Mistletoe extract reduces the surgical suppression of natural killer cell activity in cancer patients. a randomized phase III trial.

Background: Major surgery suppresses natural killer (NK) cell cytotoxic activity which is potentially harmful for cancer patients by favouring haematogenic tumour cell dissemination. The influence of a perioperative infusion of a standardized mistletoe extract (Iscador) on immune functions was tested in a prospective, sequential, randomized clinical trial.

Patients And Methods: Colorectal cancer patients undergoing open tumour resection were randomly assigned to either mistletoe infusion or no additional therapy.

[Correlation of NK cell activity against autologous tumour cells and K562 cells with the clinical outcome during therapy with mistletoe extracts].

Background: Suppression of NK cell activity is considered to be an unfavourable prognostic factor for tumour progression. There is proof that mistletoe extracts may increase NK cell activity. However, the inverse relation between an increase of NK cell activity and clinical progress of cancer has not been investigated.