Mistletoe Therapy

Viscum album (VA) is the white-berried European mistletoe, called in TCM sang ji sheng. VA is a hemi-parasitic plant, with subtle variations in its bio-active lectins depending on which species of tree it grows on, e.g. fir, apple, ash, oak or pine. Mistletoe has been a successful remedy for advanced cancer since 1917. Mistletoe therapy is part of “anthroposophical medicine” founded by Dr. Ita Wegman, inspired by the anthroposophical teachings of Rudolph Steiner, who also created Waldorf schools and Bio-Dynamic agriculture.

Approximately 79% of German and Swiss medical doctors advise their cancer patients to use it during chemotherapy and radiation, and it is proven to reduce risk of adverse effects by up to 50%. There is a significant reduction in anemia, neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, hepato-toxicity and nausea/vomiting. Patient care costs and loss of productivity costs are also reduced significantly. It is commonly used as a palliative medicine before or after chemo or radiation, with at least a 50% response rate in advanced cancers. Quality of life (QOL) and survival benefits are consistently seen in published research. Many patients go from being disabled and terribly sick to being active and functional, and this can last from months to years, even in the face of a terminal prognosis.

This medicine gets the immune system to attack and remove your cancer, instead of it trying in vain to nurse and fix cancer cell’s metabolic and genetic problems. Mistletoe lectins stimulate macrophages, cyto-toxic CD8+ T-lymphocytes, CD4+ T-cells, natural killer NK cell number and activity, dendritic antigen processing cells, and cytotoxic complement. Injections increase cytokines TNFa, IL-1, Il-2, IL-5, IL-6, GM-CSF, gamma interferon and others. Mistletoe increases Th1 and TH2 cytokines, binding T-cells to tumour receptors, activating lymphocytes against tumour antigens, and promoting eosinophilia. Natural killer NK cells will increase in number and activity. NK cells kill cancer cells, and prevent metastasis. Mistletoe will protect NK cells from damage during chemotherapy and radiation. The neutrophils will increase rapidly, but transiently, while the non-malignant lymphocytes may increase after 2 to 3 months therapy. Eosinophils increase according to the dose of lectins delivered. Immune effector cell counts are useful for monitoring response to mistletoe therapy.

Mistletoe is strongly anti-viral, so is particularly indicated in hepato-cellular carcinoma, squamous cell carcinomas, lymphomas and leukemias. It will increase healthy lymphocytes, but will not aggravate lymphomas and lymphocytic leukemias. Mistletoe is safe with auto-immune diseases and is safe with all the new immunotherapy drugs.

After some training, most patients will self-administer every 1 to 3 days as a subcutaneous injection. A small dose is placed just under the skin surface, where immune cells stand guard. It commonly takes about 3 to 4 weeks to work up to the full dose, as we must gradually condition the immune system to react to the medicine. In time, at the correct dose, it should provoke a red flare similar to an allergic hive or welt, as the immune system reacts. The site of the injection will get red and itchy, within 24 hours, but the red flare reaction should not exceed 5 cm or 2 inches in diameter, and should vanish after about 48 to 72 hours. Large, severe or persistent rashes are an indication to reduce the frequency and dosage of the medicine. Inflammatory reactions are expected, but only very occasionally become problematic and require desensitization procedures.

Mistletoe injections routinely provoke a transient mild fever - about a 1° C rise on average. Induction of a fever of 39°C or 102°F is considered an ideal reaction to mistletoe. A proper regulatory or healing fever will spike within a few hours of injection. Fevers lasting over 12 hours are not always healthy, and merit prompt review. Neutropenic fevers in chemotherapy are dangerous, and become rapidly more so with delays in diagnosis and treatment. With large doses it is possible to provoke a major fever episode which actually burns out the cancer and cures the case! Other artificial fever therapies have been curative, for example Coley’s toxins.

It is common to see tumour progression decelerate or even stop, improved general health, and reduced pain. It is a good bone marrow stimulant in drug-induced myelosuppression, and in primary marrow diseases. There is about a 50% response rate in stage 4 cancers. Increased survival time in many advanced cancers is well documented in recent well-controlled clinical trials in Europe and America. Quality of life is nearly always significantly improved. This includes reduction or elimination of pain, restoration of appetite, appropriate weight gain, and general wellness. Over time the tumours may shrink and even disappear. Over the years, some advanced cases are even cured. For example, actress Suzanne Sommers attributes her success over breast cancer to mistletoe.