherapy using PSK and 5-FU. Anticancer Research. 2005 Mar-Apr;25(2B):1377-84.
9	Sakai T, Yamashita Y et al. Immunochemotherapy with PSK and fluoropyrimidines improves long-term prognosis for curatively resected colorectal cancer. Cancer Biotherapy & Radiopharmaceuticals. 2008 Aug;23(4):461-7.
10	Ogawa H, Shiraishi T. Adjuvant Chemotherapy With UFT/LV Versus UFT/LV Plus PSK in Stage II/III Colorectal Cancer. Anticancer Research. 2024 Feb; 44(2):805-14.
11	Okuno K, Aoyama T et al. Randomized phase III trial comparing surgery alone to UFT + PSK for stage II rectal cancer (JFMC38 trial). Cancer Chemotherapy Pharmacology. 2018 Jan;81(1):65-71.
13, 29	Chay WY, Tham CK et al. Coriolus versicolor (Yunzhi) use as therapy in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma patients with poor liver function or who are unfit for standard therapy. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. 2017 Aug;23(8):648-652.
16	Akagi J, Baba H. PSK may suppress CD57(+) T cells to improve survival of advanced gastric cancer patients. International Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2010 Apr;15(2):145-52.
17	Toge T, Yamaguchi Y. Protein-bound polysaccharide increases survival in resected gastric cancer cases stratified with a preoperative granulocyte and lymphocyte count. Oncology Reports. 2000;7:1157–1161.
18	Wang TY, Chen CY. Protein-bound polysaccharide K prolonged overall survival in gastric cancer patients from a non-Japanese Asian country who received gastrectomy and adjuvant chemotherapy. Medicine (Baltimore). 2022 Jul;101(29):e29632.
19	Hsu JT, Hsu CS. Immunotherapy benefits in gastric cancer stratified by programmed death-1 lignand-1. Journal of Surgical Research. 2017 May 211:30-38.
20, 36	Go P, Chung C-H. Adjuvant PSK immunotherapy in patients with carcinoma of the nasopharynx. Journal of International Medical Research. March 1989:141-149.
21, 37	Nagao T, Komatsuda M et al. Chemoimmunotherapy with Krestin in acute leukemia. Tokai Journal of Experimental and Clinical Medicine. 1981 Apr;6(2):141-6.
22	Ikeda T, Sakai T, Suito T, Kosaki G. [Evaluation of postoperative immunochemotherapy in lung cancer]. Gan To Kagaku Ryoho. 1986 Apr;13(4 Pt 1):1044-9. Japanese.
23	Nishiwaki Y, Furuse K et al. [A randomized controlled study of PSK combined immuno-chemotherapy for adenocarcinoma of the lung. The Advanced Lung Cancer Immuno-chemotherapy Study Group]. Gan To Kagaku Ryoho. 1990 Jan;17(1):131-6. Japanese.
24	Tsang KW, Lam CL et al. Coriolus versicolor polysaccharide peptide slows progression of advanced non-small cell lung cancer. Respiratory Medicine. 2003 Jun;97(6):618-24.
25	Torkelson CJ, Sweet E et al. Phase 1 clinical trial of Trametes versicolor in women with breast cancer. ISRN Oncology. 2012;2012:251632.
26	Wong CK, Tse PS, Wong EL, Leung PC, Fung KP, Lam CW. Immunomodulatory effects of yun zhi and danshen capsules in health subjects—a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study. International Immunopharmacology. 2004 Feb;4(2):201-11.
27	Tsang KW, Lam CL, Yan C et al. Coriolus versicolor polysaccharide peptide slows progression of advanced non-small cell lung cancer. Respiratory Medicine. 2003;97:618–624.
28	Chay WY, Tham CK et al. Coriolus versicolor (Yunzhi) use as therapy in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma patients with poor liver function or who are unfit for standard therapy. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. 2017 Aug;23(8):648-652.
33	Takahashi Y, Mai M, Nakazato H. Preoperative CEA and PPD values as prognostic factors for immunochemotherapy using PSK and 5-FU. Anticancer Research. 2005 Mar-Apr;25(2B):1377-84.
34	Ito G, Tanaka H et al. Correlation between efficacy of PSK postoperative adjuvant immunochemotherapy for gastric cancer and expression of MHC class I. Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine. 2012 Jun;3(6):925-930.
35	Criscuolo AA, Sesti F et al. Therapeutic efficacy of a Coriolus versicolor-based vaginal gel in women with cervical uterine high-risk HPV infection: a retrospective observational study. Advances in Therapy. 2021 Feb;38(2):1202-1211.

Turkey Tail Mushroom

How can turkey tail mushroom help you? What the research says

Improving treatment outcomes

Optimizing your body terrain

Managing side effects and promoting wellness

Reducing cancer risk

Helpful links

Keep reading about turkey tail mushroom

Authors

Sophie Kakarala

Larry Scherwitz

Previous Authors

Nancy Hepp, MS

Andrew Jackson, ND

Laura Pole, MSN, RN, OCNS

Learn more

Integrative Oncology Programs and Expert Guidelines

Moving More

Aspirin