Li XB. Can astragalus polysaccharides truly boost the treatment of pancreatic cancer? World J Clin Oncol 2025; 16(5): 101406 [DOI: 10.5306/wjco.v16.i5.101406]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Xiao-Bing Li, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Thoracic Oncology, Hubei Cancer Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 116 South Zhuodaoquan Road, Hongshan District, Wuhan 430079, Hubei Province, China. lixiaobing0629@126.com
Research Domain of This Article
Oncology
Article-Type of This Article
Letter to the Editor
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Clin Oncol. May 24, 2025; 16(5): 101406 Published online May 24, 2025. doi: 10.5306/wjco.v16.i5.101406
Can astragalus polysaccharides truly boost the treatment of pancreatic cancer?
Xiao-Bing Li
Xiao-Bing Li, Department of Thoracic Oncology, Hubei Cancer Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430079, Hubei Province, China
Author contributions: Li XB analyzed, conceived, and wrote the manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The author declares that there are no conflicts of interest in this manuscript.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Xiao-Bing Li, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Thoracic Oncology, Hubei Cancer Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 116 South Zhuodaoquan Road, Hongshan District, Wuhan 430079, Hubei Province, China. lixiaobing0629@126.com
Received: September 13, 2024 Revised: March 3, 2025 Accepted: March 11, 2025 Published online: May 24, 2025 Processing time: 248 Days and 20 Hours
Abstract
The research on astragalus polysaccharides (APS) in pancreatic cancer has garnered increasing interest due to its potential therapeutic benefits. APS, derived from the Astragalus membranaceus plant, exhibits diverse biological activities, including immune modulation and anti-tumor effects. In this study, we presented a retrospective analysis study exploring the potential benefits of combining APS with gemcitabine plus tegafur gimeracil oteracil potassium capsule (S-1) in pancreatic cancer treatment. The finding suggests that APS may enhance treatment efficacy, improve immune function, and reduce adverse reactions, offering a valuable complementary approach to standard chemotherapy. Further research is needed to validate these findings and optimize APS usage in clinical practice. This combination therapy represents a compelling avenue for improving pancreatic cancer management and may ultimately contribute to better patient outcomes.
Core Tip: Astragalus polysaccharides combined with chemotherapy have demonstrated an enhanced efficacy and reduced toxicity in the treatment of pancreatic cancer. However, its true clinical value requires further research to be confirmed.
