Impact of complementary treatment of breast cancer patients with standardized mistletoe extract during aftercare: a controlled multicenter comparative epidemiological cohort study.

Abstract

OBJECTIVES:

To investigate the safety and efficacy of complementary treatment of breast cancer patients with the standardized mistletoe extract (sME) HELIXOR in routine practice during aftercare through a multicenter comparative epidemiological cohort study with 53 randomly selected hospitals/practices representatively distributed in Germany, including oncologists, gynaecologists and general practitioners.

PATIENTS AND METHODS:

Data from 741 screened patients fulfilling the inclusion/exclusion criteria were checked. Of these, 681 patients were eligible for the final analysis of the study group (with sME n = 167) and the control group (n = 514). Efficacy (development of disease/therapy-induced signs and symptoms; quality of life) and safety (number and severity of adverse events) of complementary treatment in breast cancer patients treated with sME in the aftercare period were determined.

RESULTS:

Complementary treatment of breast cancer patients with sME during the aftercare period of approximately 5 years after terminating recommended standard therapies resulted in significantly fewer (p < 0.001) complaints of patients (56.3% study group versus 70.0% control group). The reduced number of disease/therapy-related sign/symptoms (e.g. mucositis, fatigue, pain, headache) correlated to a significantly improved quality of life. Adverse drug reactions to the sME treatment were mostly mild and self limiting.

CONCLUSION:

Complementary treatment with the sME HELIXOR proved to be beneficial for breast cancer patients since it significantly improved quality of life and significantly reduced persistant signs/symptoms of the disease/treatment during the validated aftercare period of approximately five years.

• Authors: J Beuth, B Schneider, J M Schierholz
• Journal: Anticancer research (Anticancer Res) 2008 Jan-Feb Vol. 28 Issue 1B Pg. 523-7 ISSN: 0250-7005 [Print] Greece
• PMID: 18383896 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Multicenter Study)

Chemical References

• Plant Extracts

Topics

• Adult
• Aged
• Aged, 80 and over
• Breast Neoplasms (drug therapy, epidemiology)
• Cohort Studies
• Female
• Germany (epidemiology)
• Humans
• Middle Aged
• Mistletoe
• Phytotherapy (adverse effects, methods)
• Plant Extracts (adverse effects, therapeutic use)