The Pharmaceutical Journal Vol 267 No 7176 p778-781
1 December 2001

This page
Reprint
Photocopy

  Remuneration
  The elderly
  Mistletoe
  Paracetamol
  The Society

Letters to the Editor

Mistletoe

Not effective for cancer

From Professor E. Ernst, FRCP(Edin)

Readers of the article "Complementary medicines and the treatment of cancer"¹ may well get the impression that mistletoe is an effective cancer treatment.

The article reports on a British Pharmaceutical Conference session where interested parties (such as the research and development director of a mistletoe product manufacturer) reported about the benefits of this herbal cancer therapy. Surprisingly, a systematic review of clinical trials² was quoted to support the alleged efficacy of mistletoe.

Here is the direct quote from the conclusion of this systematic review "mistletoe preparations cannot be recommended in the treatment of cancer patients except in clinical trials".²

Equally surprising is the fact that the recent and most rigorous study yet of mistletoe³ was not mentioned. Needless to say, this study demonstrated no benefit of adjuvant mistletoe therapy for head and neck cancer in terms of survival or quality of life.

I think that, vis-à-vis this and other evidence,⁴ pharmacists should not be led to believe that mistletoe is of proven effectiveness for cancer patients.

E. Ernst
Director,
Department of Complementary Medicine,
University of Exeter

Back to Top

Previous Topic (The elderly)
Next Topic (Paracetamol)
Send your letter to The Editor