Clinical Trial of Trametes Versicolor in Women With Breast Cancer

OBJECTIVES: Primary * To determine the maximum tolerated dose of oral coriolus versicolor extract in women with stage I-III, estrogen receptor- and/or progesterone receptor-negative or positive (as of 1/26/2009), infiltrating ductal adenocarcinoma of the breast who have recently completed standard post-surgery radiotherapy. Secondary * To determine the feasibility of measuring changes in fatigue and quality of life of patients treated with this drug. * To characterize the toxicity of this drug in these patients. * To gather preliminary data that compare baseline and post-treatment immunologic measures, including differential blood counts (i.e., WBC), natural killer cell activity, phagocytic index, regulatory cell assay, T/B/NK cell population subset assays, peripheral blood mononuclear cell production of levels of interferon gamma, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in these patients. OUTLINE: Patients receive oral coriolus versicolor extract twice daily for 6 weeks. Patients undergo quality of life and fatigue assessment at baseline, weekly during study, and at the 3-week follow-up visit. Blood samples are collected periodically for immunological marker studies. Samples are analyzed for T-regulatory cell, T-and B-lymphocyte, and NK cell activity in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), phagocytic index in monocytes and granulocytes, and cytokine secretion and upregulation by flow cytometry, cytotoxicity assays, cytolysis assays, T-regulatory cell assay, or T/B/NK cell population subset assays. Changes in the production of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interferon-gamma in serum and in supernatants of PBMCs are analyzed via standard enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. After completion of study treatment, patients are followed at 3 weeks.