Exploring the Potential of Ganoderma Lucidum in Cancer Treatment: Benefits and Limitation of its Biological Actions

Ganoderma lucidum, a traditional Asian medicine with a long history, has been found to be a potential candidate in complementary cancer therapy.This review thoroughly discusses the anticancer potential of G. lucidum based on its bioactive compounds, mainly polysaccharides and triterpenoids, and their mechanistic functions.The mushroom has multifunctional activities, such as immune system modulation, apoptosis induction, cancer cell proliferation inhibition, metastasis and angiogenesis suppression, and oxidative stress regulation.Polysaccharides activate immune cells and cytokine production, which increases the host's antitumor activity.Triterpenoids, especially ganoderic acids, have direct cytotoxicity and modulate pathways like PI3K/Akt and MAPK.G. lucidum exerts synergistic action with chemotherapy and radiotherapy, enhancing the efficacy of treatments and minimizing side effects such as nausea and fatigue.In spite of its therapeutic potential, limitations including low bioavailability, unstandardized extract, and insufficient high-quality clinical trials limit its clinical use in the mainstream.Future studies must be directed towards nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems and standardized formulations to enhance efficacy and predictability.This review underscores the great potential of G. lucidum as both a treatment and prophylactic agent in oncology, which deserves further investigation and clinical testing.