AHCC

April 28, 2006

Hi Suz,

I took AHCC for several months. My NK activity was at 2 and increased to 7.

However, during

that period I also took Transfer Factor Plus by 4Life and Immune Assist from

Aloha Medicinals

Inc. (online). Sorry I don't know how to put the live URL in for you.

The Immune Assist is derived from several types of mushrooms and hits a broader

scope of

immune problems than the more specific AHCC or MGN3 (or so they claim at their

website).

Unfortunately, I don't know if one of these 3 was more effective than the

other. Best wishes

to you for pulling your NK activity up. I'm also struggling to lift mine up

since it has fallen

back to 2 after taking equimmune. Regards, Deb

> Has anyone taken immpower or another AHCC that helped? My NK acitivity is a 5

and I

need something to help me get it up.

>

> Thanks

> Suz

>

January 17, 2008

In a message dated 1/17/08 10:46:01 PM Eastern Standard Time,

robert-blau@... writes:

> It's

> called activated hexose correlated compound (AHCC),

Can you please give us your version of what this is?

Thanks.

**************

Start the year off right. Easy ways to stay in shape.

http://body.aol.com/fitness/winter-exercise?NCID=aolcmp00300000002489

January 18, 2008

I'm not sure what you mean by my " version " of what it is.

What I know about it is that it is a mushroom-derived polysaccharide that has

immune-boosting properties.

When I get to a terminal from which I can access the pdf, I may have some more

to share. In the meantime, anyone wishing to know more can certainly feel free

to do so themselves, as well as look it up on wikipedia or at

altmedicine.about.com or hsibaltimore.com.

Love,

B

>

> In a message dated 1/17/08 10:46:01 PM Eastern Standard Time,

> robert-blau@... writes:

>

> > It's

> > called activated hexose correlated compound (AHCC),

>

> Can you please give us your version of what this is?

>

> Thanks.

>

January 18, 2008

for who is interested.

gr. kees

The effect of functional nutrition ( AHCC = Active Hexose Correlated

Compound = mix of medicinal mushrooms) - with livercancerpatients gives

very positif and significant results proves a 9-year randomised study

Improved prognosis of postoperative hepatocellular carcinoma patients when

treated with functional foods: a prospective cohort study Yoichi Matsui *

, Junya Uhara, Sohei Satoi, Masaki Kaibori, Hitoshi Yamada, Hiroaki

Kitade, Atsusi Imamura, Soichiro Takai, Yusai Kawaguchi, A-Hon Kwon, Yasuo

Kamiyama First Department of Surgery, Kansai Medical University, 10-15

Fumizono, Moriguchi, Osaka 570-8507, Japan See Editorial, pages 147-150

Background/Aims: Active hexose correlated compound (AHCC) is a newly

developed functional food. In vitro experiments have shown that AHCC

enhances natural killer cell activity, and may be considered a potent

biological response modifier in the treatment of cancer patients. However,

the effects of AHCC in a clinical setting have not been reported. We seek

to determine whether AHCC can improve the prognosis of hepatocellular

carcinoma (HCC) patients following surgical treatment.

Methods: A prospective cohort study was performed from February 1, 1992 to

December 31, 2001. A total of 269 consecutive patients with histologically

confirmed HCC were studied. All of the patients underwent resection of a

liver tumor. Time to treatment failure (disease recurrence or death) and

ten parameters related to liver function after surgery were examined.

Results: Of the 269 patients, 113 received AHCC orally after undergoing

curative surgery (AHCC group). The AHCC group had a significantly longer

no recurrence period (hazard ratio (HR), 0.639; 95% confidence interval

(CI), 0.429-0.952; P - 0.0277) and an increased overall survival rate (HR,

0.421; 95% CI, 0.253-0.701; P -0.0009) when compared to the control group

by 's multivariate analysis.

Conclusions: This study suggests that AHCC intake can improve the

prognosis of postoperative HCC patients.

hexose correlated compound; AHCC; Biological response modifier; Cirrhosis;

Functional food; Hepatitis; Hepatocellular carcinoma

1. Introduction

The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is distributed widely over

different geographical areas. There is a high prevalence of HCC in Asia

that is similar to that of stomach cancer in Japan. Moreover, the number

of HCC patients is showing a gradual, but definite increase [1]. The

prevention and treatment of the recurrence of HCC following hepatic

resection has been studied extensively. These treatments include repeated

hepatic resection [2,3], interventional radiology (chemoembolization)

[4,5], percutaneous ethanol injections [6,7], percutaneous microwave

coagulation [8,9], and the administration of hormonal agents [10-12].

However, the prognosis for HCC remains unsatisfactory, with the 5-year

survival rate after primary surgical treatment at approximately 40% in

Japan [1]. In addition to the treatments mentioned above, there have been

many attempts to treat the cancer by stimulating the patient's immune

system. Although several biological response modifiers (BRMs) have been

developed such as BCG, Picibanil, PSK, lentinan, interferon, and

interleukin-12 [13-16], the clinical efficacy of these substances has not

been clearly confirmed. Recently, the efficacy of immunotherapy in

suppressing the postsurgical recurrence of HCC was reported as a clinical

trial [17]. Active hexose correlated compound (AHCC) is a functional food

[18,19] developed by the Amino Up Chemical

Co. Ltd (Sapporo, Japan) in 1989. A food is considered functional if it is

satisfactorily demonstrated to affect beneficially one or more target

functions in the body, in a way that is beyond adequate nutritional

effects and is relevant to either the state of well-being and health or

the reduction of the risk of a disease [20]. The AHCC is an extract of

Basi-diomycotina, which is obtained through the hybridization of several

types of mushrooms [21]. Ghoneum et al. reported that AHCC enhances the

natural killer (NK) cell activity of cancer patients, and may be

considered a potent BRM in the treatment of cancer patients [22]. It has

been suggested that NK cell activity may be associated with cancer

incidence [23]. Furthermore, AHCC has been reported to reduce the

metastasis rate of rat mammary adenocarcinomas [21], to increase

detoxification enzymes in the liver, to protect the liver from CCl4

-induced liver injury [24], and to prevent diabetes induced by

streptozotocin [25] in animal models. However, there have been no reports

on the effects of AHCC in a clinical setting.

This study was initiated to evaluate the effects of AHCC, as an orally

administered BRM, on the prognosis of patients with HCC following surgical

treatment.

2. Patients and methods

To determine whether AHCC can improve the prognosis of HCC patients

following surgical treatment, a prospective cohort study was performed.

All consecutive patients with HCC who underwent surgical treatment from

February 1, 1992 to October 31, 2001 at the First Department of Surgery,

Kansai Medical University, Osaka, Japan were included in this study, if

they met the following criteria: (1) the patient had undergone a curative

resection of their liver tumor at our Department and (2) the presence of

histologically proven HCC in their resected liver specimen was

demonstrated. The therapeutic options were offered to all of the patients

during their hospitalization. The enrolled patients were addressed to each

arm of the study based on their choice of the therapeutic options, and

were trusted with the self-administration of AHCC. If the patient selected

the AHCC ingestion, they began ingesting AHCC at 3.0 g/day from the date

of their discharge. The primary endpoint was survival and the secondary

endpoint was a no recurrence period. In addition, ten biochemical

parameters were examined yearly to evaluate the liver function until death

or the end of the observation period (December 31, 2001). These parameters

include the serum levels of aspartate transaminase activity (AST), alanine

transaminase activity, alkaline phosphatase activity, gglutamyltransferase

activity (GGT), total bilirubin, albumin, cholinesterase activity,

platelet count, a-fetoprotein, and protein induced by vitamin K absence

(PIVKA II).

Randomization was not performed in this study, and a placebo was not used

for the controls. The study protocol conformed to the ethical guide-lines

of our institute and was approved by the institutional review committee.

AHCC was generously provided by the Amino Up Chemical Co. Ltd, and was

developed by extraction from a cultured broth of Basidiomycotina.

2.1. Patients

By October 31, 2001, a total of 269 patients underwent surgical treatment

for HCC. Of these 269 patients, a total of 47 cases were excluded as

follows: 28 cases of non-curative resection, four cases of operative

death, seven cases of hospital death, one case with a mental disorder, one

case with primary biliary cirrhosis, one case with a histologically proven

combined type of HCC and cholangiocellular carcinoma, and five cases that

withdrew from follow-up just after discharge. As a result, the remaining

222 patients were enrolled in this study and were observed either until

death or until the last follow-up date (December 31, 2001) for the living

patients. Of these 222 patients, 113 were given AHCC (3.0 g/day) orally

after undergoing surgery, in accordance with the preferences of the

patient (AHCC group). The administration of AHCC continued until death or

to the last follow-up date for the living patients. The remaining 109

patients were monitored after the hepatectomy, but were not given AHCC

(control group). The no recurrence rate and the overall survival of the

patients in the AHCC group were compared to that of the control group.

The aim of this study was explained to all of the approved patients in

advance, and informed consent was obtained. All of the patients were

trusted with their choice of AHCC ingestion, following the informed

consent. Therefore, the patients were enrolled in either the AHCC group or

the control group entirely according to their preferences. Although not a

controlled study, we obtained a similar number of patients in each group

with the same clinical and pathological characteristics according to the

preferences of the patients. In the early years of the study, a few more

patients preferred the control group than the AHCC group. However, the

number of patients who preferred the functional food gradually increased.

Eventually, approximately half of the patients preferred the functional

food at the end of the study period of 9 years and 11 months. This change

in preference resulted in the difference of the median follow-up period

between the two groups shown in Section 3.

2.2. Follow-up

Perioperative clinical parameters such as the patient characteristics,

preo-perative liver function data, operative factors, and tumor

characteristics were compared between the AHCC and control groups.

Cirrhotic status was histopathologically determined in non-cancerous liver

tissues according to the New Inuyama Classification [26]. The staging

system used followed the General Rules for the Clinical and Pathological

Study of Primary Liver Cancer by the Liver Cancer Study Group of Japan

[27], which is commonly used in Japan. The overall survival, defined as

the interval between the date of surgery and the date of death or the last

follow-up information for the living patients, was also evaluated. The

most common cause of death was cancer, but liver failure and variceal

bleeding were included among the causes of death. The no recurrence rate

was also evaluated, and was defined as the interval between the date of

surgery to the date that a diagnosis of recurrence was confirmed by a

positive sonogram, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, or

hepatic angiography. The no recurrence rate was calculated after censoring

the patients who had not shown a recurrence at the time of death.

All patients were given follow-up examinations with routine liver

biochemical tests. Every 3 months, biochemical tests were performed at the

central hospital laboratory. A liver ultrasound was also performed every 3

months. In addition, computed tomography and/or magnetic resonance imaging

were performed every 6 months. Finally, an angiographic exam-ination was

performed after admission when a recurrence was suspected. Once an

intrahepatic recurrence had been confirmed, patients in both groups

generally received transarterial chemo-embolization (TACE), whereas some

patients with recurrence underwent alternative treatments (Table 1).

Patients without recurrence were not treated with any other drugs for

cancer during follow-up.

2.3. Statistical analysis

In order to evaluate the homogeneity of the treatment vs. control groups

with respect to perioperative clinical factors, data was analyzed using

the chi-square test or Mann-Whitney U-test to compare differences between

two series. A two-way analysis of variance with Scheffe´'s F-test was used

to compare the postoperative course of the laboratory data between the two

groups. (If one want to see the statistics I can send the whole report

including statistics digital to you)

The no recurrence curves and the overall survival curves were plotted by

the Kaplan-Meier method, and log-rank tests were also performed. The

time-fixed 's proportional hazard model was used to estimate the

effects of AHCC on the no recurrence rate and the overall survival. For

univariate screening purposes, of the 40 potential risk factors shown in

Table 1, the treatment for recurrence and the cause of death were excluded

and the remaining 38 factors were examined univariately by the 's

model, because these two variables were time-dependent factors. These 38

variables were all categorized as binary. Cirrhotic status was

dichotomized into two categorical data group: with histopathologically

confirmed cirrhosis or without histopathologically confirmed cirrhosis.

The staging system [27] was divided into two categorical groups: I/II and

III/IVA. The resected liver volume was divided into two categorical

groups: sub-segmentectomy or less and more than sub-segmentectomy. Since

the median of the amount of alcohol intake was 0 g/day of ethanol, the

amount of alcohol intake was dichotomized into two groups: patients with a

drinking habit and those without. The number of nodules was separated into

two categorical data: single or not. The levels of tumor markers

(a-fetoprotein and PIVKA II) that were highly skewed were divided into two

categorical groups at 100 mg/l and 100 AU/l, respectively, which were

clinically relevant.

Other continuous variables were dichotomized into two groups at their

overall median. All factors found to be significantly associated

univariately with survival were included in the multivariate 's

analysis with a step-wise method. The assumption of the proportional

hazards was checked using the log-log plotting method and the parallel

lines between the two

groups were confirmed. A P-value of less than 0.05 was considered to be

statistically significant.

3. Results

The use of AHCC showed no side effects. Only three patients in the AHCC

group refused to continue the use of AHCC during the study due to slight

nausea. These three cases were censored at that time. Some cases had minor

complaints of difficulty in swallowing the AHCC due to the granular type

of its material. However, these patients did not stop the treatment. Four

patients in the control group began to take AHCC during the observation

period because they chose to take AHCC. These four cases were censored at

that time. Table 1 demonstrates the similar clinical backgrounds of the

patients between the two treatment groups. The albumin levels and the

platelet count were significantly different between the two groups

preoperatively. However, the differences were disadvantageous to the AHCC

group. Most patients were diagnosed with an underlying viral hepatitis or

cirrhosis, but they also had well-compensated liver function. No patients

had ascites preoperatively.

3.1. No recurrence rate and overall survival

By December 31, 2001, 39 (34.5%) patients had recurrences of HCC in the

AHCC group, while 72 (66.1%) had recurrences in the control group. The

results suggest that the use of AHCC had a significant effect (P<0:0335,

log-rank test) on the no recurrence rate (Fig. 1A). Only 23 (20.4%)

patients had died in the AHCCgroup by the end of the follow-up period,

whereas 51 (46.8%) had died in the control group at the end of the

follow-up period. The causes of death were 91.3% recurrence in the AHCC

group and 92.2% in the control group. Patient survival was significantly

higher (P<0:0032, log-rank test) in the AHCC group (Fig. 1B).

The follow-up period ranged from 2 to 108 months in the AHCC group, and

from 2 to 117 months in the control group. The median follow-up period was

28 months in the AHCC

group and 30 months in the control group. Time-fixed 's univariate

analysis was performed using all of the 38 variables mentioned above

(Table 1).

Of these 38 variables, the following 11 variables were significantly

related univariately to the no recurrence rate: AHCC intake, cirrhosis,

basal total bilirubin, basal cholines-terase

activity, basal antithrombin III activity, ICG R 15 min (%), blood

transfusion, number of nodules, Stage, basal a-fetoprotein levels, and

basal PIVKA II levels (Table 2).

These variables were included in the 's multivariate analysis. In the

last step, the following five variables entered the model and could not be

removed: AHCC intake, basal

total bilirubin, basal cholinesterase activity, number of nodules, and

basal a-fetoprotein levels (Table 4). Accordingly, these five variables

were significantly associated with the no recurrence rate, and were found

to be independent factors. In the multivariate analysis, the hazard ratio

of no recurrence in the AHCC group was reduced to 0.639 from 0.658 by the

univariate analysis (Table 4). (If one want to see the tables I can send

the whole report including tables digital to you)

Of the 38 variables, the following 13 were significantly related

univariately to the overall survival: AHCC intake, cirrhosis, Child

classification, basal albumin level, basal cholinesterase activity, ICG 15

min (%), ICG K value, operation length, number of nodules, blood

transfusion, Stage, basal a-fetoprotein levels, and basal PIVKA II levels

(Table 3). These 13 variables were included in the 's multivariate

analysis. In the last step, the following five variables entered the model

and could not be removed: AHCC intake, ICG 15 min (%), number of nodules,

Stage, and basal a-fetoprotein levels (Table 4). Accordingly, these five

variables were significantly associated with the overall survival, and

were found to be independent factors. In the multivariate analysis, the

hazard ratio of overall survival in the AHCC group was reduced to 0.421

from 0.485 by the univariate analysis (Table 4).

3.2. Biochemical parameters

Ten biochemical parameters were investigated for a period of 5 years after

surgery in the two groups. Of these ten parameters, three parameters,

including the serum levels of AST, GGT, and cholinesterase activity, were

significantly improved in the AHCC group than in the controls, as

demonstrated using a two-way analysis of variance (Fig. 2). No significant

differences were observed in the other seven parameters, which included

the serum levels of

alanine transaminase activity, alkaline phosphatase activity, total

bilirubin, albumin levels, platelet count, a-fetoprotein levels, and PIVKA

II levels (data not shown). To eliminate the potential for a tumor related

effect on these ten biochemical parameters, and to clarify whether the

AHCC improved liver function independently from the tumor, the parameters

were also investigated after excluding the data of the patients who had

recurrence. Consequently, of the ten parameters mentioned above, the same

three para-meters,

including the serum levels of AST, GGT, and choli-nesterase activity, were

significantly improved in the AHCC group than in the controls (Fig. 3),

whereas no significant differences were observed in the other seven

parameters.

4. Discussion

HCC is a major health concern worldwide, with an incidence of

approximately one million cases per year [28]. Recently, the early

detection of HCC has become possible because of progress in diagnostic

imaging, and the incidence of resection for HCC has increased greatly

during the last decade. As a result, the short-term outcome has improved

greatly, and no-mortality series on liver resection for HCC were reported

[29]. Furthermore, there have been

significant improvements in patients prognosis for those cases with HCC

who were treated recently with liver resection in comparison to those

treated with resection in the early 1990s [30]. However, the long-term

results are not yet satisfactory. Although hepatic resection is the most

effective form of treatment for patients with HCC, the incidence of

postoperative recurrence, which is the main cause of the poor long-term

results, remains extremely high [31]. Moreover, the cumulative

intrahepatic recurrence rate has been reported at 100% at 5 years after

the resection of a single HCC in cirrhotic patients with viral hepatitis

[32].

To prevent recurrence and/or to prolong survival, the most widely used

option is adjuvant chemotherapy through a catheter inserted into the

hepatic artery [4]. However, the efficacy of these agents is very poor,

the incidence of side effects is high, and there is no clear evidence

suggesting that their administration results in improved survival [28].

Furthermore, therapeutic doses of anti-cancer drugs have been reported to

reduce the host anti-tumor immune response, and the postoperative use of

immunosuppressants has been shown to accelerate the recurrence of

malignancy

[33]. Thus, the search for other potentially useful therapeutic approaches

is necessary. Recently, Takayama et al. reported some efficacy of adoptive

immunotherapy on

HCC recurrence on the basis of a randomized clinical trial [17]. The

remarkable results shown in this trial were very interesting and

encouraging, although the procedure is relatively complicated and

time-consuming, and requires hospitalization

to perform. Under these circumstances, other options such as immunotherapy

or radiation have little practical application in a daily clinical

setting, and have been used only within research trials [28]. The

disappointing state of medical treatment for HCC justifies the interest in

the administration of functional foods such as AHCC as aBRM, although its

anti-tumor effects remain uncertain in a clinical setting.

A major disadvantage in this study is that it is not randomized. A

randomized trial would be of higher value, since the type of treatment

allocation we have followed may prompt severe biases that are very

difficult to control. However, most of the functional foods including

AHCC, are on the market in Japan and are available easily without a

prescription because it is not a medicine that is required to be

prescribed by a physician. It is very difficult to strictly

control the patients addressed to each arm, because the patients who

prefer the functional food may obtain it out of the trial. Therefore, it

is difficult to complete a randomized trial in regard to the functional

foods. Allocation to each arm on the basis of the patient's own selection

rather than randomization may be better for the trial of functional foods.

In the case of the functional food, the patients enrolled may divide into

each arm more exactly in the trial according to the preferences of the

patients, compared to those in the randomized trial. Therefore,

randomization was not considered in this study, despite many issues for

severe biases in non-randomized trials. AHCC is an extract obtained from

several species of

mushrooms. AHCC contains various components, but the active component is

an oligosaccharide with an average molecular weight of approximately 5000

[21]. Interestingly,

in contrast to conventional active components such as the b-1,3- glucan

structural component found in PSK and lentinan, the glucose oligomer in

AHCC has an a-1,4-linkage structure

and some esterified hydroxy groups [21]. However, AHCC may function as a

BRM in the same manner as PSK and lentinan.

In vitro experiments [21] have shown that AHCC restores the NK cell

activity that was depressed by an anti-cancer drug, and stimulated

peritoneal macrophage cytotoxicity,

NO production, and cytokine production. The combination of the anti-cancer

drug and AHCC significantly improved the prognosis of mice after the

excision of their primary tumors. Both NK cells and macrophages have been

reported to be involved in the inhibition of tumor metastasis

follow-ingactivation by BRMs [21]. Therefore, this AHCC effect may be

mediated by the natural host immunity, which is restored or activated by

AHCC. These findings suggest

that AHCC may induce its therapeutic effects on the survival of HCC

patients as a result of NK cell and macrophage activation. Accordingly,

AHCC should be considered as a

potent BRM, and its anti-cancer activity may be mediated through host

immunomodulation.

Recently, AHCC was reported to protect the liver from CCl4 -induced liver

injury in an animal model [24]. The increased survival rate of the AHCC

group suggests that AHCC may have had beneficial effects on the clinical

course of patients with hepatitis or cirrhosis, in addition to its

anti-cancer effects. Indeed, AHCC intake seemed to improve the hepatitis

disease state, as suggested by improvements in the postoperative levels of

AST and GGT reported here. In addition, the observation that the

cholinesterase activity increased in the AHCC group suggests that AHCC

intake results in some nutritional improvements in these patients. The

analysis was also performed in patients who had no recurrence. This would

eliminate the potential for a tumor related effect. Conse-quently,

improvements of hepatitis and nutritional status in those who had no

recurrence were also shown. These results show that the AHCC may improve

liver function independent from the tumor. However, caution must be

observed in interpreting the evaluation of these results.

These biochemical parameters may improve because only those that survive

can be examined. This eliminates those patients with poorer baseline

profiles. In addition, if the control group has an undetected bias toward

a worse outcome, the difference might be artificial.

Our results suggest that the use of AHCC decreases both the probability of

recurrence and the hazard of death due to HCC and/or liver cirrhosis.

Furthermore, AHCC intake might also improve hepatitis or cirrhosis in the

patients who had no HCC. The improvements in liver function in the AHCC

group appear to reflect an improved prognosis, although a

randomized-controlled trial is needed to confirm this observation if

possible. The mechanisms responsible for the anti-cancer activity and/or

the hepatitis-attenuating effect of AHCC were not explored in this study.

At present, the effects of AHCC as the result of a single ingredient are

difficult to explain, and it is similarly difficult to reach any

conclusion regarding the complex effects of AHCC on patient survival. AHCC

intake resulted in improved liver function, the prevention of recurrence

of HCC after resection, and the prolonged survival of postoperative HCC

patients without any adverse effects. Therefore, AHCC treatment is a

valuable adjuvant therapy as a BRM in these patients. If possible, these

observations need to be confirmed in larger, randomized-controlled

double-blind trials. In addition, more detailed studies are required to

elucidate the mechanisms responsible for the effects of AHCC.

Acknowledgements

We thank Kohji Wakame and Kenichi Kosuna (Amino Up Chemical Co. Ltd) for

providing the AHCC free of cost.

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Anticancer Drugs 1998;9:343-350.

[22] Ghoneum M, Ninomiya Y, Torabi M, Gill G, Wojdani A. Active

hemicellulose compound (AHCC) enhance NK cell activity of aged

mice in vivo. FASEB J 1992;6:A1213 (Abstract).

[23] Imai K, Matsuyama S, Miyake S, Suga K, Nakachi K. Natural cyto-toxic

activity of peripheral-blood lymphocytes and cancer incidence:

an 11-year follow-up study of a general population. Lancet

2000;356:1795-1799.

[24] Sun B, Wakame K, Mukoda T, Toyoshima A, Kanazawa T, Kosuna K.

Protective effects of AHCC on carbon tetrachloride induced liver injury in

mice. Nat Med 1997;51:310-315.

[25] Wakame K. Protective effects of active hexose correlated compound

(AHCC) on the onset of diabetes induced by storeptozotocin in the rat.

Biomed Res 1999;20:145-152.

[26] Ichida F, Tsuji T, Omata M, Ichida T, Inoue K, Kamimura T, et al. New

Inuyama Classification: new criteria for histological assessment

of chronic hepatitis. Int Hepatol Commun 1996;6:112-119.

[27] The Liver Cancer Study Group of Japan. The General Rules for the

Clinical and Pathological Study of Primary Liver Cancer. 4th ed.

Tokyo: Kanehara, 2000.

[28] Simonetti RG, Liberati A, Angiolini C, Pagliaro L. Review. Treatment

of hepatocellular carcinoma: a systematic review of randomized

controlled trials. Ann Oncol 1997;8:117-136.

[29] Torzilli G, Makuuchi M, Inoue K, Takayama T, Sakamoto Y, Sugawara Y,

et al. No-mortality liver resection for hepatocellular carcinoma in

cirrhotic and noncirrhotic patients. Arch Surg 1999;134:984-992.

[30] Poon RT-P, Fan S-T, Lo C-M, Ng IO-L, Liu C-L, Lam C-M, et al.

Improving survival results after resection of hepatocellular carci-noma: a

prospective study of 377 patients over 10 years. Ann Surg 2001;234:63-70.

[31] Shirabe K, Kanematsu T, Matsumata T, Adachi E, Akazawa K, Sugi-machi

K. Factors linked to early recurrence of small hepatocellular

carcinoma after hepatectomy: univariate and multivariate analyses.

Hepatology 1991;14:802-805.

[32] Belghiti J, Panis Y, Farges O, Benhamou JP, Fekete F. Intrahepatic

recurrence after resection of hepatocellular carcinoma complicating

cirrhosis. Ann Surg 1991;214:114-117.

[33] Mihich E. Immnosuppression in cancer therapeutics. Transplant Proc

1975;7:275-278.

>

> I'm not sure what you mean by my " version " of what it is.

> What I know about it is that it is a mushroom-derived polysaccharide that

> has immune-boosting properties.

> When I get to a terminal from which I can access the pdf, I may have some

> more to share. In the meantime, anyone wishing to know more can certainly

> feel free to do so themselves, as well as look it up on wikipedia or at

> altmedicine.about.com or hsibaltimore.com.

>

> Love,

> B

>

>>

>> In a message dated 1/17/08 10:46:01 PM Eastern Standard Time,

>> robert-blau@... writes:

>>

>> > It's

>> > called activated hexose correlated compound (AHCC),

>>

>> Can you please give us your version of what this is?

>>

>> Thanks.

>>

>

January 19, 2008

Here's the entire pdf frm HSI on AHCC and a source for it:

Visit us online at www.HSIBaltimore.com

Triple Your Immune Power

If you're being treated for cancer, the most wonderful words you can hear are,

" You're in TOTAL remission. We can't find any cancer cells in your body. "

Back in 1995, more than half – 54 percent to be exact – of the cancer patients

involved in a particular study heard those joyful words: TOTAL REMISSION. You

haven't heard about this? I'm not surprised.

In this special report, you'll discover a safe, natural cancer remedy you'd

never hear about in

America if it weren't for Health Sciences Institute. That's because nothing

brings on the rage and contempt

of the medical industry like an alternative therapy aimed at cancer. They'll do

whatever it takes

to discredit alternative cancer treatments and get them banned. And that's why

we at the Health

Sciences Institute do whatever it takes to make sure that you do find out about

safe, natural treatments--the ones with proven track records, the ones that

really work.

A Booster Rocket For Your Immune System

The cancer therapy I'm talking about here is a mushroom extract pioneered in

Japan and used there for years. The Japanese have known about the healing

properties of mushrooms for centuries.

And Western medicine has finally caught on: Scientists have stepped in and

thoroughly proven the

medicinal powers of certain mushrooms.

But this new, revolutionary mushroom extract goes far beyond any previous

discovery. It's made

from a special hybrid of several kinds of mushrooms known to be powerful

disease-fighters. What's

more, Japanese scientists have identified an amazing biochemical so powerful

that dozens of studies prove it's one of the world's safest and most potent

immune-system stimulators.

This powerful compound is called AHCC (activated hexose correlate compound), and

it's so potent that dozens of rigorous scientific studies have now established

it to be one of the world's most

powerful—and safe—immune stimulators. In fact, studies confirm that AHCC

effectively works against liver cancer, prostate cancer, ovarian cancer,

multiple myeloma, breast cancer, and other lifethreatening conditions--with no

dangerous side effects. Plus, in smaller doses, AHCC can also boost the immune

function of healthy people, helping to prevent infections and promote

well-being.

Triple Your Immune System's Power

Here's how it works: AHCC increases a key measure of immune system activity by

as much as 300 percent! I'm talking about your own " natural killer cells. " As

their name suggests, these cells can

penetrate and kill cancer cells…but only if your immune system is healthy.

When your NK cells are healthy they can identify a cancer cell, latch on to its

outer membrane, and inject a biochemical " time bomb. " Within five minutes, this

natural defense explodes and destroys an enemy cell. Then the natural killer

cell can move on and kill another. A healthy natural killer cell can even kill

two cancer cells at a time. Here's the problem: Your natural killer cells lose

power with age and illness. Luckily, scientists have demonstrated that this

mushroom extract can triple

natural killer cell activity.

But AHCC goes way beyond that. It increases immune system function in a half

dozen different ways. For example, T-cell activity goes up as much as 200

percent and interferon levels (which keeps

viruses from multiplying) increase, too. AHCC feeds your immune cells exactly

what they need to heal

your body and keep you well.

A Treatment That's Totally Safe

Let's make one thing crystal clear: This is a totally harmless FOOD. There are

NO side effects and it can't hurt you. In fact, it can actually help you feel

better. Studies show that patients suffer less from

chemotherapy and radiation when they supplement with mushroom extract. Unlike

other cancer treatments,

this one makes you feel better, instead of sick and weak. What's more, a healthy

person can take the mushroom extract to prevent the spread of the disease—in

much smaller doses and at lower cost.

And what's the cost of this medical miracle? At the recommended dosage it'll

cost you less than $10 a day. Not as cheap as vitamin C, I'll admit, but it's

peanuts compared to the cost of medical treatments.

AHCC Finally Available In The United States

After years of successful use in Japan, AHCC is finally available in the United

States as the active

ingredient in a product called ImmPower. Distributed by American BioSciences,

ImmPower comes in gelatin capsules containing 500mg of AHCC (proprietary blend).

ImmPower can be taken in preventive or therapeutic doses and should be discussed

with your personal physician. For prevention and a general well-being boost, the

recommended dose is 1 gram per day taken as one 500mg capsule in the morning and

one at night. For those with cancer or other lifethreatening conditions, the

research indicates a therapeutic dose of two capsules in the morning, two at

mid-day and two at night for a total of 3 grams per day to jump start NK cell

activity. After three weeks, the dose can be reduced to 1 gram per day (one

capsule in the morning and one at night), to

maintain the increased NK cell activity level.

You can purchase ImmPower (which contains the powerful AHCC extract) from

Harmony Co.

Visit their website at www.theharmonyco.com. Or contact them at:

P.O. Box 93

North Vale, NJ 07447

Tel: (800)422-5518

Important: The Health Sciences Institute (HSI) is an independent membership

organization dedicated

to finding and promoting natural health breakthroughs. HSI is not affiliated

with American BioSciences and received no payment for providing this coverage or

from any resultant product sales.

Visit us online at www.HSIBaltimore.com

reproduced by any means or for any reason without the consent of the publisher.

This information is provided as information only and may not be construed as

medical advice or instruction. No action should be taken based solely on the

contents of this publication. Readers should consult appropriate health

professionals on any matter relating to their health and well-being. The

information

and opinions provided in this publication are believed to be accurate and sound,

based on the best judgment available to the authors, but

readers who fail to consult appropriate health authorities assume the risk of

any injuries. The publisher is not responsible for errors or omissions.

[hsibaltimore.com]

....and another thing

Would you like to empower your body with a " booster rocket for your immune

system " this winter?

HSI researcher, Michele Cagan, has compiled a special report about an immune

system stimulator I've mentioned many times in the e-Alert. It's called

activated hexose correlated compound (AHCC), and its been shown to dramatically

increase the natural killer cell activity that helps eliminate cells infected

with viruses and even cancer cells.

But this is just one of the ways that AHCC enhances your immune system.

You can find out more by accessing your free copy of " Triple Your Immune

Power " at this link:

http://www.hsibaltimore.com/reports/mushroom_immune.pdf

To Your Good Health,

June 9, 2008

Hi, Has anyone tried AHCC -- it's a mushroom extract supplement from

Japan that's supposed to have immune boosting properties and help shift

from TH2 to TH1 immune functioning.

Thanks, michael

April 13, 2009

AHCC

....this mushroom compound looks impressive for hep-C. should work well

along with LDN, ALA etc.

http://www.ahccpubl ishedresearch. com/wwwroot- ahcc/studies/ AHCC_06_1002. html

Reversing Immunosenescence: The Key To Anti-Aging?

Fred Pescatore, MD, MPH

Looks like the guy who wrote this piece Dr Fred Pescatore is a paid spokesman

for some supplement companies. Go figure. Seems like they kicked him out of

California so he started a practice here in New York this year. Please people

don't buy this crap. Your throwing your money away.

April 13, 2009

AHCC

....this mushroom compound looks impressive for hep-C. should work well

along with LDN, ALA etc.

http://www.ahccpubl ishedresearch. com/wwwroot- ahcc/studies/ AHCC_06_1002. html

Reversing Immunosenescence: The Key To Anti-Aging?

Fred Pescatore, MD, MPH

Looks like the guy who wrote this piece Dr Fred Pescatore is a paid spokesman

for some supplement companies. Go figure. Seems like they kicked him out of

California so he started a practice here in New York this year. Please people

don't buy this crap. Your throwing your money away.

April 14, 2009

...interesting... have any links handy re what you say?

according to what i've read so far AHCC has been in wide use by doctors and

hospital staffs internationally for a over a decade with good useful

results.

do you have some meaningful basis for calling AHCC crap and a waste of money

that you'd care to share?

or is this based upon a general opinion that alternative modalities based

upon things the drug co.'s don't own and profit from are worthless?

i googled his name, found one site that gives backround/public action info

that has none against him.

on google hit list page 5 i found where some court case where he was a

defendant was allowed to go forward (in NY)... looking at the case, my guess

is it's junk. i just found on " casewatch " , a site no doubt related to the

infamous " quackwatch " , by dr. stephen barrett, MD (who has been discredited

as an expert witness in enough cases around the country enough that in the

alt health community he's a laughing stock) the results of that case...

pescatore won, charges dropped.

he's a GP, internal med, family practice doc working out of a likely

expensive madison ave. office. he's classicly trained and now into

integrative medicine incl nutrition. he's published a number of books i've

never seen. i don't really care if he gets paid to endorse some brand of a

proven good formula if indeed that's the case at all... i don't find that

nearly as offensive as drug co.'s marketing direct to consumers via TV and

magazine ads... and hiring trolls to sneak around lists like this to try to

serve their interests, which i believe they have done and probably still do.

it appears he's still licensed in californication until oct 2009, but moved

to NYC at some point... i don't find a date... don't care.

> -----Original Message-----

>

> Fred Pescatore, MD, MPH

>

> Looks like the guy who wrote this piece Dr Fred Pescatore is

> a paid spokesman for some supplement companies. Go figure.

> Seems like they kicked him out of California so he started a

> practice here in New York this year. Please people don't buy

> this crap. Your throwing your money away.

>

April 14, 2009