GCP Possible Effective Prostate Cancer Treatment

GCP Possible Effective Prostate Cancer Treatment

SACRAMENTO, Calif.Genistein Combined Polysaccharide (GCP, a combination of soy isoflavone extract and medicinal mushrooms), from Amino Up Chemical Co. Ltd. in Sapporo, Japan, may be an effective prostate cancer treatment, according to a newly published study in Urology (63, 2:259-63, 2004).

Fifty-two subjects with prostate cancer, averaging 73.6 years of age, were involved in the six-month study. The subjects were supplemented 5 g/d of GCP for six months, which provided a total of 450 mg/d of genistein, plus an additional 450 mg/d of other aglycone isoflavones, and were divided into five groups: post prostatectomy, post radiotherapy, post prostatectomy and radiotherapy, off-cycle during hormone therapy or active surveillance (watchful waiting). The primary endpoint was a 50-percent reduction in prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level at six months compared with before treatment. Researchers found one of the 52 subjects had a more than 50-percent reduction in PSA level and seven subjects had reduced PSA level less than 50 percent; all eight subjects were in the active surveillance group. They concluded GCP as a sole treatment for prostate cancer is not an effective treatment; however, eight of 13 subjects in the active surveillance group had either no rise or a decline in PSA level of less than 50 percent, and more study is warranted for those choosing active surveillance.