Global perspectives on
Mistletoe
Therapy
meet us at WCTCIM
Rio de Janeiro
15-18 OCT 2025
Driving Global Innovation in Evidence-Based Mistletoe Therapy
We are pleased to participate in the World Congress on Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine (WCTCIM) in Rio de Janeiro, representing the scientific expertise and clinical practice of mistletoe therapy. Our aim is to expand our international network, foster interdisciplinary exchange, and contribute meaningfully to the global dialogue on integrative oncology.
We invite researchers, patients & stakeholders
Central to our mission is a clear focus on the presentation of mistletoe therapy as an evidence-based complementary treatment option in integrative cancer care — with a particular emphasis on international research and innovation. We are committed to advancing the scientific understanding of mistletoe therapy and promoting its integration into comprehensive cancer treatment models worldwide.
We invite researchers, clinicians, and institutions to connect with us and explore opportunities for collaboration.
Explore the Evidence
Dive into over 170 key studies on mistletoe therapy – highlighting the clinical evidence, research, and therapeutic relevance of this integrative approach
Real-World Evidence
Real-world data studies show mistletoe therapy is safe, well accepted, and enhances quality of life — with promising outcomes in advanced cancers
Clinical Evidence
Mistletoe therapy is among the most extensively researched treatments in integrative oncology.
To date, 173 clinical studies have investigated anthroposophic mistletoe preparations such as abnobaVISCUM, Helixor, Iscador, and Iscucin. Of these, 97% report positive outcomes — including improved quality of life, better treatment tolerability, and a reduction in side effects, pain, and tumor-related fatigue. Additional findings point to potential tumor remissions, immune-stimulating effects, and even an association with improved overall survival in oncology patients. Preclinical studies support these outcomes, demonstrating cytotoxic and immunomodulatory properties of mistletoe extracts.
Explore the clinical evidence organized by tumor type, including studies on:
Breast cancer · Colorectal cancer · Lung cancer · Pancreatic cancer · Gastric cancer · Melanoma · Haematological neoplasias, and more.
Mistletoe & Immunotherapy
Initial clinical and real-world data suggest that mistletoe therapy may safely complement immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in patients with advanced cancers such as lung cancer, melanoma, breast and other cancers.
Studies indicate that the addition of mistletoe does not increase the rate of adverse effects – in fact, treatment discontinuation due to side effects was lower in the combination group (4.9% vs. 6.4%). Moreover, early data point to a potential survival benefit: patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who received mistletoe alongside PD-1/PD-L1 therapy showed significantly prolonged survival times and, in subgroups, a notable reduction in the risk of death.
Discover how mistletoe therapy may enhance modern immunotherapies.
Emerging clinical evidence of mistletoe in combinational therapy with immune checkpoints inhibitors.
Our speakers & networkers at WCTCIM 2025/Rio de Janeiro
PD Dr. med. Friedemann Schad
PD Dr. med. Friedemann Schad is the head of Oncological Center and Department of Interdisciplinary Oncology, Supportive and Palliative Medicine at the hospital Gemeinschaftskrankenhaus Havelhöhe, Berlin, Germany. He is the author of numerous clinical and translational studies on mistletoe therapy and supportive medicine.
Dr. med. Marion Debus
Dr. Marion Debus, Co‑head of the Medical Section, Goetheanum and former Head of Oncology & Internal Medicine at Klinik Arlesheim, Switzerland, is an international lecturer in anthroposophic oncology. She contributes to global education on integrative cancer care and serves as an expert for the International Misteltoe Website.
Dr. med. Iracema Benevides
Dr. med. Iracema Benevides, a medical doctor and general surgeon specialized in human nutrition, integrative and anthroposophic medicine in Brasil, also holds a master’s in Public Health and Health Policy. She is dedicated to advancing both local and global health systems through her clinical and academic work.
Dr. med. Yván Villegas
Dr. med. Yván Villegas, a distinguished physician, internationally recognized for his expertise in mistletoe therapy, with certifies training in anthroposophic oncology. He lectures worldwide on integrative oncology and actively contributes expertise to international networks and publications on evidence-based cancer care.
Dr. Anja Thronicke (PhD)
Dr. Anja Thronicke, senior researcher at the Research Institute Havelhöhe in Berlin, Germany, focuses on studies in integrative cancer care. She is the author of publications in integrative oncology, including mistletoe therapy as well as art- and movement therapies, with a focus on patient-reported outcomes.
Prof. Dr. Carla Holandino Quaresma
Prof. Dr. Carla Holandino Quaresma is Full Professor at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Brasil and Research Associate at the Society for Cancer Research, Switzerland. A pharmacist with a doctorate in sciences, she focuses on developing anticancer formulations, particularly natural products such as Viscum album L.
Dr. med. Nilo Gardin
Dr. Nilo E. Gardin, a specialist in anthroposophic medicine and hematology in São Paulo, Brasil is a leading researcher in integrative oncology. He is a member of the Brazilian Association of Anthroposophic Medicine (ABMA), serves on the Brazilian Academic Consortium for Integrative Health (CABSIN), and chairs the Brazilian anthroposophic patients’ league (LUAAMA).
Dr. med. Zubin Marolia
Dr. med. Zubin Marolia is an internationally renowned expert in mistletoe therapy, trained at Lukas Klinik, Switzerland, holding a fellowship at Filderklinik, Germany. 34 years' extensive experience treating cancer patients with mistletoe integratively. Worldwide lectures, including at Memorial Sloan Kettering, Johns Hopkins University, U.S., IMM, Germany & the Truth About Cancer series.
The Medical Section of the Goetheanum, Dornach, Switzerland, is responsible for the content and design of the mistletoe therapy website (www.mistletoe-therapy.org) and the landing page of the mistletoe website (mistletoe-therapy.org/RIO2025)