Ronald Grossarth-Maticek’s research while affiliated with University of London and other places

A retraction note to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12124-021-09602-2

ZusammenfassungHintergrund: Mistelpräparate, wie z. B. Iscador, werden häufig komplementär eingesetzt, insbesondere für solide Tumore. Die Wirksamkeit und Unbedenklichkeit solcher Therapien wird kontrovers diskutiert. Fragestellung: Hat Langzeitanwendung des Mistelpräparates Iscador in prospektiven Studien einen Effekt auf Gesamtüberleben, Tumorprogression und psychosomatische Selbstregulation von Patienten mit malignen Melanomen? Patienten und Methoden: Prospektive Rekrutierung und langjährige Nachverfolgung in zwei kontrollierten Studien: (1) Randomisierte Matched-Pair-Studie (22 Paare): Patienten mit konventionell behandelten malignen Melanomen ohne Mistelverwendung wurden nach prognostischen Faktoren gematcht. Durch paarweise randomisierte Zuweisung wurde einem der Partner eines Paares eine Misteltherapie empfohlen. (2) Nichtrandomisierte Matched-Pair-Studie (32 Paare): Patienten mit konventionell behandelten malignen Melanomen, die bereits zusätzlich Misteltherapie erhielten, wurden mit Kontrollpatienten ohne Misteltherapie gemäss denselben Kriterien gematcht. Ergebnisse: Für das Gesamtüberleben zeigte keine der beiden Studien einen signifikanten Unterschied zwischen Iscador- und Kontroll-Gruppe. Die Gesamtauswertung der Tumorprogression zeigte für beide Studien einen signifikanten Vorteil für die Iscador-Gruppe, Schätzung des hazard ratio mit 95% Konfidenzintervall (KI): 0.49 (0.32, 0.75) bzw. 0.72 (0.54, 0.97). In der randomisierten Studie verbesserte sich nach 12 Monaten die psychosomatische Selbstregulation auf einer Skala von 1 (tief) bis 6 (hoch) in der Iscador-Gruppe relativ zur Kontrollgruppe signifikant: Schätzung des Medians der Differenzen mit KI: 0.55 (0.15, 0.85). Schlussfolgerungen: Das Mistelpräparat Iscador zeigte in diesen Studien einen klinisch relevanten signifikanten Effekt auf die Progression des malignen Melanoms. Kurzfristig nimmt die Selbstregulation unter Iscador-Therapie signifikant mehr zu als unter konventioneller Therapie allein.

Mistletoe preparations such as Iscador are in common use as complementary/anthroposophic medications for many cancer indications, particularly for solid cancers. The efficacy is still discussed controversially. This paper presents an individual patient data meta-analysis of all published prospective matched-pair studies with breast cancer patients concerned with long-term application of a complementary/anthroposophic therapy with the mistletoe preparation Iscador. Six sets of data were available for individual patient meta-analysis of breast cancer patients, matched according to prognostic factors into pairs with and without mistletoe (Iscador) therapy. The main outcome measures were overall survival and psychosomatic self-regulation. Overall survival was almost significant in favor of the Iscador group in the combined data set of the randomized studies: estimate of the hazard ratio with 95% confidence interval 0.59 (0.34, 1.02). Overall survival was highly significant in the combined data set of the non-randomized studies: 0.43 (0.34, 0.56). In the combined analysis of the randomized studies, improvement of psychosomatic self-regulation, as a measure of autonomous coping with the disease, was highly significant in favor of the Iscador group: estimate of the median difference 0.45 (0.15, 0.80), P = 0.0051. The analyzed studies show that therapy with Iscador might prolong overall survival and improve psychosomatic self-regulation of breast cancer patients.

Mistletoe preparations such as Iscador are in common use as complementary/anthroposophic medications for many cancer indications, particularly for solid cancers. Efficacy of this complementary therapy is still discussed controversially. Does the long-term therapy with Iscador show any effect on survival or psychosomatic self-regulation of patients with corpus uteri cancer? Prospective recruitment and long-term follow-up in the following 4 controlled cohort studies. (1) Two randomized matched-pairs studies: corpus uteri cancer patients without (30 pairs) and with distant metastases (26 pairs) that never used any kind of mistletoe therapy were matched for prognostic factors. By pairwise random allocation, one of the patients was suggested mistletoe therapy to be applied by the attending physician. (2) Two non-randomized matched-pairs studies: corpus uteri cancer patients without (103 pairs) and with distant metastases (95 pairs) that already received mistletoe (Iscador) therapy were matched by the same criteria to control patients without Iscador therapy. Concerning overall survival in the randomized studies, a significant effect in favour of Iscador therapy was present only in the first study, the second showed no evidence for an effect: estimate of the hazard ratio and 95% confidence interval: 0.36 (0.16, 0.82) and 1.00 (0.46, 2.16) respectively. In the non-randomized studies, the results that adjusted for relevant prognostic variables were: 0.41 (0.26, 0.63), and 0.61 (0.39, 0.93). The effect of therapy with Iscador within 12 months on psychosomatic self-regulation as a measure of autonomous coping with the disease shows a significant rise in the Iscador group against the control group in the randomized as well as in the non-randomized study on patients with corpus uteri cancer without metastases: estimate of the median difference and 95% confidence interval: 0.40 (0.15, 0.70) and 0.70 (0.25, 1.15) respectively. The mistletoe preparation Iscador in these studies has the effect of prolonging overall survival of corpus uteri cancer patients. Psychosomatic self-regulation as a measure of autonomous coping with the disease, rises significantly more under Iscador therapy than under conventional therapy alone.

Background: Mistletoe preparations such as Iscador are in common use as complementary medication for solid cancers. Efficacy and safety of this therapy is still controversial. Objective: Does the long-term application of the mistletoe preparation Iscador show any effect in prospective controlled studies on survival, tumor progression, and psychosomatic self-regulation of patients with melanoma? Patients and Methods: Prospective recruitment and long-term follow-up of two controlled cohort studies: (1) Randomised matched-pair study (22 pairs): patients with melanoma, treated with conventional therapies who had never used any kind of mistletoe therapy were matched for prognostic factors. By pairwise random allocation, a mistletoe therapy was suggested to one of the patients. (2) Non-randomised matched-pair study (32 pairs): patients with melanoma, treated with conventional therapies who already received mistletoe (Iscador) therapy were matched by the same criteria to control patients without Iscador therapy. Results: For overall survival, neither study shows a significant effect in favour of the Iscador therapy. The overall assessment of the effect of long-term Iscador therapy on tumor progression, however, is significant in favour of the Iscador group in both studies, hazard ratio estimate and 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.49 (0.32, 0.75) and 0.72 (0.54, 0.97) respectively. In the randomised study, the psychosomatic self-regulation improves within 12 months on a scale from 1 (low) to 6 (high) significantly in the Iscador group relative to the control group: estimate of the median of differences with CI: 0.55 (0.15, 0.85). Conclusion: The mistletoe preparation Iscador shows in these studies a clinically relevant and significant therapeutic effect on the progression of melanoma. In the short term, self-regulation rises more under Iscador therapy than under conventional therapy alone.

Mistletoe preparations such as Iscador are commonly used in complementary medication for many cancer indications, particularly solid cancers. The efficacy of this complementary therapy is still controversial. Does longterm therapy with Iscador show any effect on survival, tumor progression and psychosomatic self-regulation of patients with cervical cancer? Prospective recruitment and long-term follow-up was carried out in 3 controlled cohort studies: In a randomized matched-pair study (19 pairs), cervical cancer patients with distant metastases and no mistletoe therapy were matched for prognostic factors. By paired random allocation, one of the patients was recommended mistletoe therapy by the attending physician. In 2 non-randomized matched-pair studies, cervical cancer patients without (102) and with (66) metastases, who already received mistletoe therapy, were matched with control patients without Iscador therapy. For survival, the non-randomized studies showed significant effects in favor of Iscador therapy: hazard ratio (HR) estimate and 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.23 (0.14-0.39) and 0.37 (0.17-0.80), respectively. An effect of long-term Iscador therapy on tumor progression was not seen. Psychosomatic self-regulation in the Iscador group improved significantly within 12 months compared with the control group in the randomized as well as in 1 non-randomized study (cervical cancer without metastases): estimate of the median difference and 95% CI: 0.70 (0.15-1.05) and 0.25 (0.15-0.35), respectively. Iscador may have the effect of prolonging overall survival of cervical cancer patients. In the short term, psychosomatic self-regulation increases more markedly under complementary Iscador therapy than under conventional therapy alone.

Mistletoe preparations such as Iscador are commonly used in complementary medication for many cancer indications, particularly solid cancers. The efficacy of this complementary therapy is still controversial. Objective: Does longterm therapy with Iscador show any effect on survival, tumor progression and psychosomatic self-regulation of patients with cervical cancer? Patients and Methods: Prospective recruitment and long-term follow-up was carried out in 3 controlled cohort studies: In a randomized matched-pair study (19 pairs), cervical cancer patients with distant metastases and no mistletoe therapy were matched for prognostic factors. By paired random allocation, one of the patients was recommended mistletoe therapy by the attending physician. In 2 non-randomized matched-pair studies, cervical cancer patients without (102) and with (66) metastases, who already received mistletoe therapy, were matched with control patients without Iscador therapy. Results: For survival, the non-randomized studies showed significant effects in favor of Iscador therapy: hazard ratio (HR) estimate and 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.23 (0.14-0.39) and 0.37 (0.17-0.80), respectively. An effect of long-term Iscador therapy on tumor progression was not seen. Psychosomatic self-regulation in the Iscador group improved significantly within 12 months compared with the control group in the randomized as well as in 1 non-randomized study (cervical cancer without metastases): estimate of the median difference and 95% CI: 0.70 (0.15-1.05) and 0.25 (0.15-0.35), respectively. Conclusion: Iscador may have the effect of prolonging overall survival of cervical cancer patients. In the short term, psychosomatic self-regulation increases more markedly under complementary Iscador therapy than under conventional therapy alone.

Mistletoe extracts such as Iscador are commonly used as complementary/anthroposophic medications for many cancer indications, particularly for solid cancers. The efficacy of this complementary therapy is still controversial. Does long-term therapy with mistletoe extracts Iscador show any effect on survival and psychosomatic self-regulation of patients with ovarian cancer? Patients and methods: Prospective recruitment and long-term follow-up in controlled cohort studies. (1) Two randomized matched-pair studies: OvarRand (ovarian cancer patients without distant metastases; 21 pairs) and OvarMetRand (ovarian cancer patients with distant metastases; 20 pairs); patients having no mistletoe therapy were matched for prognostic factors. By paired random allocation, one of the patients of each pair was suggested therapy with mistletoe extracts Iscador to be applied by her attending physician. (2) Two non-randomized matched-pair studies: Ovar (ovarian cancer patients without distant metastases; 75 pairs) and OvarRand (ovarian cancer patients with distant metastases; 62 pairs); patients that already received therapy with mistletoe extracts Iscador were matched by the same criteria to control patients without therapy with mistletoe extracts Iscador. For overall survival in the randomized studies, the effect in favor of therapy with mistletoe extracts Iscador was significant in OvarMetRand but not in OvarRand; hazard ratio estimate and 95% confidence interval: 0.40 (0.15, 1.03) and 0.33 (0.12, 0.92), respectively. In the non-randomized studies Ovar and OvarMet, the results adjusted for relevant prognostic variables were 0.47 (0.31, 0.69) and 0.62 (0.37, 1.05). Psychosomatic self-regulation in the Iscador group increases significantly within 12 months on a scale from 1 to 6 compared with the control group in the randomized study OvarRand as well as in the non-randomized study Ovar on patients with ovarian cancer without distant metastases; estimate of the median difference and 95% confidence interval: 0.58 (0.30, 0.90) and 0.30 (0.05, 0.65), respectively. Mistletoe extracts Iscador might have the effect of prolonging overall survival of ovarian cancer patients. In the short term, psychosomatic self-regulation increases more markedly under Iscador therapy than under conventional therapy alone.