Ask the doctors: Adding turkey tail mushrooms to cancer therapy regimen

Dear Doctors: Turkey tail mushrooms seemed to help my dad through Stage 4 lung cancer, so I am wondering about their use in laryngeal cancer. Could it be a supportive therapy when paired with conventional therapies? I can’t find much information on them for that specific cancer.

Dear Reader: When your father added turkey tail mushrooms to his cancer therapy regimen, he reached back to the past and forward into the future. They have been a staple of traditional Chinese, Japanese and Native American medicine for centuries. Ancient healers gave their patients teas or powders prepared from the mushrooms. This supported immune function and helped them recover from illness. They were harnessing the benefits of the bioactive compounds in the fungi. Today, a wide range of research has come from increased interest in those same compounds.

Turkey tail mushrooms are more formally known as Trametes versicolor. They grow in wooded areas all over the world. Known as a white-rot fungus, it releases enzymes to decompose hardwood and turn it into nutrient-rich soil. In China, they are called cloud mushrooms. Here in the United States, their rippling, fanlike shape, which looks like an outspread turkey’s tail, has earned them an avian name. Turkey tail mushrooms contain many types of bioactive compounds. Among them is a polysaccharide known as beta-glucan. This complex sugar is believed to be key to the mushroom’s ability to regulate immune response. Studies have also linked it to antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activity, and possible anticancer properties.

Researchers have been exploring the potential antitumor properties of these fungi. It’s been primarily studied in breast, lung, colorectal and gastric cancers for several decades. (As you point out, studies have not yet focused on laryngeal cancer.) A small study with breast cancer patients suggests the mushrooms may help the immune system rebound after radiation treatment. In a different study, the fungus appeared to support recovery from chemotherapy’s effects.

Outside of the lab, turkey tail mushrooms are used mainly for their effects on the immune system. These are believed to include enhancing the activity of protective cells, such as T lymphocytes, and regulating inflammation. The mushrooms are also being studied for their gut health support. In Japan, a preparation known as Krestin, which is made from the mushroom, is used as a supportive cancer therapy.

Turkey tail mushrooms are generally well-tolerated. Side effects, while rare, can include gas, bloating, abdominal discomfort and constipation. As with many bioactive supplements, turkey tail mushrooms may interact with certain medications. People with autoimmune disorders should avoid them because they can affect the immune system. As for adding the mushrooms to your own cancer care, that is a decision best made with your oncologist’s guidance. They will evaluate your health, immune status and treatment plan. They’ll see whether the mushrooms might be helpful. If you were to add them to your cancer care regimen, it would be for their possible immuno-supportive benefits.

Send your questions to askthedoctors@mednet.ucla.edu.