Korean Red Ginseng as a Postoperative Immune Modulator in Patients with Advanced Gastric Cancer

In this paper, we present evidence that the red ginseng from Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer inhibits the recurrence of advanced gastric cancer and shows immunomodulatory activities during postoperative chemotherapy. Flow cytometric analyses for peripheral T-lymphocyte subsets showed that the red ginseng powder restored CD4 levels to the initial preoperative values during postoperative chemotherapy. Depression of CD3 during postoperative chemotherapy was also inhibited by the red ginseng powder ingestion. This study demonstrated a 5-year disease free survival and overall survival rate that was significantly higher in patients taking the red ginseng powder during postoperative chemotherapy vs. control $(68.2\%\;vs.\;33.3\%,\;76.4\%\;vs.\;38.5\%,$ respectively, p<0.05). The mean value of serum IL-10 of the ginseng group was reduced progressively during the postoperative chemotherapy. The values of the ginseng group were close to that of the control group on postoperative months 3. These studies suggest that the red ginseng may have some immunomodulatory properties associated with CD3 and CD4 activity and interleukin 10 during postoperative chemotherapy and some potential of improving prognosis in patients with advanced gastric cancer.