Durable response of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma following high-dose peri-lesional injections of Viscum album extracts--a case report

Paul Georg Werthmann; Gregor Sträter; Hedda Friesland; Gunver Sophia Kienle

doi:10.1016/j.phymed.2012.11.001

Durable response of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma following high-dose peri-lesional injections of Viscum album extracts--a case report

Phytomedicine. 2013 Feb 15;20(3-4):324-7. doi: 10.1016/j.phymed.2012.11.001.

Authors

Paul Georg Werthmann¹, Gregor Sträter, Hedda Friesland, Gunver Sophia Kienle

Affiliation

¹ Institute for Applied Epistemology and Medical Methodology at the University of Witten/Herdecke, Freiburg, Germany. paul.werthmann@ifaemm.de

PMID: 23394841
DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2012.11.001

Abstract

Background: Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) is a common locally invasive skin cancer which rarely metastasises. First-line treatment is surgical excision, which is curative in most cases. Viscum album extract (VAE) is a widely used herbal cancer treatment with cytotoxic, apoptogenic and immunological effects, but has not been investigated in CSCC.

Case presentation: A 78-year-old patient with histologically diagnosed CSCC refused surgical excision and was treated with peri-lesional high-dose VAE. After 10 months of treatment the CSCC had disappeared clinically. The patient has been recurrence-free for 4 years.

Conclusion: The presented case shows clinical response of a CSCC to high-dose peri-lesional VAE injections. Further research on VAE in CSCC is warranted.

Publication types

Case Reports
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Aged
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / drug therapy*
Facial Neoplasms / drug therapy*
Humans
Injections
Male
Phytotherapy*
Plant Extracts / administration & dosage*
Viscum album*

Substances

Plant Extracts
abnoba viscum