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Other common
name(s): all heal, bird lime, devil's fuge, golden bough,
Iscador, Eurixor, Helixor, Isorel, Iscucin, Plenosol, and ABNOBAviscum
Scientific/medical
name(s): Viscum
album, Viscum coloratum
Description
Mistletoe is a semiparasitic plant that grows on several
species of trees native to Great Britain, Europe, and western Asia. It
differs from the mistletoe found in the United States. The
plant’s leaves and twigs are used in herbal remedies; the
berries are not used.
Overview
A number of laboratory experiments suggest mistletoe may have
the potential to treat cancer, but these results have not yet been
reflected in clinical trials. Available evidence from well-designed
clinical trials does not support claims that mistletoe can improve
length or quality of life.
How is it promoted for use?
Proponents claim that mistletoe stimulates the immune system,
helping the body fight more efficiently against cancer and other
diseases. Mistletoe extracts are promoted as a remedy for many types of
cancer, including cancer of the cervix, ovaries, breast, stomach,
colon, lung, and as a treatment for leukemia, sarcoma, and lymphoma.
Supporters claim mistletoe extract injected directly into or near a
tumor can slow and possibly reverse the growth of cancer cells, even in
advanced cases of cancer.
Promoters also claim mistletoe can lower blood pressure,
decrease heart rate, relax spasms, and relieve symptoms of arthritis
and rheumatism. It is further claimed to have sedative effects and is
promoted to relieve the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation
therapy.
What does it involve?
Commission E (Germany's regulatory agency for herbs) has
approved mistletoe as palliative therapy—therapy intended to
treat symptoms, not cure disease—for malignant tumors. The
herb is prepared as a whole plant extract to be injected and is not
used orally. The plant itself is poisonous and is not safe to eat.
Mistletoe extracts are injected under the skin near the tumor. Daily
injections are often given before and after surgery, chemotherapy, or
radiation therapy and may continue for 10 to 14 days. Mistletoe
injections promoted to prevent cancer may involve 3 to 7 injections a
week over several months to several years.
What is the history behind it?
Mistletoe is surrounded by fascinating myths and legends
dating back many centuries. More than 2,000 years ago, the Druids
(members of the educated class among the ancient Celts in Europe) used
mistletoe in many religious rituals. Their name for mistletoe meant
"all healer," because they believed it had magical powers. Today, its
name in Brittany, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland (an t’uil)
still translates the same. The tradition of kissing under mistletoe
dates back to a Scandinavian myth in which the plant becomes a symbol
of love.
The liquid extract of the mistletoe plant has been used as an
alternative method to treat cancer for more than 75 years. Modern
research on mistletoe began in 1916 with Rudolph Steiner, PhD. Steiner
combined spiritual and scientific approaches to medicine and to the
treatment of cancer in particular. He believed that cancer formed when
regulation of the body's physical or spiritual defenses faltered, and
that mistletoe could re-establish that regulatory balance and fight
back the tumor. Later researchers carried Steiner’s beliefs
further, contending that some of the chemicals in mistletoe could stop
cancer growth and even kill cancer cells directly while enhancing the
body's immune system.
Mistletoe injections are currently among the most widely used
unconventional cancer treatments in Europe. Physicians in Switzerland,
the Netherlands, and Great Britain commonly prescribe the treatment. In
Europe, the most common commercial preparations are sold under the
trade names Iscador and Helixor. Only the European species of the
mistletoe plant is used for cancer treatment. Mistletoe injections are
not available in the United States, except in clinical trials, because
the drug is not approved for sale by the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA).
What is the evidence?
Researchers have completed numerous studies of mistletoe and
its effects on cancer. Carefully controlled human clinical studies have
indicated that mistletoe does not have any significant effect on
survival of people with cancer. A 2008 review of available clinical
evidence concluded that the studies that reported improved survival had
flaws in their design and could not be considered scientifically
dependable. Two scientifically sound clinical trials of mistletoe
suggested that mistletoe may improve quality of life among people with
cancer, although positive conclusions were reported from many other
studies felt to be flawed.
Mistletoe preparations vary widely depending on how they are
made (for instance, whether they are extracted with water or alcohol
solutions or fermented or nonfermented), the particular species from
which they are obtained, and the season in which the plant was
harvested. Researchers are working to identify the most important
components in mistletoe, though they are thought currently to be the
lectins, or proteins. A number of laboratory experiments suggest that
mistletoe extracts may have some potential to combat and kill cancer
cells, but these results have yet to be reflected in human trials.
Laboratory experiments also hint that mistletoe increases the activity
of lymphocytes, which are cells that attack invading organisms.
Are there any possible problems or
complications?
This substance
may not have been thoroughly tested to find out how it interacts with
medicines, foods, herbs, or supplements. Even though some reports of
interactions and harmful effects may be published, full studies of
interactions and effects are not often available. Because of these
limitations, any information on ill effects and interactions below
should be considered incomplete.
In recommended doses, purified mistletoe extract is generally
considered safe. Possible side effects include temporary redness at the
injection site, headaches, fever, and chills. Rarely, in people
allergic to mistletoe, a severe and potentially life-threatening
condition called anaphylactic shock can develop.
Potentially dangerous interactions with conventional medicines
are possible, particularly with some medications that are used for high
blood pressure, irregular heart rhythm, and heart failure. Always tell
your doctor and pharmacist about any herbs you are taking.
The mistletoe plant should not be eaten because all parts of
it are poisonous. Consuming mistletoe has been known to cause seizures,
coma, and death. Other symptoms of mistletoe toxicity include blurred
vision, nausea and vomiting, stomach pain, diarrhea, slow or irregular
heartbeat, low blood pressure, confusion, and drowsiness.
Women who are pregnant or breast-feeding should not use this
herb. Relying on this type of treatment alone and avoiding or delaying
conventional medical care for cancer may have serious health
consequences.
Additional Resources
More information from your American Cancer
Society
The following information on complementary and alternative
therapies may also be helpful to you. These materials may be found on
our Web site (www.cancer.org)
or ordered from our toll-free number (1-800-ACS-2345).
References
Blumenthal M, ed. The
Complete German Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal
Medicines. Austin, TX: American Botanical Council; 1998.
Dold U, Edler L, Mäurer HCh, et al., eds. Adjuvant Cancer Therapy in
Advanced Non-Small Cell Bronchial Cancer: Multicentric Controlled
Studies To Test the Efficacy of Iscador and Polyerga [in
German]. Stuttgart, Germany: Georg Thieme Verlag; 1991.
Ernst E. Mistletoe as a treatment for cancer. BMJ.
2006;333:1282-1283.
Ernst E, Schmidt K, Steuer-Vogt MK. Mistletoe for cancer? a
systematic review of randomised clinical trials. Int J Cancer.
2003;107:262-267.
Horneber MA, Bueschel G, Huber R, Linde K, Rostock M.
Mistletoe therapy in oncology. Cochrane Database Syst Rev.
2008;(2):CD003297.
Kleeberg UR, Suciu S, Bröcker EB, Ruiter DJ, Chartier
C, Liénard D, Marsden J, Schadendorf D, Eggermont AM, EORTC
Melanoma Group in cooperation with the German Cancer Society (DKG).
Final results of the EORTC 18871/DKG 80-1 randomised phase III trial.
rIFN-alpha2b versus rIFN-gamma versus ISCADOR M versus observation
after surgery in melanoma patients with either high-risk primary
(thickness >3 mm) or regional lymph node metastasis. Eur J Cancer.
2004;40:390-402.
Mistletoe (European). Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Web site. http://www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/69305.cfm. Updated December
11, 2007. Accessed June 6, 2008.
Mistletoe extracts (PDQ®). National Cancer Institute
Web site.
http://www.nci.nih.gov/cancertopics/pdq/cam/mistletoe/HealthProfessional.
Updated April 28, 2008. Accessed June 6, 2008.
Steuer-Vogt MK, Bonkowsky V, Ambrosch P, Scholz M, Neiss A,
Strutz J, Hennig M, Lenarz T, Arnold W. The effect of an adjuvant
mistletoe treatment programme in resected head and neck cancer
patients: a randomized controlled clinical trial. Eur J Cancer.
2001;37:23-31.
Note: This information may not cover
all possible claims, uses, actions, precautions, side effects or
interactions. It is not intended as medical advice, and should not be
relied upon as a substitute for consultation with your doctor, who is
familiar with your medical situation.
Last Medical Review: 11/01/2008
Last Revised: 11/01/2008
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