Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Case Series with Integrative Treatment

Abstract

Objective: Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a rare and difficult to treat cancer. The case series aimed to observe the effects of medicinal mushrooms and integrative oncology care for renal cell carcinoma. Clinical Features: Patients diagnosed with RCC who were being treated with surgery and chemotherapy and were administered integrative treatment in the form of supplements and medicinal mushrooms and/or combinations of mushrooms. Interventions and outcomes: Integrative care included a combination of supplements and the medicinal mushrooms Ganoderma lucidum, Trametes versicolor, Cordyceps sinensis, Grifola frondosa, and Lentinus edodes in combination or alone, which was initiated following adjuvant care. These patients experienced increased overall survival compared to standard adjuvant treatment alone. Conclusion: Beneficial effects of integrative care were observed in this case series. Disease progression and symptoms related to adjuvant treatment were significantly decreased in these patients after integrative supportive care was initiated and effects persisted through the final observation period. Further controlled studies are needed among larger groups of patients to determine the clinical efficacy of medicinal mushrooms and integrative oncology in the treatment of RCC.