Mistletoe is No Anti-Cancer Drug, Doctors Say

Filed in archive Cases on December 25, 2006

In British Medical Journal's Christmas issue, Doctors warned that the belief that mistletoe can help treat cancer is a myth and can actually cause harm.

The said warning came about following the case of a cancer patient who attended hospital with a tumour-like growth under the skin induced by mistletoe.

The theory that mistletoe might help treat cancer is based on the fact that, like cancer, mistletoe is a parasitic growth that eventually kills its host, says Ernst. Despite the implausibility of this idea, studies have shown that mistletoe or its main constituents do have anticancer activity.

However, many plants have some sort of anticancer activity, but in most cases the compounds cannot be used.

Proponents claim that regular injections of mistletoe extract improve the natural course of cancer by slowing down or stopping tumour growth and improve quality of life.

Some patients with cancer inject themselves mistletoe extract in the hope of improving their condition. This is a misleading fact and can cause serious harm.

Read the full report at Science Daily.

BMJ article.