Reishi is frequently prescribed in Traditional Chinese Medicine as a panacea. It is widely used by both laymen and professionals in the Orient as a treatment for things as innocuous as stress or weight loss to more serious conditions such as arthritis and even cancer.
Working with cancer research at the Linus Pauling Institute of Science & Medicine is Dr. Fukumi Morishige, a strong proponent for the use of reishi in cancer treatment.
The following case reports were given by Dr. Morishige in a speech re-printed in the periodical, Chinese Traditional Medicine Part III.
Born in Japan, Dr. Morishige was unavoidably familiar with reishi long before hearing of its use in cancer treatment. Naturally, he believed the same as any other medically trained professional, that perhaps reishi might yield some marginal results on benign conditions but he felt certain any further claims were surely exaggerated. Not until two of his own cancer patients exhibited signs of remission, which they attributed to their use of reishi, did his curiosity peak.
First was a 39-year-old woman with lung carcinoma. The hospitals she had visited all told her she was too far gone and there was nothing they could do to help her. As a serious secondary complication, she also exhibited chest cavity edema. None-the-less, by the time she had her first appointment with Dr. Morishige, the symptoms of her illness had disappeared. The woman credited her recovery to the use of reishi, which her husband had administered to her at 4 grams per day.
The second case was a young boy suffering from congenital liver cancer. At the age of 5, his attending physician determined that the condition was terminal and discontinued any further treatment. At 9 years of age, the boy’s parents brought him to see Dr. Morishige who could then find no remaining traces of the cancer. The parents explained to Dr. Morishige that they had been feeding their son reishi via a naso-gastric tube. It was at this point Dr. Morishige determined that reishi’s effect on cancer deserved further study.
Below are five cases using reishi in combination with Vitamin C (to prevent side effects):
Case 1: A patient with a 5 cm (2 in.) brain tumor who had lost consciousness was placed on 6 gm of reishi per day in June of ‘86. By September, this 70-year-old-male patient had emerged from his comatose state. The reishi was decreased to 3 gm per day. Another three months later, December of 1986, scans showed diminishing size of the tumor. After it shrunk to 1 cm (0.4 in.), the hospital released the man to return home and live with his family.
Case 2: A 50-year-old woman who had lung cancer and was coughing up blood was put on 6 grams of reishi per day. After six months, the tumor had disappeared. At the onset of treatment, she was unable to climb stairs. At the end, she was able to climb stairs with little effort.
Case 3: Patient with breast cancer metastasized to bones was in excruciating pain and unable to move below the head. She was put initially on 9 gm of reishi per day, which was later increased to 20 gm/day. After two months she reported as pain free and was released from hospital after demonstrating progress in her ability to walk.
Case 4: A male patient with rectal cancer and liver metastasis began using 6 gm of reishi per day. After six months, CT scans showed diminished tumor size and patient demonstrated improved general health.
Case 5: A male patient aged 60 was diagnosed as having terminal pancreatic cancer and short life expectancy. Dr. Morishige placed him on 9 gm/day of reishi plus 30 gm/day of Vitamin C. A year later, the man was free of any symptoms and back working. After leaving the hospital, he continued taking 5 gm of reishi per day.
End Note: This article is for informational purposes only. This product has not been tested by the FDA and it is highly advised not to use it for self-treatment of cancer. Always consult a licensed medical practitioner before using any herb for medicinal purposes.
Reference: Morishige, Fukumi, 1987. Chinese Traditional Medicine Part III, Page 12 – 23, ISBN4-88580-053-6 C-0077
About the author: Markho Rafael has worked in the natural health field for over 15 years, specializing in medicinal mushrooms such as reishi and cordyceps. Click Reishi Extract / Cordyceps for additional free articles about reishi and how it works individually or synergistically such as in MycoSoft Gold. You may also request free unique articles for your web-site or magazine / ezine.