Mistletoe is not an anti-cancer drug

One more "herbal" use bites the dust. From the BMJ this week [BMJ Volume 333 pp 1293-4]. The belief that mistletoe can help treat cancer is a myth which can cause harm, warn doctors in this week’s Christmas issue of the BMJ. The warning follows the case of a cancer patient who attended hospital with a tumour-like growth under the skin induced by mistletoe. Some patients with cancer inject themselves mistletoe extract in the hope of improving their condition, writes complementary medicine expert, Professor Edzard Ernst in an accompanying editorial. In continental Europe, at least 30 different mistletoe preparations are available and in Germany, the insurance system pays for this treatment. A Google search also showed that 145,000 websites promote or mention mistletoe as a treatment for cancer. Mistletoe has been tested extensively as a treatment for cancer, but the most reliable trials fail to show benefit, and some reports show considerable potential for harm. The costs of regular mistletoe injections are also high. Dr. Ernst recommends mistletoe as a Christmas decoration and for kissing under but not as an anticancer drug.