Instituts Hiscia,
Verein für Krebsforschung,
Kirschweg 9
CH-4144 Arlesheim

Tel: +41 61 706 72 72
Fax: +41 61 706 72 00

Email: sekretariat(*at*)vfk.ch
Web: www.vfk.ch

* Botany of Mistletoe
* Biological Effects / Ingredients
* Immodualtion (in vitro and clinical)
* Protective Effects
* Quality of Life / Pain
* Tumor Remissions
* Studies on the Life and Times Effects
* Safety and Tolerability
* Anthroposophical Foundations
* Systematic Reviews and Reviews of Mistletoe

* Treatment of Liver Metastases from Various Primary Tumors with Helixor

* Helixor in Cancer of Colon and Rectum.

* The treament of patients with chronic myelocytic leukaemia with the mistletoe preparation Helixor.

* Prospective study in radically operated breast cancer with polychemotherapy, Helixor and untreated control.

* The treatment of operated gastric cancer at the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Clinical Oncology.

* Intrapleural Instillations of an Extract of Viscum Album (L.) (Helixor) for the Treatment of Malignant Pleural Effusions.

These findings suggest the use of STE from mistletoe as a solvent-free anticancer drug for preclinical animal experiments and clinical trials.

Pooled analysis of clinical studies suggests that adjuvant treatment of cancer patients with the mistletoe extract Iscador is associated with a better survival ... one can not ignore the fact that studies with positive effects of VA-E on survival of cancer patients are accumulating.

Viscum album L. (VAE) mistletoe extract shows positive effects in breast and gynaecological cancer ... strong cytotoxic effects on cancer cells.

- Although Iscador is regarded as a complementary cancer therapy, it is the most commonly used oncological drug in Germany.
- Survival time of patients treated with Iscador was longer for all types of cancer studied.
- Average survival time in the Iscador groups was roughly 40% longer than in the control groups.
- Results of the 2 randomized matched-pair studies largely confirmed the results of the non-randomized studies.
- Iscador treatment can achieve a clinically relevant prolongation of survival time of cancer patients and appears to stimulate self-regulation.

- The mistletoe lectins have been identi¢ed as the main active principle of mistletoe extracts.
- They have been shown to exhibit cytotoxic effects as well as immunomodulatory activities and increased activity of natural killer cells.
- Results show no evidence of stimulation of tumor growth by any of the Iscador preparations, comprising central nervous system, gastric, non-small cell lung, mammary, prostate, renal and uterine cancer cell lines, as well as cell lines from hematological malignancies and melanomas.
- Iscador preparations showed antitumor activity in the mammary cancer cell line with a more than 70% growth inhibition.
- Antitumor activity (growth inhibition 30^70%) found in three tumor cell lines for IM and in seven tumor cell lines for IQul, respectively.

Mistletoe can increase the tolerability of conventional cancer treatment, improve patient quality of life, and lengthen tumor free survival.

Results confirmed the safety of the complementary therapy of patients with primary, non-metastatic breast cancer with a standardized mistletoe extract and showed considerably fewer ADRs attributed to concurrent conventional therapy, as well as reduced disease and treatment-associated symptoms, and suggested a prolonged overall survival in the mistletoe extract group as compared with control.

Mistletoe - Cancer - 14 - Long-Term Adjuvant Treatment of Primary Intermeidate to High-Risk Malignant Melanoma

- The long-term FME treatment in patients with primary intermediate to high-risk Malignant Melanoma appears safe.
- Tumor enhancement was not observed with mistletoe treatments.
- When compared with an untreated parallel control group from the same cohort, the results of the FME treatment suggested a significant survival benefit in primary stage II−III Malignant Melanoma patients.
- These results on survival warrant reconfirmation in a prospective randomized clinical trial with optimized study design and treatment conditions.

Mistletoe - Cardio - 01 - Effects of an Anthroposophical Remedy on Cardiorespiratory Regulation

- Oral administration improved normalization of heart-respiratory ratio, phase-coordination ratio and heart rate during night time sleep.
- These results were not observed in the placebo group.
- The remedy stimulates the regulation of cardiorespiratory interaction during nighttime sleep.
- Furthermore, improved normalization indicates a general improvement of the regulatory processes of functional rhythms.

- Results suggest mistletoe preparations may be useful therapeutic intervention for patients with chronic liver disease.
- Mistletoe preparations are widely used unconventional cancer therapies in many advanced medical countries throughout the world.
- Patients with chronic hepatitis C reported a significant improvement in elevated transaminases with mistletoe preparations.

- Five patients with chroinc hepatitis C were treated for 1 year with immuno-modulatory agent Iscador.
- Two patients showed 6 to 20 fold decrease in viral load and normalization of liver inflammation.
- The treatment was well tolerated ... no serious side effects were observed.
- The quality of life improved on average.
- Iscador may have potential as a non-toxic therapy for chronic hepatitis C treatment.

Results show a temporarily improved function of the microcirculation and an increased transmignation of white blood cells in target tissue areas.

Results show a temporarily improved function of the microcirculation and an increased transmignation of white blood cells in target tissue areas.

Results show a temporarily improved function of the microcirculation and an increased transmignation of white blood cells in target tissue areas.