Harefuah
-
Review Historical Article
[Mistletoe (Viscum album) preparations: an optional drug for cancer patients?].
Extracts and preparations from the parasitic plant mistletoe (Viscum album L.) have been used in the treatment of cancer for decades. Mistletoe treatment for cancer was introduced in 1920 by Steiner and Wegman, founders of the Anthroposophical medical method. Today, mistletoe extracts are the most frequently prescribed unconventional cancer therapies in Germany, as in some other European countries. ⋯ Side effects of the different mistletoe preparation used in human studies are generally minimal and non-life threatening. In the current review recent studies, including two phase II studies from our center, are included. In the future, data that will be obtained from good quality studies might facilitate reaching firm conclusions regarding the therapeutic benefit of mistletoe preparation for oncological treatment.
-
A total of 53 epidemiological studies were found that investigated the relationship between breast cancer and the consumption of alcohol. These studies discovered that the risk increased with increasing alcohol consumption. Specifically, there was a 7% increase in risk with each 10 gr. of alcohol per day. Therefore, women who drink should do so at low levels, and in many cases this will mean drinking less.