A recent research by the scientists of the Department of Urology at the New York Medical College has revealed that a mushroom, which is commonly used in Chinese and Japanese cooking, can help fight bladder and prostate cancer to improve the quality of life of sufferers of these cancer forms,

Led by Dr Sensuke Konno, head of urology at the NYMC, the study has discovered that the maitake mushroom, a huge edible mushroom, can shrink cancerous tumors by as much as 75%, a finding which can lead to discovery of a new way of treatment.

"It is very significant because the synergy not only enhances the efficacy of the treatment but also improves the quality of life of the patients by reducing the dose of conventional therapies significantly", shared Dr. Konno.

While sharing that most of the chemotherapy drugs commonly used in treatment of many cancer forms have been derived from natural substances found in various plants, Dr Alison Ross, Cancer Research UK’s Senior Science Information Officer, has said that "it is not too far-fetched to think that mushrooms could be a valuable source of potential new cancer drugs".

The study, which could be a breakthrough in the cancer treatment world, has been published in the British Journal of Urology.