Mistletoe therapy is one of the original immune system treatments that assists the body help fight disease and cancer.
Mistletoe Therapy (also known as Viscum album) is a widely used treatment in Europe and has been used as early as the 1920’s (i.e. over 100 years). Results of a national survey conducted in Germany in l995 by the Society for Biologic Cancer Defense found that mistletoe preparations were the most frequently prescribed biologic drug (80%) followed by trace elements, vitamins, enzymes, and xenogenic (tissues from other species) peptides like thymus preparations.
Another survey of 125 hospitalized patients in two clinics found that 90 (72%) had used unconventional methods and that the most frequently used unconventional therapy was mistletoe (43.2%) followed by immune stimulants, vitamins, and trace elements. The German Cancer Information service in Heidelberg reports that about 20% of their estimated 60,000 calls over the past 6 years are about unconventional therapies, and that 23.9% of the queries in one series of documented calls were about mistletoe.
The research on the use of mistletoe therapy continues to expand and grow. It may help improve quality of life and the immune system which is why there is a growing amount of research using it alongside cancer treatment.
As a result, mistletoe therapy is covered by insurance companies in various countries around the world for advanced cancers.
Mistletoe is a parasitic plant grown on different tree’s which in turn produce unique qualities that target the immune system and lead to its supportive effects on the body. For example, Mistletoe P implies that it has been grown on a Pine tree and Mistletoe M stands for “mele” which is the Apple tree.
Several brands of Mistletoe (i.e. Iscador, Helixor, Abnoba) have research in this area.
Further information from the National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Studies & further reading
Selected publications for patients who want to explore the research. Each finding applies to the study’s own population, protocol and stage of evidence; your care team can help you understand what may be relevant to you.
This detailed case report describes prolonged survival during an individualized programme that included high-dose vitamin C and Viscum album alongside oncology care. A case report can highlight a promising experience and generate questions for future research.
This publication describes an active phase II study of subcutaneous Viscum album after complete resection of relapsed pulmonary osteosarcoma in children and young adults. The study is designed to assess event-free survival, quality of life and immune measures.
This retrospective study compared outcomes among patients receiving standard care after pancreatic cancer surgery, with or without postoperative AbnobaVISCUM F. The survival findings support prospective randomized research, while the observational design limits causal conclusions.