Turkey Tail

Trametes versicolor · Coriolus versicolor · Polysaccharide-K · PSK · Yun Zhi

Snapshot

Indications	Contraindications
Adjuvant gastric cancer care^1–3 Adjuvant colorectal cancer care^{4, 5} Immune function⁶ Human papillomavirus cervical lesions⁷ Quality of life in cancer⁸	Pregnancy⁶ Breastfeeding⁶

Turkey tail (Trametes versicolor, also Coriolus versicolor) is a medicinal mushroom used as a tonic in traditional Chinese medicine; its polysaccharide-K (PSK) and polysaccharide-peptide (PSP) extracts act as immune-modulating biological response modifiers⁶. People take it to support immune function and as an adjunct to chemotherapy after curative resection of gastric cancer¹. A topical vaginal gel is also used for human papillomavirus (HPV)-related low-grade cervical lesions.

A Cochrane review in colorectal cancer found low-certainty evidence of a small survival benefit and uncertain effects on chemotherapy adverse events. For the gel, a randomized open-label trial reported higher HPV clearance, while a narrative review found the evidence insufficient for routine use. In 2024, an in vitro study of triple-negative breast cancer cells found extract-treated cells shifted macrophage properties toward an anti-tumour profile; no human trial has tested this. Products are mainly capsules and powders; see Form comparison.

Health Canada labels ask for a practitioner's advice before use⁹.

Last updated October 16, 2026. Read how we make monographs.

In the full monograph

50 sources, 39 studies

When to useThe situations practitioners use it for, each with the reason and the study behind it.
SafetyWho should avoid it, who needs extra care, and the side effects reported in studies.
InteractionsThe medicines and supplements it interacts with, the effect of each, and what labeling says to watch.
Protocol notesThe doses used in studies, how and when they were taken, and how the forms on the market compare.
How it worksWhat it is and how it works in the body, in plain terms.
Published studiesThe studies behind each use, popular claims checked against them, and trials still under way.
Word of mouthWhat patients and practitioners report online, kept separate from the clinical evidence.
Clinical perspectiveA closing read of where the evidence is solid, where it is thin, and what has not been studied.

Snapshot

In the full monograph

Sources