Mistletoe: Affordability and access - CancerChoices



Extracts from this woody plant are injected or infused for cancer treatment, often reducing side effects and improving quality of life, and perhaps improving survival.

Affordability and access

Prescription required?

  • Yes. Injected mistletoe—the form used in cancer care—requires a prescription from a licensed physician.

Other names and brands

You may find mistletoe under these alternate names and brands: 

  • ABNOBA viscum
  • Abnoba-viscum
  • All-heal
  • Eurixor
  • Helixor
  • Iscador
  • Iscador Qu
  • Isorel
  • Lektinol
  • Viscum
  • Viscum album
  • White-berry mistletoe

Where to access

Mistletoe is widely available in Germany. Considered a drug, it is regulated by the German drug agency, which also regulates herbs.

Mistletoe is available in Canada from Helixor Canada, 1-877-734-1686 or info@helixor.ca

In the US, intravenous (IV) mistletoe therapy is not yet available as standard therapy in medical offices; it is available only in clinical trials. Access to subcutaneous injectable mistletoe is available in the USA, but healthcare professionals are not allowed to give mistletoe by injection. A patient must self-inject it. 

The first step is to find a licensed practitioner who is trained in providing mistletoe therapy and can assess if mistletoe is right for you. If so, they will walk you through the process of obtaining the injectable mistletoe and teach you how to give the injections to yourself. 

Find a licensed practitioner trained in mistletoe therapy

Other directories of practitioners

Mistletoe Therapy ›

Find practitioners or clinics providing mistletoe

Affordability 

  • In a 2015 post, the average cost of mistletoe treatment at GW Center For Integrative Medicine in Washington, DC, is listed from $100 to $200 per month.

Helpful link

Keep reading about mistletoe

Author

Nancy Hepp, MS

Lead Researcher
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Ms. Hepp is a researcher and communicator who has been writing and editing educational content on varied health topics for more than 20 years. She serves as lead researcher and writer for CancerChoices and also served as the first program manager. Her graduate work in research and cognitive psychology, her master’s degree in instructional design, and her certificate in web design have all guided her in writing and presenting information for a wide variety of audiences and uses. Nancy’s service as faculty development coordinator in the Department of Family Medicine at Wright State University also provided experience in medical research, plus insights into medical education and medical care from the professional’s perspective.

Nancy Hepp, MS Lead Researcher

Reviewers

Laura Pole, MSN, RN, OCNS

Senior Clinical Consultant
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Laura Pole is senior clinical consultant for CancerChoices. Laura is an oncology clinical nurse specialist who has been providing integrative oncology clinical care, navigation, consultation, and education services for over 40 years. She is the co-creator and co-coordinator of the Integrative Oncology Navigation Training at Smith Center for Healing and the Arts in Washington, DC. Laura also manages the “Media Watch Cancer News That You Can Use” listserv for Smith Center/Commonweal. In her role as a palliative care educator and consultant, Laura has served as statewide Respecting Choices Faculty for the Virginia POST (Physician Orders for Scope of Treatment) Collaborative as well as provided statewide professional education on palliative and end-of-life care for the Virginia Association for Hospices and Palliative Care.

For CancerChoices, Laura curates content and research, networks with clinical and organizational partners, brings awareness and education of integrative oncology at professional and patient conferences and programs, and translates research into information relevant to the patient experience as well as clinical practice.

Laura sees her work with CancerChoices as a perfect alignment of all her passions, knowledge and skills in integrative oncology care. She is honored to serve you.

Laura Pole, MSN, RN, OCNS Senior Clinical Consultant

Gunver Sophia Kienle, MD

Physician, medical researcher, and CancerChoices advisor
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Dr. Kienle studied medicine in Witten-Herdecke and Göttingen, Germany, and received methodological training at Harvard University in the USA. Her research interests and activities include clinical trials on anthroposophic medicine, mistletoe therapy, eurythmy therapy, placebo effects, clinical research methodology, clinical judgement, single-case study designs, case reporting, cognition-based medicine, systematic reviews on pre-clinical and clinical studies on mistletoe therapy, and reviews on tumor biology, tumor immunology, bacterial vaccine therapy, and system approaches in medicine. Dr Kienle has conducted a health technology assessment report on anthroposophic medicine.

Gunver Sophia Kienle, MD Physician, medical researcher, and CancerChoices advisor

Last update: September 19, 2024

Last full literature review: October 2021

CancerChoices provides information about integrative in cancer care, a patient-centered approach combining the best of conventional care, self care and evidence-informed complementary care in an integrated plan cancer care. We review complementaryin cancer care, complementary care involves the use of therapies intended to enhance or add to standard conventional treatments; examples include supplements, mind-body approaches such as yoga or psychosocial therapy, and acupuncture therapies and self-care lifestyle actions and behaviors that may impact cancer outcomes; examples include eating health-promoting foods, limiting alcohol, increasing physical activity, and managing stress practices to help patients and professionals explore and integrate the best combination of conventionalthe cancer care offered by conventionally trained physicians and most hospitals; examples are chemotherapy, surgery, and radiotherapy and complementary therapies and practices for each person.

Our staff have no financial conflicts of interest to declare. We receive no funds from any manufacturers or retailers gaining financial profit by promoting or discouraging therapies mentioned on this site.

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