Disappearance of an Advanced Adenomatous Colon Polyp aer Intratumoural Injection with Viscum album (European mistletoe) Extract: a Case Report

Abstract

Background & Aim: Extracts of Viscum album (European mistletoe) have immune-stimulatory and cytotoxic effects, with trials showing a well-established effect on the quality of life and prolonged survival in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. Regression of tumours following intratumoural injection with Viscum album extract has been documented in individual cases. However, its influence on colon polyps has not been investigated.Case presentation: We present the case of a 78-year-old Caucasian male who had undergone hemi-colectomy for a stage IIIC colon cancer but who refused adjuvant chemotherapy. Five years later a newly detected highgrade dysplasia colon adenoma was discovered; however, the adenoma could not be resected endoscopically and the patient did not consent to surgery. Intratumoural injections with Viscum album L extract (Quercus; Iscador®Qu) were administered twice in an attempt to limit tumour growth. Eight months after the second intratumoural injection the adenoma had disappeared and biopsy revealed no intraepithelial dysplasia or adenoma.Conclusions: This is the first report showing complete regression of a colon adenoma after intratumoural injection with Viscum album extract. Prospective studies should evaluate if the treatment effect is reproducible and if this approach could be a useful pre-operative measure for colon adenomas too large for endoscopic resection.

Multiple Active Compounds from Viscum album L. Synergistically Converge to Promote Apoptosis in Ewing Sarcoma

“…Commercial aqueous Viscum album L. extracts contain the hydrophilic mistletoe lectins (ML) I-III, which are the best studied compounds from mistletoe [19,20]. MLI-III have been demonstrated to stimulate the immune system and induce apoptotic cell death in cell lines derived from head and neck squamous cell carcinomas [21] and rat glioma [22] as well as in a single alternatively treated patient with a stage IIIC colon carcinoma [23]. …”

Parasitic Mistletoes of the Genera Scurrula and Viscum: From Bench to Bedside

“…Currently, there are no clinical trials for Viscum album targeted intratumoral delivery route as seen in clinicaltrials.gov. However, there was a recent article by Von Schoen-Angerer in 2014, which was a case report which described the complete regression of a colon adenoma following intratumoral injection of Viscum album [74]. As for Scurrula there are no known reports of intratumoral injection.…”

“…Viscum album extracts have mostly been used as adjuvant therapy in cancer patients [73]. However, individual case studies suggest that there are may be direct benefits to using Viscum album extracts as the main therapy in cancer patients [74,75]. Viscum album extracts exert their anti-cancer effects both by modulating the immune system as well as directly having cytotoxic activities on cancer cells, with a less potent effect on normal, healthy cells [73,76].…”

“…Advance pancreatic carcinoma patients who cannot tolerate first-line treatment or choose to decline main stream treatment, supportive care is available for improvement of quality of life or as palliative therapy, as they weigh the low success probability against side effects of conventional treatment side effects [151]. In addition, a colon adenoma was reported to regress completely following intratumoural injection of Viscum album L. extract (Quercus; Iscador ® Qu) [74]. The case report, where an elderly Caucasian male who refused both adjuvant chemotherapy and surgery was administered twice with the extract, confirmed the complete disappearance of adenoma.…”

“…The case report, where an elderly Caucasian male who refused both adjuvant chemotherapy and surgery was administered twice with the extract, confirmed the complete disappearance of adenoma. Correspondingly, the biopsy revealed no adenoma or intraepithelial dysplasia [74].…”