Research Article
Intravenous Mistletoe Treatment in Integrative Cancer Care: A Qualitative Study Exploring the Procedures, Concepts, and Observations of Expert Doctors
Table 2
Randomized and nonrandomized controlled clinical trials on intravenous mistletoe treatment in cancer.
| Author, year | Site | Stage | Intervention (evaluable patients) | Survival | Immune parameters | Quality of life |
|
Büssing et al. 2008 [41] | Breast | No data | (i) (5-Fu) EC, Iscador (32) (ii) (5-Fu) EC (33) | | Granulocyte function, lymphocytes: no difference | Reduction of EC-related side effects: nausea, constipation, pain, stomatitis. EORTC C30, BR 23: no difference |
|
Schink et al. 2007 [44] | Colon, rectum | II–IV | (i) Surgery, Iscador (11) (ii) Surgery (11) | | Decreased surgery-induced suppression of NK-cell activity | |
|
Büssing et al. 2005 [45] | Breast (suspected) | | (i) Surgery, Iscador (47) (ii) Surgery (51) | | Decreased surgery-induced suppression of granulocyte function | |
|
Cazacu et al. 2003 [42] | Colon, rectum | Dukes C and D | (i) Surgery, 5-Fu, Isorel (29) (ii) Surgery, 5-Fu (21) (iii) Surgery (14) | Median | mean survival (months) | Dukes C | D | | 5-FU side effects (% of pat.) 0% 19% QoL: ↑, data not shown |
25| 17 |
18 | 7 |
17 | 15 |
| Heiny 1991 [43] | Breast | Progredient | (i) VEC, Eurixor (21) (ii) VEC, placebo (19) | | | QoL ↑, anxiety ↓, leucopenia ↓. No effect on thrombocytes |
|
|
: single infusion. EC: epirubicin, cyclophosphamide; 5-Fu: 5-fluorouracil; V: vindesine; NK-cells: natural killer cells; ↑: increase; ↓: decrease; statistically significant superior compared with control group.
|