Medicinal Mushrooms
I learned from my naturopathic oncologist that tinctures are stronger than the capsules with powdered product. I was taking Turkey Tail mushrooms which is supposed to be good for the immune system, it even says so in my mushroom book.
The current study group at UW Tumor Vaccine Group involves looking at the anti-HER2 peptide given in tandem with PSK (krestin), isolated from turkey tail mushrooms. Studies at Bastyr University (also in the Seattle area) have shown that PSK given with Herceptin has greater anti-HER2 efficacy.
TLR2 agonist PSK activates human NK cells and enhances the anti-tumor effect of HER2-targeted monoclonal antibody therapy
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3206987/
I saw a medical intuitive last week, she didn't know about these things, nor that they are studying them with HER2, she also doesn't sell supplements -- in fact I was just there because she is skilled in lymphatic massage and my left inner forearm is congested and she was also giving me a craniosacral massage to deal with fall out from my craniotomy and SRS. She decided to go "there" with me and she said that my body was looking for mushrooms. She had a bottle of Stamets Immune Support and went down the list and let my body tell her what it wanted.
Chaga - can find as tea
Birch Polypore - especially++
Oregon Reishi
Zhu Lin. - to a lesser degree
Cordyceps - to a lesser degree
Turkey tail
She said my body was using the mushrooms to light up the cancer cells so it could see them, that it couldn't see the cancer otherwise. She said turkey tail might be 20% effective but it is additive with other mushrooms so it doesn't negate a different mushroom being 15% or 5% or whatnot -- it all helps. This makes sense to me but I have a high tolerance for what is considered "woo woo" by some.
I have looked through shops and what I have learned:
Turkey tail only fruits in the fall, has a white underneath and grows on wood. You can find instructions for steeping your own tea, which patients in a different forum were discussing.
Chagga and polypore both grow on decaying birch trees and you need it from birch specifically.
Chaga is available in natural shops as a tea, or it is probably readily available online
Other mushrooms can be found dried in Asian groceries, also fresh versions, but you may or may not find these medicinal mushrooms.
The Stamets Comprehensive Immune Support formula contains all the above and others. You take a dropperful twice daily which is the easiest to add to your regime.
http://www.hostdefense.com/mycommunity-extract