Mistletoe

(MIH-sul-toh) A semiparasitic plant that grows on some types of trees. Mistletoe extracts are being studied as treatments for cancer.

European Mistletoe

Common Names: European mistletoe, mistletoe

Latin Names: Viscum album

Information about Mistletoe

• European mistletoe grows on several types of common trees such as apple, oak, pine, and elm trees.
• Mistletoe has been used for centuries in traditional medicine for a variety of conditions including seizures, headaches, and arthritis. Today, mistletoe is used in Europe as a treatment for cancer.
• The berries, leaves, and stems of mistletoe are used to make extracts, which are usually given by injection under the skin.
• Mistletoe may also be taken orally (by mouth) as a dietary supplement.
• In Europe, mistletoe extracts that are given by injection are sold as prescription drugs.
• The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not approved the use of mistletoe as a treatment for cancer or any other medical condition.
• In the United States, the use of injectable mistletoe extracts is permitted only in clinical trials.

Evidence

• There have been clinical trials of mistletoe for cancer, mostly in Europe. Although some trials indicated that mistletoe improved survival or quality of life, almost all of the trials had major weaknesses that raise doubts about their findings. These weaknesses have included small numbers of patients, incomplete data, lack of information about the dose of mistletoe, and problems with the design of the studies.
• The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) and the National Cancer Institute have completed a preliminary trial to evaluate the safety of injected European mistletoe extract in combination with a cancer drug in patients with advanced cancer. It showed that patients could tolerate the herb/drug combination and provided other information that may be helpful in the design of future studies to evaluate mistletoe’s effectiveness.
• Mistletoe is not a proven cancer treatment. It should not be used outside of clinical trials.

Herbal and dietary supplements

• Aloe Vera, Ashwagandha, Astragalus, Bilberry, Black Cohosh, Butterbur, Cat's Claw, Cascara, Chaparral, Comfrey, Crofelemer, Echinacea, Ephedra, Fenugreek, Flavocoxid, Garcinia cambogia, Germander, Ginkgo, Ginseng, Greater Celandine, Green Tea, Hoodia, Hops, Horse Chestnut, Hyssop, Kava Kava, Kratom, Lavender, Maca, Margosa Oil, Melatonin, Milk Thistle, Noni, Passionflower, Pennyroyal Oil, Red Yeast Rice, Resveratrol, Saw Palmetto, Senna, Skullcap, Spirulina, St. John's Wort, Turmeric, Usnic Acid, Valerian, Yohimbine

Chinese and Other Asian Herbal Medicines

• Ba Jiao Lian, Bol Gol Zhee, Chi R Yun, Jin Bu Huan, Ma Huang, Sho Saiko To and Dai Saiko To, Shou Wu Pian

Multi-Ingredient Nutritional Supplements

• Herbalife, Hydroxycut, Move Free, OxyELITE Pro, SLIMQUICK

See also Nutritional supplements