AHCC

3-3 AHCC’s Ability to Reduce Side Effects Induced by Anti-Cancer Agents

Caner patients are well aware of the numerous side effects, which result from undergoing chemotherapy. These side effects include nausea, vomiting, hair loss, fatigue, loss of appetite, liver damage, and decreased red and white blood cell platelet count. Above all, alopecia is often singled out as the most psychologically distressing side effect of chemotherapy treatment. Additionally, the liver is the primary target following acute high-level exposure to chemotherapeutic agents, and it frequently causes serious liver damage. Medical doctors and researchers have reported that AHCC actually prevents and relieves these side effects.

1) Alopecia

Chemotherapy-induced alopecia is a common and distressing side effect of many widely used chemotherapeutic agents. Several medical doctors have reported that patients given AHCC were protected against chemotherapy-induced alopecia.

To confirm that AHCC really improves this side effect, researchers at Amino Up Chemical Co. Ltd. carried out an animal experiment using newborn rats. First, a chemotherapeutic agent, Cytosinearabinoside (Ara-C), was administered to the rats for seven days to induce the alopecia. At the same time, AHCC was given to these rats orally, intra-peritoneally, and by applying to the skin. Table shows that out of the seven rats treated with Ara-C, five animals showed severe alopecia and two animals showed moderate alopecia. In contrast, rats treated with Ara-C plus AHCC were protected from Alopecia. More specifically, the animals treated with Ara-C combined with oral AHCC showed the most beneficial protection. Moreover, microscopic skin analyses showed severe loss of hair follicles in the Ara-C treatment groupbut few losses of hair follicles in the Ara-C plus AHCC treatment groups. From these results, it was clear that AHCC offers excellent protection against alopecia induced by chemotherapeutic agent.（The 57th Japanese Cancer Association, Sep 1998）（The 1st Japanese Society for Alternative medicine & Treatment, Nov 1998）

2) Myelosuppression

The intensive use of chemotherapeutic agents is a standard treatment for malignant tumors. However, myelosuppression often results causing leucopenia, infections, anemia, and thus is a common and serious complication. Therefore, the prevention of myelosuppression or restoration of impaired hemopoeisis is required to get a gratifying result for the cancer chemotherapy.

Gye Hoon Ahn in Ok-Cherm Hospital reported that oral treatment of AHCC raised total leukocyte count remarkably in cancer patients. Furthermore, researchers at Amino Up Chemical Co. Ltd. found that AHCC protects mice from hemopoietic damage caused by sub-lethal doses of chemotherapeutic agents. In this experiment, the chemotherapeutic agents fluorouracil (5-FU) and cyclophosphamide monohydrate (CY) were used to cause the myelosuppression. Although 5-FU and CY decreased the number of erythrocyte, AHCC co-administration normalized it. This data suggests that AHCC is a useful nutritional supplement used to avoid myelosuppression on patients receiving chemotherapy. （The 8th International Symposium of AHCC Research Association, Aug 2000）（The 4th Research Association of Cancer Prevention, May 1997）

3) Liver damage

Scientific trials at Amino Up Chemical Co. Ltd. have shown that AHCC has potential protective effect against the liver damage, which occurs during use of chemotherapeutic agents. A liver injury model was created by treating mice with 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP) and Methotrexate (MTX). One group received AHCC orally, while the other group did not. At the end of the experimental trial, GOT and GPT enzyme levels were measured. These enzymes are typically released by damaged liver cells. As shown in Figure 4, the group receiving only chemotherapeutic agents had large increases in GOT and GPT levels; however, the group receiving both the chemotherapy and AHCC had enzyme levels as low as the control group. This data indicates that AHCC has excellent preventive effect against liver damage induced by chemotherapeutic agents.

（The 4th International Symposium on Predictive Oncology and Therapy, Oct 1998）

（The 119th Pharmaceutical Society of Japan, Mar 1999）

4) Nausea & Vomiting

Another seriously disturbing side effect of chemotherapy is nausea and vomiting. The side effects can be so devastating that patients often abandon therapy in hope for a better quality of life (QOL). Dr. Gye Hoon Ahn examined stage Ⅲ & Ⅳ cancer patients to determine if AHCC could improve their QOL. His research revealed that AHCC remarkably improved the patients QOL score for nausea and vomiting

（The 8th International Symposium of AHCC Research Association, Aug 2000）

5) Loss of Appetite

Many cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy also suffer from loss of appetite. AHCC has been found to help improve appetite, and is currently being used by over 700 hospitals and clinics for this effect. Studies indicate that use of AHCC helps gradually increase patients’ body weight and appetite. Furthermore, overall feelings of well-being and QOL were improved.

Conclusion

AHCC shows many benefits against the side effects caused by chemotherapy. These include improvement of alopecia, myelosuppression, liver damage, nausea, vomiting, mood, and loss of appetite. Most importantly, AHCC shows to be most valuable for cancer patients because it not only enhances cancer treatment, but also diminishes patients’ physical and mental suffering.

（The 90th American Association for Cancer Research, Apr. 1999）

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