Mistletoe Therapy
Can Mistletoe Help Treat Cancer?
Mistletoe is one of the most widely studied complementary and alternative medicines for cancer. In Europe, it has been used to treat cancer for close to a century and is among the most prescribed therapies for treating cancer, particularly in German-speaking countries. .
What is Mistletoe?
Mistletoe is a plant that grows on different types of trees. For example, mistletoe can grow on apple, oak, or pine trees. The leaves, berries, and stems of the mistletoe plant are used in traditional medicine for a variety of issues.
How Does Mistletoe Work?
The herbal extract made from mistletoe is an herbal extract that is injected subcutaneously or administered via IV at a frequency determined by your healthcare provider. Only the European species of the mistletoe plant are used for cancer treatment.
Injections are the more widely used method as they utilize lower doses and function similarly to a vaccine. IV delivery (often through a port) involves higher doses and typically has more significant results regarding tumor shrinkage and inducing cell death in cancer cells.
Mistletoe contains two essential proteins: viscotoxins, which boost the immune system and kill cells, and lectins, which can bind to cancer cells, causing biochemical changes.
Although Mistletoe is poisonous when ingested, doctors discovered increasingly positive results after processing it into an injectable extract to treat patients with cancer. Some of these treatments led to complete regressions.
Mistletoe Therapy: Clinical Results
The most common commercial preparations for Mistletoe are sold under the trade names Iscar (Iscador) and Helixor.
Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center conducted the first-ever U.S. phase I study of IV Helixor M. The trial’s purpose was to evaluate the drug’s safety, but the researchers also documented improved quality of life and some disease control. Out of the patients in the study, 5 had stable disease, and 3 even saw their tumors get smaller.
Another study, published in Cancer Research Communications, also tested Helixor M on patients whose cancers had worsened even after chemotherapy. The results were similar: most side effects were mild, and 5 patients had stable disease while 3 saw their tumors shrink. Again, the patients noted feeling better overall.
These studies are still in early stages, but they show promise for using mistletoe in cancer care
Numerous European studies have shown benefits for patients with cancer of the colon, breast, pancreas, and melanoma.
Mistletoe has also been used for cancer prevention in high-risk patients, such as those with ulcerative colitis, cervical dysplasia, papillomatosis of the bladder, and intestinal polyposis.
Despite its worldwide application and success in treating cancer, the FDA has not yet approved this treatment, and therefore, its availability is limited in the United States.
Mistletoe Therapy
Mistletoe Therapy Alongside Conventional Treatments
Mistletoe can be used to stimulate bone marrow activity alongside conventional treatments for malignant and non-malignant tumors to offset the side effects of chemotherapy/radiation. Chemotherapy patients who take Mistletoe to combat side effects report that they have more energy and experience significantly less nausea and discomfort.
A 2020 review of 26 studies found that quality of life, including pain and nausea, significantly improved in people with cancer who were prescribed mistletoe extract compared with people who received placebo treatments.
Mistletoe can be prescribed by MD’s, DO’s and ND’s trained in complementing conventional treatment.
Origins of Mistletoe Therapy for Cancer
The usage of medical application of mistletoe dates back to the Celtic druids. However, it was not until the 1920s that Austrian philosopher-scientist Rudolf Steiner, PhD applied the usage of mistletoe as a cancer therapy after noticing a parallel between the parasitic nature of the plant and the parasitic invasion of the body by cancer.
Steiner believed that mistletoe could stimulate the body’s healing process to battle cancer.
Did You Know?
- Mistletoe is Germany's most commonly prescribed cancer therapy, with associated costs topping $30 million per year.
- According to a recent Swiss survey, 74% of cancer patients in Switzerland use mistletoe therapies.
- In some European countries, mistletoe extract is covered by insurance when prescribed as part of cancer therapy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Mistletoe therapy has been used for a variety of cancers, including breast cancer, lung cancer, colon cancer, and pancreatic cancer, often as a complementary treatment.
Side effects can include redness or swelling at the injection site, fever, chills, fatigue, and in rare cases, allergic reactions. Generally, it is considered safe with few severe side effects.
Mistletoe therapy is generally considered safe when administered by trained professionals, but it should be used with caution, particularly in patients with allergies or autoimmune diseases.
In some countries, mistletoe therapy is covered by health insurance, particularly in parts of Europe. However, it may not be covered in places where it is not recognized as a standard treatment.
Mistletoe therapy is not approved by the FDA for cancer treatment in the United States, though it is available in clinical trials or through integrative medicine practices.
