fluorouracil + polysaccharide K

Fluorouracil + polysaccharide K is a combination therapy used primarily in the adjuvant treatment of gastrointestinal cancers, especially gastric and colon cancer. Fluorouracil is a pyrimidine analog antimetabolite that inhibits DNA synthesis by blocking thymidylate synthase, leading to impaired DNA replication and cell death. Polysaccharide K, also known as PSK or krestin, is an immunomodulatory protein-bound polysaccharide derived from the mushroom Coriolus versicolor. PSK acts as a biological response modifier that enhances immune function and may augment the anticancer effects of chemotherapy by stimulating host immune responses against tumor cells. Clinical studies have shown that adding PSK to standard chemotherapy regimens with fluorouracil can improve overall survival in patients with advanced gastric or colon cancer[1][3][6][8]. The combination leverages both direct cytotoxicity from 5-FU and immunostimulatory effects from PSK.

Other names

protein-bound polysaccharide Kkrestin