INTRAVENOUS APPLICATION OF HELIXOR® IN GYNECOLOGICAL ONCOLOGY: IS IT SAFE?
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29121/granthaalayah.v5.i10.2017.2306Keywords:
Intravenous Infusion of Helixor, Mistletoe, Gynecological CancerAbstract [English]
Background: Traditional mistletoe (Viscum album L.) therapy has been frequently used in patients with cancer in Europe. The different mistletoe formulations available for oncological use are Iscador®, Iscucin®, AbnovaViscum®, and Lektinol®, as well as Helixor®, which may improve therapeutic outcomes following intravenous (i.v.) administration and therefore, is becoming more commonly used.
Method: I conducted an observational study in four different University Hospital Centers and the frequency of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) induced by the i.v. infusion of Helixor® was determined.
Result: of the 108 patients with gynecological cancer who received i.v. infusions of Helixor®, 10 (9.3%) reported mild ADRs, and no serious ADRs were reported.
Conclusion: Therefore, i.v. infusion of Helixor® was determined to be safe, and prospective efficacy studies are recommended.
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