A review on the role of oral ginseng on erection dysfunction and fatigue in prostate cancer patients

Background: Current pharmacological and non-pharmacological   treatment strategies   for   prostate cancer may control disease progression and increase the survival rates of patients but decreased quality of life is the most important concern of existing medical interventions. Erection dysfunction and fatigue are the most prevalent adverse effects of therapeutic procedures which impair the quality of life of patients from psychological and physiological viewpoints. We aimed in the first part of this review to explain and compare the adverse health effects of different therapeutic interventions and the level of their health impartments  At the second part of this review we showed clinical evidence for  risks and benefits of oral Ginseng supplement regimens in different stages of prostate cancer. Materials and methods: To achieve these goals, human evidence and published clinical trials without time limit from databases until the end of 2019 were collected and qualitatively analyzed. Results: The results showed that oral consumption of ginseng can improve erectile dysfunction, reduce fatigue and ultimately improve the quality of life of patients, but the duration of treatment, interactions and possible side effects of this supplement should also be considered. Conclusion: Because of the relative effectiveness of this compound in continuous and long-term use, the role of ginseng in improving other aspects of quality of life in patients with prostate cancer, increasing life expectancy and drug resistance are other unknown aspects of this issue which needs further investigation.