INTRODUCTION: Mistletoe preparations, such as iscador, are common complementary medications. This randomised phase II study of iscador combined with carboplatin-containing regimens was conducted in chemotherapy-naïve advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients to assess its influence on chemotherapy-related side-effects and QoL. METHODS:Patients with advanced NSCLC were randomised to receive chemotherapy alone or chemotherapy plus iscador thrice weekly until tumour progression. Chemotherapy consisted of 21-day cycles of carboplatin combined with gemcitabine or pemetrexed. RESULTS:Seventy-two patients (control: 39; iscador: 33) were enrolled in the study. Most (65%) were in stage IV, and 62% had squamous histology. Median overall survival in both groups was 11 months. Median TTP was 4.8 months for the controls and 6 months in the iscador arm (p=NS). Differences in grade 3-4 haematological toxicity were not significant but more control patients had chemotherapy dose reductions (44% versus 13%, p=0.005), grade 3-4 non-haematological toxicities (41% versus 16%, p=0.043) and hospitalisations (54% versus 24%, p=0.016). CONCLUSION: No effect of iscador could be found on quality of life or total adverse events. Nevertheless, chemotherapy dose reductions, severe non-haematological side-effects and hospitalisations were less frequent in patients treated with iscador, warranting further investigation of iscador as a modifier of chemotherapy-related toxicity.
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INTRODUCTION: Mistletoe preparations, such as iscador, are common complementary medications. This randomised phase II study of iscador combined with carboplatin-containing regimens was conducted in chemotherapy-naïve advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients to assess its influence on chemotherapy-related side-effects and QoL. METHODS:Patients with advanced NSCLC were randomised to receive chemotherapy alone or chemotherapy plus iscador thrice weekly until tumour progression. Chemotherapy consisted of 21-day cycles of carboplatin combined with gemcitabine or pemetrexed. RESULTS: Seventy-two patients (control: 39; iscador: 33) were enrolled in the study. Most (65%) were in stage IV, and 62% had squamous histology. Median overall survival in both groups was 11 months. Median TTP was 4.8 months for the controls and 6 months in the iscador arm (p=NS). Differences in grade 3-4 haematological toxicity were not significant but more control patients had chemotherapy dose reductions (44% versus 13%, p=0.005), grade 3-4 non-haematological toxicities (41% versus 16%, p=0.043) and hospitalisations (54% versus 24%, p=0.016). CONCLUSION: No effect of iscador could be found on quality of life or total adverse events. Nevertheless, chemotherapy dose reductions, severe non-haematological side-effects and hospitalisations were less frequent in patients treated with iscador, warranting further investigation of iscador as a modifier of chemotherapy-related toxicity.
Authors: Eran Ben-Arye; Elad Schiff; Catherine Zollman; Peter Heusser; Pablo Mountford; Moshe Frenkel; Gil Bar-Sela; Ofer Lavie Journal: Med Oncol Date: 2013-02-23 Impact factor: 3.064
Authors: Luara de Sousa Monteiro; Katherine Xavier Bastos; José Maria Barbosa-Filho; Petrônio Filgueiras de Athayde-Filho; Margareth de Fátima Formiga Melo Diniz; Marianna Vieira Sobral Journal: Evid Based Complement Alternat Med Date: 2014-07-24 Impact factor: 2.629
Authors: Patrick J Mansky; Dawn B Wallerstedt; Timothy S Sannes; Jamie Stagl; Laura Lee Johnson; Marc R Blackman; Jean L Grem; Sandra M Swain; Brian P Monahan Journal: Evid Based Complement Alternat Med Date: 2013-10-27 Impact factor: 2.629