cancer clinic
Cancer Immunity Clinic
01
Mistletoe Story
As perennial hemiparasitic plants, Mistletoe is attached to its host tree or shrub without rooting into the soil. Almost every part of mistletoe can perform photosynthesis, so it extracts water and minerals only from the host tree. Its name is Mistletoe in English, Mistel in German, 'Gyeo-u-sari' in Korean and it is treated as a medicinal herb called 'Sanggisaeng' in oriental medicine
Its scientific name is 'Viscum album L.'. Mistletoe is belongs to the family Viscaceae and family Loranthaceae. They are taxonomically connected and there are more than 1,400 species.
02
What is Mistletoe anti-cancer immunotherapy?
In 1920, Rudolf Steiner, the founder of anthroposophy of Germany, created mistletoe anti-cancer immunotherapy and applied it to treatment for tumor. Since mistletoe injection is developed, mistletoe anti-cancer immunotherapy has been advanced around Europe including Switzerland, the UK, Austria, etc.
Mistletoe injection anti-cancer immunotherapy today is been applying to tumor treatment at more than 500 hospitals in Europe, including Lukas Clinic in Switzerland, Humboldt University hospital, Tubingen University hospital, Heidelberg University hospital, Witten/Herdecke University hospital, BioMed hospital, Friedenveiler Hospital in Germany, Vienna University hospital in Austria, and it is known that mistletoe injection causes almost no side effects. Now, more than 60% of cancer patients in Germany and Austria are undergoing this mistletoe injection anti-cancer immunotherapy, and here in Korea, many clinics and hospitals including hospitals affiliated with medical colleges, cancer clinics, nursing hospitals are also using this therapy.
03
Host trees of mistletoe which is verified its medical effectiveness and been using as injection
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Fir/Abietis
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Oak/Quercus
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Apple /Mail
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Ash/Fraxini
04
What is pharmacological action of mistletoe injection?
What is pharmacological action of mistletoe injection?
Mistletoe injection contains various effective components such as Mistletoe Lectin, viscotoxin, vesicle, polysaccharides, and many other proteins, etc.
As mistletoe injection normalizes human body's immune reaction and revitalize its immune system, it helps inhibit proliferation and stop growth of cancer cells without damaging normal cells. Its pharmacologial actions which are proved through many clinical researches and treatment experiences are as below.
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Cytotoxicity It inhibit growth of cancer cells and destroys them. From this action, mistletoe lectic casues apoptosis of cancer cells, and viscotoxin causes necrosis of caner cells.
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Immunomodulatory Effects Components such as mistletoe lectin, etc. accelerate secreting of cytokines, such as interleukin(IL-1, IL-2, IL-6), interferon(IFN-r), tumor necrosis factor(TNF-α), etc., and components such as oligosaccharide, polysaccharides, etc. raise activity of natural killer cells. Also, vesicle causes immuno-modulatory effects which induce proliferation of T-helper cells.
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β-endorphin release Increased secretion of β-endorphin reduces cancer patient's pain and enhances quality of life.
What is efficacy of mistletoe injection?
Mistletoe seruminjection is effective on treatment for cancer, prevention of recurrence after surgery, treatment at certain cancer's precancerous stage, treatment for malignant disease of blood-forming organs, stimulation on function of bone marrow, malignant pleural effusion, etc.
Usage of mistletoe injection
Mistletoe injection is mostly used for patients who are undergoing cancer treatment as adjunctive or neo-adjunctive treatment on, but it is also used for the patients who have autoimmune disease or are at the precancerous stages such as cervical dysplasia. Mistletoe injection anti-cancer therapy can be stated at any moment regardless of how much the disease has progressed. Generally, mistletoe injection is administrated right after the diagnosis, before the surgery, or when the other treatment is begun. Since mistletoe is broken down and deactivated in the digestive organs, it is produced as injection and injected hypodermically or directly into tumor. Administration plans varies considerably, however, the most usual plan is hypodermic injection, self-administration, and 2~3 times a week.
05
Treatment methods of mistletoe injection
How long will treatment last?
There is no absolute period for treatment, so it is decided depending on the evaluation on recurrence possibility and the patient's condition. Normally, the recommended period is 1~2 years for patients at the early stages, 3~4 years for patients at the middle stages. Patients who are at the end stages, have high possibilities of recurrence and/or metastasis are advised continuous usage. From the third year of treatment, extending suspension period is recommended rather than reducing injections times from 3 to 2, e.g. 4 weeks administration + 3 weeks breaks, 4 weeks administration + 4 weeks break, 4 weeks administration + 5 weeks breaks, and so on.
From the fourth year of treatment, gradual reducing injection times with extending suspension period is advised, and in the fifth year, recommended administration is 2 times a year. Monitoring for recurrence of cancer is done for 5 years, therefore it is better to administrate continuously to prevent recurrence is advised.
Where to and how to inject?
Generally, mistletoe injection is administrated right after the diagnosis, before the surgery, or when the other treatment is begun. Since mistletoe is broken down and deactivated in the digestive organs, it is produced as injection and injected hypodermically. How to inject mistletoe injection is the same as insulin shot; self-administration. After getting instruction from a nurse, anyone can do it. Mistletoe ample must be used in 30 min. after opening it, and if half of ample is used only, the other half must be disposed.
Where to inject
Hypordermic injection is an injection made into the subcutaneous tisses, the layer between skin and muscle layers. The abdominal area is the most favorable as injectio site when possible. If is is difficult to inject into the abdominal area, it is redommended in the order of the buttock, the thigh,, the upper arms. Injection site should be different each time. For example, if it is injected into the abdominal area, injection site can be in the order of upper left → lower right → lower left → upper right.
How to inject
Pinch a fold of skin and insert the needle at a 45~90 degree to skin. The needle should be inserted until completely covered by skin. Inject medication while keeping the needle's degree. Must be careful not to inject to deep or too shallow.
When mistletoe injection is administered 3~4 weeks before surgery or 6~7 days after surgery, it helps inhibit recurrence or metastasis of cancer, and recover fast by normalize immune system which lowered by surgery. · Combined administration with chemotherapy, radiotherapy, hormone therapy
If mistletoe injection is administered 1~2 weeks before or 2~3 days after the anti-cancer drug usage, it quickly normalizes lowered immune system, reduces the side effects of anti-cancer drugs by stimulating proliferation of bone marrow, and promotes treatment effects of the drugs. Therefore it can prevent patient deteriorate or be debilitated rapidly.
Usually, mistletoe injection should not be used on the day of anti-cancer drug administration.
When mistletoe injection is used in parallel before 1~2 weeks or 2~3 days after before radiotherapy, it reduces the side effects caused by radiotherapy. It should not be used on the day of anti-cancer drug administration. During hormone therapy as well, parallel use of mistletoe injection is recommended. · Treatment for patients at end stages or when surgery is not available
If mistletoe injection is administered when anti-cancer drugs cannot be used, when cancer has spread too much and surgery is not available, or when the patient is at end stages of cancer, it prolongs survival period, relieves pain, and raises quality of life(increased appetite, improved sleep, increased feeling of happiness, etc.) by enhancing the patient's own natural healing power. · Administraion into tumor
If mistletoe injection is administered into tumor directly, it can reduce the size of tumor and inhibit the growth of tumor · Administraion into the chest cavity, abdominal cavity
When mistletoe injection is administrated in high-dose into the chest cavity or abdominal cavity, peural effusion fluid and ascites are surprisingly reduced without any particular side effects. In case of peural effusion fluid, it costs less, has almost no side effects, and has excellent efficacy compared to other medications,In case of bladder cancer, mistletoe injection can be administrated directly into the bladder in order to control the growth of tumor.