Table 1. Use of Iscador in Cancer Treatment: Clinical Reports Describing Therapeutic Endpointsa
| Reference Citation(s) | Type of Study | Type(s) of Cancer | No. of Patients: Enrolled; Treated; Controlb | Strongest Benefit Reportedc | Concurrent Therapyd | Level of Evidence Scoree |
| [24] | Randomized trial | Lung, non-small cell, inoperable | 408; 105; 107f | Subjective improvement in quality of life | Yesg | 1iiA |
| [42] | Randomized trial | Lung, non-small cell, stages I–IV | 218; 87; 96 | Improved median survival, LN+ patients only | No | 1iiA |
| [5] | Randomized trial | Melanoma, stages II–III | 204; 102; 102 | None | No | 1iiA |
| [28] | Comparative, retrolective, cohort study | Breast, stages I–IV | 1,442; 710; 732 | Improved survival | Yes | 2B |
| [25] | Comparative, retrolective, cohort study | Melanoma, stages II–III | 686; 329; 357 | Improved survival | Unknown | 2A |
| [4] | Cohort study | Breast, stage III | 8,475h; 17i; 17i | Improved mean survival | Yes | None |
| [4] | Cohort study | Various types, stages I–IV | 8,475h; 39i; 39i | Improved mean survival | Yes | None |
| [4] | Cohort study | Various types, stages I–IV | 10,226h; 396i; 396i | Improved mean survival | Yes | 3iiiA |
| [30] | Retrospective, observational cohort study | Nonmetastatic colorectal | 804; 429; 375 | Lower incidence of diarrhea, nausea, loss of appetite, dermatitis, fatigue, and mucositis | Yes | 2C |
| [43] | Nonconsecutive case series | Pancreas | 292; 292; various historical controls | Improved median survival | Yes | 3iiiA |
| [44] | Case report | Lung, small cell, stage IV | 1; 1; None | Partial response | Yes | None |
| LN+ = lymph node-positive disease; No. = number. | ||||||
| aSee text and the NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms for additional information and definition of terms. | ||||||
| bNumber of patients treated plus number of patients controlled may not equal number of patients enrolled; number of patients enrolled = number of patients initially recruited/considered by the researchers who conducted a study; number of patients treated = number of enrolled patients who were administered the treatment being studied AND for whom results were reported; historical control subjects are not included in number of patients enrolled. | ||||||
| cStrongest evidence reported that the treatment under study has anticancer activity or otherwise improves the well-being of cancer patients. | ||||||
| dChemotherapy, radiation therapy, hormonal therapy, or cytokine therapy administered/allowed at the same time as mistletoe therapy. | ||||||
| eFor information about levels of evidence analysis and an explanation of the level of evidence scores, see Levels of Evidence for Human Studies of Cancer Complementary and Alternative Medicine. | ||||||
| fControl patients were treated with a vitamin B mixture as a placebo; 100 additional evaluable patients were treated with Polyerga Neu, a sheep spleen glycopeptide reported to be an immunostimulant and an inhibitor of tumor cell glycolysis; treatment with Polyerga Neu was not found to be beneficial. | ||||||
| gRadiation therapy for metastases distant from the site of the primary tumor was permitted; radiation therapy to the primary tumor site or use of other anticancer treatment was not permitted. | ||||||
| hAmong 10,226 cancer patients enrolled in a retrospective matched-pair, case-control study, 1,751 had been treated with Iscador or another mistletoe product and 8,475 had not been treated with mistletoe; from the 8,475 untreated patients, two sets of matched pairs were formed for prospective studies; in the prospective studies, one member of each pair was randomly assigned to be treated with Iscador and the other member served as a control subject. | ||||||
| iPatients were strictly matched according to gender, year of birth ±3 years, year of diagnosis ±3 years, type of tumor, stage of disease, and conventional therapy received. |
References
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- 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]. Stuttgart, Germany: Georg Thieme Verlag, 1991.
- Augustin M, Bock PR, Hanisch J, et al.: Safety and efficacy of the long-term adjuvant treatment of primary intermediate- to high-risk malignant melanoma (UICC/AJCC stage II and III) with a standardized fermented European mistletoe (Viscum album L.) extract. Results from a multicenter, comparative, epidemiological cohort study in Germany and Switzerland. Arzneimittelforschung 55 (1): 38-49, 2005. [PUBMED Abstract]
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- Friedel WE, Matthes H, Bock PR, et al.: Systematic evaluation of the clinical effects of supportive mistletoe treatment within chemo- and/or radiotherapy protocols and long-term mistletoe application in nonmetastatic colorectal carcinoma: multicenter, controlled, observational cohort study. J Soc Integr Oncol 7 (4): 137-45, 2009. [PUBMED Abstract]
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