Complete remission and long-term survival of a patient with melanoma metastases treated with high-dose fever-inducing Viscum album extract: A case report

• Published in: Medicine (Baltimore) Vol. 96; no. 46; p. e8731
• Main Authors: Werthmann, Paul G, Hintze, Alexander, Kienle, Gunver S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Wolters Kluwer Health 01.11.2017
• Subjects: Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic - administration & dosage; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic - adverse effects; Clinical Case Report; Ear Auricle; Ear Neoplasms - drug therapy; Ear Neoplasms - pathology; Female; Humans; Hyperthermia, Induced - methods; Lymphatic Metastasis; Melanoma - mortality; Melanoma - secondary; Middle Aged; Parotid Neoplasms - drug therapy; Parotid Neoplasms - secondary; Phytotherapy - methods; Plant Extracts - administration & dosage; Remission Induction - methods; Skin Neoplasms - mortality; Skin Neoplasms - pathology; Viscum album - chemistry
• ISSN: 0025-7974; 1536-5964
• DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000008731

Metastatic malignant cutaneous melanoma (MCM)-a highly immunogenic cancer-typically has a poor prognosis. Viscum album extracts (VAEs) have strong immune-stimulating, apoptogenic, and cytotoxic effects. A 66-year-old MCM patient with newly diagnosed lymph node metastases opted for sole VAE treatment. VAEs were initially applied subcutaneously, and then later in exceptionally high, fever-inducing doses, both intravenously and intralesionally. The metastases shrunk over the following months, and after 2 years, all lesions had completely remitted (regional and hilar lymph nodes). The patient has been tumor free for 3.5 years at the time of publication (and for 5 years since initiation of intensified VAE treatment). Besides fever and flu-like symptoms, no side effects occurred. We presume that VAE triggered an increased release of tumor-associated antigens, enhanced immunologic recognition, and increased immune response against the tumor tissue and induced tumor remission.