Mistletoe in the treatment of cancer
Kvinnsland, S.; Kåresen, R.; Lønning, P.E.; Søreide, J.A.
Tidsskrift for den Norske Laegeforening Tidsskrift for Praktisk Medicin Ny Raekke 113(18): 2284-2285
1993
ISSN/ISBN: 0029-2001 PMID: 7741807 Document Number: 409141
Misteltoe (Viscum album) was introduced in the treatment of cancer in 1917. Today, extracts from the plant are used in adjuvant cancer therapy mainly as injections. The most important active agents are lectins, which have cytotoxic and immunstimulating effects. Misteltoe extracts have low toxicity. No fatal side effects have been reported. More than 40 clinical studies have been carried out, mainly at the Lukas Klinik in Switzerland and the Ludvig Boltzmann-Institute in Austria. Most of these studies claim that misteltoe has a positive effect, but were of poor methodological design. Therefore, in the light of our own positive multicentre study to evaluate the effect of misteltoe in cancer treatment.