Mistletoe therapy: basic research and clinical practice
3rd Mistletoe Symposium in the European Education
Centre (Europäisches Bildungszentrum), Nonnweiler-Otzenhausen,
20-22 November 2003
Rainer Scheer
From 20-22 November 2003, approximately 100 doctors from various
therapeutic fields and scientists from virtually every branch of
medicine and pharmaceutics met in Nonnweiler (Saarland) to present
and discuss the current state of basic research and the clinical
use of mistletoe products in tumour therapy. Such a conference was
only possible because it was sponsored and arranged by the Karl and
Veronica Carstens Foundation and the Society of Anthroposophical
Physicians in Germany (GAÄD), together with the Society for
Medicinal Plant Research (GA), the Phytotherapy Society (GPhyt),
the German Pharmaceutical Society (DPhG) and the Central
Association of Physicians of Nature Medicine and Regulative
Medicine (ZÄN). As in the two previous conferences, Dr. Rainer
Scheer, of the Carl Gustav Carus Institute in Niefern-Öschelbronn,
was responsible for the organisation. Further members of the
scientific organising committee were Professors Bauer (Graz),
Becker (Saarbrücken), Fintelmann (Hamburg), Kemper (Münster) and
Schilcher (Munich).
This interdisciplinary symposium saw the continuation of a
number of mistletoe symposia which have taken place every four
years since 1995. They aim to provide a meeting point and
discussion forum for scientists and physicians from various
therapeutic fields and scientific disciplines, allowing them
regularly to take stock of currently available studies and data.
Practicians can thus form an objective picture of the potential
uses and limits of mistletoe and take fresh impetus from the
symposium, in order to undertake new research. This, in turn, will
provide convincing data for an improved and more objective dialogue
between the physicians of traditional medicine and their colleagues
from other specialised areas (anthroposophy, homeopathy and
phytotherapy).
During the three days of the symposium, the current state of
knowledge was presented in nine review papers, 32 short papers and
13 posters. The packed and balanced programme allowed for lively
and constructive discussion and included contributions to relevant
topics ranging from biology, pharmacy, the effects of various
ingredients and their interactions with one another, immunology and
clinical aspects, to clinical studies and proof of efficacy. Of
particular interest was the participation of a number of young
researchers, whose refreshing contributions helped to establish new
perspectives. For some time now, the use of mistletoe in tumour
therapy has not been restricted only to anthroposophical therapy.
Many reports confirm more than 80 years of medical experience and
the therapeutic benefit of mistletoe therapy, which also brings a
quantifiable and statistically significant benefit in terms of the
hard endpoints of cancer therapy, i.e., survival time and quality
of life. The clinical studies, however, do not comply with the
current requirements of Good Clinical Practice (GCP). Randomisation
is seen as a problem when conducting such studies. Nevertheless,
the safety of mistletoe is generally considered to be established.
Numerous experimental studies have allayed the suspicion that
mistletoe induces progression in some types of tumour. The
experiments of a Munich working group could not be reproduced and
on closer inspection, it became apparent that these early findings
were mainly due to the fluctuations inherent in such biological
tests. Large-scale, long-term studies in the therapy of patients
with various tumour types (breast cancer, melanoma, malignant
lymphomas) showed no tumour enhancement associated with mistletoe
products.
All abstracts can be found at www.mistelsymposium.de.
The contributions are set to appear at the end of 2004 in the form
of a book published by KVC Verlag, Essen. You are cordially invited
to the 4th Mistletoe Symposium, which is planned for
November 2006, i.e., in only three years time.
In conclusion, the approximately 100 scientists from virtually
every branch of medicine and pharmaceutics issued the Nonnweiler
Declaration, in which they announced that, from the scientific and
ethical point of view, it is vitally important that the statutory
health insurance funds continue to refund the costs of all
parenterally administered mistletoe products, both allopathic and
anthroposophical. In the declaration, they demanded that the newly
formed Federal Joint Committee should include mistletoe products
used in tumour therapy in the so-called Exclusion List and they
referred to the available scientific data. The following gives the
exact wording of the Nonnweiler Declaration:
Ref.: § 34 (SGB* V), in association with GMG**; Directive § 92
paragraph 1 - clause 2 - no. 6
NONNWEILER
DECLARATION
The participants in the 3rd International Symposium
"Mistletoe in tumour therapy - basic research and clinical
practice" (20-22 November 2003, Nonnweiler) declare that, on
the basis of the available results of scientific research and the
new results announced and discussed in Nonnweiler, the parenteral
administration of allopathic and anthroposophical
mistletoe products fulfils the requirements of Directive § 92
paragraph 1 - clause 2 - no. 6.
The assembled representatives from the fields of medicine and
pharmaceutics, bearing in mind the ethical responsibility they bear
to their patients who seek advice from them, demand the inclusion
of mistletoe products in the so-called EXCLUSION LIST.
Signed in the name of the symposium participants by
Prof. Dr. Rudolf Bauer, Society for Medicinal Plant Research
(GA)
Prof. Dr. Hans Becker, University of Saarland
Prof. Dr. Volker Fintelmann, Carl Gustav Carus Academy,
Hamburg
Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Fritz Kemper, Phytotherapy Society
(Gphyt)
Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Heinz Schilcher, Central Association of
Physicians of Nature Medicine and Regulative Medicine (ZÄN)
Dr. Henning Albrecht, Karl and Veronica Carstens Foundation
Dr. Matthias Girke, Society of Anthroposophical Physicians in
Germany (GAÄD)
* Social security code
**
Health System Modernisation Act
Dr. Rainer Scheer, Carl Gustav Carus Institute,
Niefern-Öschelbronn
Vertreter namhafter wissenschaftlicher Fachgesellschaften
formulierten die Nonnweiler Erklärung (von links): Prof. Dr. Volker
Fintelmann, Hamburg, Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Heinz Schilcher, München,
Prof Dr. Hans Becker Saarbrücken, Dr. Rainer Scheer
Niefern-Öschelbronn, Prof Dr. Rudolf Bauer Graz, und Prof Dr. Dr.
h. c. mult. Fritz Kemper, Münster.
Nonnweiler Erklärung
Die Teilnehmer des 3. Internationalen Symposiums "Die Mistel in
der Tumortherapie - Grundlagenforschung und Klinik" (20. - 22.
November 2003, Nonnweiler) erklären auf der Grundlage der
vorliegenden wissenschaftlichen Forschungsergebnisse sowie in
Kenntnis der in Nonnweiler vorgetragenen und diskutierten neuen
Resultate, dass eine parenterale Applikation allopathischer und
anthroposophischer Mistelpräparate die Voraussetzungen der
Richtlinie § 92 Abs. 1 - Satz 2 - Nr. 6 erfüllt.
Die versammelten Vertreter aus Medizin und Pharmazie, zugleich
in ethischer Verantwortung im Namen der ihnen anvertrauten und Rat
suchenden kranken Menschen fordern eine Aufnahme von
Mistelpräparaten in die sog. Ausnahmeliste.
Further press reports
GA
Newsletter 2003 Planta Medica 69, 8