Ralph Moss on new developments with misteltoe, pt2

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Cancer Decisions® - Mistletoe Makes Further Gains - Part II

http://www.cancerdecisions.com/content/view/528/2/lang,english/

Sunday, 18 July 2010

Last week I began a discussion of new studies that support the use of

mistletoe extracts in oncology. I conclude, with references, this week.

This year, at the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting,

Washington DC scientists presented the results of a phase I clinical

trial on the use of European mistletoe extracts and the drug gemcitabine

(Gemzar) in patients with advanced solid tumors (Mansky 2010). The

product tested was Helixor (not the more common Iscador). These

researchers' conclusions were highly positive. They reported that the

combination had limited toxicity, no alteration in gemcitabine uptake,

good tolerability and a clinical benefit in 48 percent of patients.

(This contrasts well with previously reported levels of benefit from

gemcitabine alone.)

They concluded that the addition of European mistletoe extracts " may

allow for use of higher doses " of gemcitabine and that the combination

of mistletoe and this drug " warrant further study. "

Studies of this sort continue to chip away at the standard American

oncologists' contention that all useful treatments are routinely

employed in US oncology hospitals and that any other ways of treating

the disease are without scientific validity. This is simply not true. In

fact, American oncologists could learn a great deal from CAM

practitioners, if they would recognize that other cultures have

different ways of approaching the same problems, and that have something

valuable to contribute to the optimal treatment of cancer patients.

--Ralph W. Moss, Ph.D.

References:

Burkhart J, Wälchli C, Heusser P, et al. In vitro investigation into

the potential of a mistletoe extract to alleviate adverse effects of

cyclophosphamide. Altern Ther Health Med. 2010;16(3):40-48.

Mansky P, et al. NCCAM/NCI phase I study of mistletoe extract and

gemcitabine in patients with advanced solid tumors. Abstract No: 2559; J

Clin Oncol. 2010;28:15s (suppl; abstr 2559)

Payer, Lynn. Medicine and Culture, revised edition. New York: Holt,

1996.

Schönekaes K, Micke O, Mücke R, et al. [use of

complementary/alternative therapy methods by patients with breast

cancer]. Forsch Komplementarmed Klass Naturheilkd. 2003;10(6):304-308.

Simon L, Prebay D, Beretz A, et al. [Complementary and alternative

medicines taken by cancer patients]. Bull Cancer. 2007;94(5):483-488.

Ziegler R, Grossarth-Maticek R. Individual Patient Data Meta-analysis of

Survival and Psychosomatic Self-regulation from Published Prospective

Controlled Cohort Studies for Long-term Therapy of Breast Cancer

Patients with a Mistletoe Preparation (Iscador). Evid Based Complement

Alternat Med. 2008.

Available at:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18955332 [Accessed July 9, 2010].

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