Case reports on mistletoe therapy for pancreatic carcinoma
Last update: June 15th, 2023/AT1
Case 1
Additional high-dose intratumoral and peritumoral mistletoe application for rapidly progressing adenocarcinoma of the pancreas [Original title: Hypereosinophilia induced by high-dose intratumoral and peritumoral mistletoe application to a patient with a pancreatic carcinoma]
Huber R et al. 2000 [260]
The general condition of a 61-year-old patient with an inoperable and rapidly progressing adenocarcinoma of the pancreas was stabilised during a five-weeks’ high-dose intra-/peritumoural mistletoe treatment. In addition, a combined radio-/chemotherapy was administered. The patient died five months after primary diagnosis due to the complications of the disease.
Last update: June 15th, 2023/AT1
Case 2
Sustained partial remission of metastatic pancreatic cancer following systemic chemotherapy with gemcitabine and oxaliplatin plus adjunctive treatment with mistletoe extract
Ritter PR et al. 2010 [257]
A 43-year-old female patient with metastatic adenocarcinoma of the pancreas received palliative chemotherapy in combination with mistletoe extract after surgery.
Chemotherapy was discontinued 37 weeks after surgery; at this time a partial remission of the tumour was observed. The mistletoe therapy was continued. Ten months later, no tumour progression was visible.
Last update: June 15th, 2023/AT1
Case 3
Long-term tumor-free survival in a metastatic pancreatic carcinoma patient with FOLFIRINOX/Mitomycin, high-dose, fever inducing Viscum album extracts and subsequent R0 resection: A case report
Werthmann et al. 2018 [156]
A long-term survival (49 months) of a 28-year-old patient with an initially inoperable metastatic pancreatic cancer could be documented. After systemic treatment, the patient showed complete regression of liver metastases and was subsequently successfully resected with R0.
The chemotherapy included one cycle of FOLFOX/mitomycin, three cycles of FOLFIRINOX/mitomycin and postoperatively, after renewed evidence of pancreatic recurrence, two cycles of FOLFIRINOX/mitomycin. After the first two cycles of chemotherapy, short-term, high-dose, intralesional and subcutaneous mistletoe therapy was additionally administered, which led to high fever. The complete remission achieved after a further two chemotherapy cycles enabled surgical treatment of the initially inoperable findings.
Last update: June 15th, 2023/AT1
Case 4
Integrated cancer treatment in the course of metastatic pancreatic cancer: complete resolution in 2 cases
Bonucci M et al. 2018 [259]
One 58- and one 55-year-old female patient with metastatic pancreatic cancer received chemotherapy in combination with hyperthermia, acupuncture, dietary supplements (e.g. curcumin, lactoferrin, melatonin, etc.) and subcutaneous mistletoe therapy. There were fewer chemotherapy-related side effects.
In both cases, after the sixth cycle of combination therapy, complete remission of tumour- and metastasis-related lesions and longer survival were observed. Both patients were still alive at the time of publication (patient one 36 months after initial diagnosis, patient two 30 months after diagnosis).
Last update: June 15th, 2023/AT1
Case 5
Long-term survival of a patient with advanced pancreatic cancer under adjunct treatment with Viscum album extracts: a case report
Werthmann et al. 2019 [258]
A 59-year-old patient with advanced pancreatic cancer who developed a liver metastasis seven months after surgery and chemotherapy decided to undergo mistletoe therapy in addition to chemotherapy and radiofrequency ablation of the liver metastases. Under this therapeutic regimen he showed a recurrence-free survival of 39 months.
Last update: June 15th, 2023/AT1
