TY - JOUR
T1 - Mistletoe Extract Viscum Fraxini-2 for Treatment of Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma
T2 - A Case Series
AU - Lee, Richard T.
AU - Yang, Peiying
AU - Alahmadi, Asrar
AU - McQuade, Jennifer
AU - Yuan, Eric
AU - DIfeo, Analisa
AU - Narla, Goutham
AU - Kaseb, Ahmed
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 The Author(s). Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.
PY - 2021/1
Y1 - 2021/1
N2 - Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fourth leading cause of death from cancer worldwide, and for advanced HCC the prognosis is poor. Preliminary studies indicate mistletoe extracts may have anticancer activity for HCC. Methods: A prospective observational case series of advanced HCC patients that chose to take a mistletoe extract called viscum fraxini-2 (VF-2) alone for treatment. Time on treatment, imaging, and laboratory values were collected for descriptive analyses. Results: A total of 12 patients with advanced HCC enrolled onto the protocol, and 10 patients had data available for evaluation. The majority were male (10/12) with a median age of 64 (SD 11). Most patients had received sorafenib therapy (9/12) and had varying Child-Pugh classes (A-4, B-6, C-2). Treatment with VF-2 ranged from 1 to 36 weeks with a mean of 12.3 weeks (SD 12). Six patients received 8 weeks of treatment, and 3 patients received 12 or more weeks of treatment. For patients that received at least 4 weeks of treatment, the average AFP value stabilized during the first 4 weeks of treatment. Two patients experienced an AFP decrease of >30%, approximately 37 and 40% decreases at the nadir. One patient had stable disease of 9 months. Major side effects were fever, fatigue, rash, and local injection site reaction of swelling, redness, and tenderness. Conclusion: This case series of advanced HCC indicates that mistletoe extract VF-2 may have potential biological activity against HCC for selected patients. Research is needed to identify the active compound and predictive markers of response.
AB - Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fourth leading cause of death from cancer worldwide, and for advanced HCC the prognosis is poor. Preliminary studies indicate mistletoe extracts may have anticancer activity for HCC. Methods: A prospective observational case series of advanced HCC patients that chose to take a mistletoe extract called viscum fraxini-2 (VF-2) alone for treatment. Time on treatment, imaging, and laboratory values were collected for descriptive analyses. Results: A total of 12 patients with advanced HCC enrolled onto the protocol, and 10 patients had data available for evaluation. The majority were male (10/12) with a median age of 64 (SD 11). Most patients had received sorafenib therapy (9/12) and had varying Child-Pugh classes (A-4, B-6, C-2). Treatment with VF-2 ranged from 1 to 36 weeks with a mean of 12.3 weeks (SD 12). Six patients received 8 weeks of treatment, and 3 patients received 12 or more weeks of treatment. For patients that received at least 4 weeks of treatment, the average AFP value stabilized during the first 4 weeks of treatment. Two patients experienced an AFP decrease of >30%, approximately 37 and 40% decreases at the nadir. One patient had stable disease of 9 months. Major side effects were fever, fatigue, rash, and local injection site reaction of swelling, redness, and tenderness. Conclusion: This case series of advanced HCC indicates that mistletoe extract VF-2 may have potential biological activity against HCC for selected patients. Research is needed to identify the active compound and predictive markers of response.
KW - Fraxini
KW - Hepatocellular carcinoma
KW - Mistletoe lectin
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U2 - 10.1159/000511566
DO - 10.1159/000511566
M3 - Article
C2 - 33776708
AN - SCOPUS:85102102445
SN - 1662-6575
VL - 14
SP - 224
EP - 231
JO - Case Reports in Oncology
JF - Case Reports in Oncology
IS - 1
ER -