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Mistletoe extract helps cancer survival
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admin on 12/20/2009 23:31:00
 
Research article
SURVIVAL OF CANCER PATIENTS TREATED WITH MISTLETOE EXTRACT (ISCADOR): A
SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW
Thomas Ostermann , Christa Raak  and Arndt Bussing
BMC Cancer 2009,   9:451doi:10.1186/1471-2407-9-451
Published:
18 December 2009
ABSTRACT (PROVISIONAL)
Background
In Europe, extracts from Viscum album (VA-E), the European white-berry
mistletoe, are widely used to treat patients with cancer.
Methods
We searched several databases such as Cochrane, EMBASE, NCCAM, NLM, DIMDI,
CAMbase, and Medline. Inclusion criteria were controlled clinical studies on
parameters associated with survival in cancer patients treated with Iscador.
Outcome data were extracted as they were given in the publication, and converted
into standardized mean differences and their standard errors using standard
formulas.
Results
We found 49 publications on the clinical effects of Iscador usage on survival of
cancer patients which met our criteria. Among them, 41 studies and strata
provided enough data to extract hazard ratios (HR) and their standard errors
(Iscador versus no extra treatment). The majority of studies reported positive
effects in favor of the Iscador application. Heterogeneity of study results was
moderate (I^2=38.3%, p