Quality of Life and Neutropenia in Early Stage Breast Cancer Patients Treated with Mistletoe Extract
Author Information
Author(s): Wilfried Tröger, Svetlana Jezdić, Zdravko Ždrale, Nevena Tišma, Harald J. Hamre, Miodrag Matijašević
Primary Institution: Institute of Oncology and Radiology of Serbia (Belgrade)
Hypothesis
Breast cancer patients receiving mistletoe preparations during six cycles of consecutive treatment with CAF will show a better quality of life including fatigue, and less neutropenia compared to patients receiving CAF alone.
Conclusion
The study found that mistletoe therapy improved quality of life and showed a trend towards reduced neutropenia in breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.
Supporting Evidence
- Patients receiving mistletoe therapy reported better quality of life scores in 12 out of 15 categories.
- Neutropenia occurred less frequently in the mistletoe group compared to the control group, although not statistically significant.
- Quality of life improvements were assessed using the EORTC-QLQ-C30 questionnaire.
Takeaway
This study looked at how mistletoe treatment can help breast cancer patients feel better during chemotherapy. It found that those who got mistletoe felt better and had fewer problems with low white blood cell counts.
Methodology
A randomized open label pilot study with 95 patients divided into three groups: two groups received mistletoe preparations in addition to chemotherapy, and one control group received chemotherapy alone.
Potential Biases
The open-label design may introduce bias as both patients and physicians could guess the treatment being administered.
Limitations
The study was not placebo-controlled, and the sample size was small, limiting the ability to confirm hypotheses.
Participant Demographics
Breast cancer patients in stages T1–3N0–2M0, aged 18 and older, with a Karnofsky-Index ≥60.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.182
Confidence Interval
0.08–1.35
Statistical Significance
p<0.02
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