Mistletoe (Viscum in latin) therapy can be used in many ways to support the body when undergoing therapy for cancer (including surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, hormonal therapy). Mistletoe often helps the body tolerate the cancer therapy better, and it may even help the cancer therapy work better. Studies show that patients who use mistletoe often note a greater feeling of warmth throughout their whole body. In general, a deeper, more recuperative night's sleep is also obtained and appetite may improve. In addition, many patients feel a lightening of mood and experience a feeling of greater well-being, and hence increased quality of life. 

As a rule, subcutaneous mistletoe therapy does not lead to tumor regression. However, it can lead to retardation or stagnation of tumor progression. However, if mistletoe therapy should lead to tumor regression, this usually takes a longer period of approximately six months when compared with chemotherapy. Therefore as a rule, a combination with oncological treatment is necessary to achieve a rapid tumor response.

Mistletoe therapy can be started as close to two weeks before surgery or earlier, and is then discontinued two days before surgery. It may then be resumed as soon as there are no longer any after-effects of the drugs necessary for surgery, and if inflammation-free wound healing is observed. Mistletoe can be given during chemotherapy or hormone therapy. Alternatively, mistletoe may be started afterward to prevent recurrence of cancer. 

Please read page 8 handout titled "Mistletoe Therapy" that summarizes treatment. Currently at Spero Wellness Clinic, we carry Helixor from Uriel Pharmacy in East Troy WI.

Note, if you choose to pursue mistletoe therapy, we will need to do a monthly CBC and check up during the induction phase, and then a CBC and check up every 3-6 months during maintenance therapy. 

Clinical Benefits

• Reverses hypoxia and enhances perfusion in organs and tissues 
• Alters glycolytic metabolism, decreases plasma levels of LDH and Lactate * Stimulation of hormone regulation 
• Reduction of adverse effects from and discontinuation of conventional therapies * Potentiates analgesic therapies 
• Improves cognitive function 
• VAE combination therapy consistently improves survival rates. 
• Potentiates response to hyperthermia 
• Up regulates mitochondrial biogenesis via PGC-1alpha and SIRT-1 
• Overcoming multiple drug resistance (MDR) 
• Radiosensitizes cancer cells 

Supportive Care with Mistletoe during chemotherapy and/or radiation has been shown to  improve quality of life and may reduce the side effects of traditional therapies, such as:

• Immune Suppression 
• Leukopenia (low white blood count) 
• Thrombocytopenia (low platelet count) 
• Anemia (low red blood count) 
• Nausea/Vomiting 
• Hepatotoxicity (liver damage) 
• Fatigue 

To learn even more about Mistletoe Therapy, click here. You can also learn more from a presentation called Kissing Cancer Goodbye by Nasha Winters ND. You may also want to consider reading the book Dr. Winters helped write titled “Mistletoe and the  Emerging Future of Integrative Oncology”.