Mistletoe preparations are sometimes used as CAM to treat solid cancers such as breast cancer.

Here are statistics on the use of mistletoe to treat cancer, the results of a recently published clinical study in women with breast cancer, and a review of the medical literature.

The British Medical Journal reports?

• In continental Europe, at least 30 different mistletoe preparations are available.
• In Europe, the annual cost of this mistletoe treatment is about £30m (E45m; $59m).
• In Germany, the insurance system pays for this treatment.
• More than 140,000 websites promote or mention mistletoe as a treatment for cancer.

Yet, there are few clinical trials on its use.

One recently published study in women with breast cancer (some treated with mistletoe, other not) reported a “clinically relevant” effect on breast tumor progression as measured by overall survival and time to recurrences.

Overall, the evidence supporting the use of mistletoe is weak. A review of the mistletoe literature several years ago found that most studies were not well designed.

And while some weaker studies implied benefits, particularly in quality of life, well-designed studies of mistletoe extracts failed to demonstrate benefits from this therapy.

Merry Christmas and happy holidays.
12/21/06 21:57 JR