High-Dose IVC and Mistletoe Therapy Explored for Overall Survival in Palliative Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality globally, with rising incidence in Asian populations. Despite advances in conventional treatments like surgery, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy, challenges persist regarding recurrence, residual disease, and treatment-related toxicity, significantly impacting survival and quality of life. This creates a substantial unmet need, driving interest in complementary and integrative interventions, especially in advanced disease stages. Such therapies often aim to enhance host immune surveillance, alleviate treatment toxicities, and mitigate chronic systemic inflammation. Mistletoe extract (Viscum album L.) is studied for its immunomodulatory effects, enhancing natural killer cell activity and T-lymphocyte proliferation. Concurrently, high-dose intravenous vitamin C (IVC) is explored for its potent pro-oxidant properties, selectively targeting tumor cells, alongside its anti-inflammatory and mitochondria-protective effects in healthy tissues. This study addresses the gap in understanding how these complementary approaches might impact overall survival in palliative breast cancer settings.

This was designed as a prospective cohort study to investigate the impact of high-dose intravenous vitamin C (IVC) and mistletoe extract (Viscum album L.) therapy in patients with breast cancer receiving palliative care. The study aimed to assess overall survival as a primary outcome. However, the provided abstract/introduction does not detail specific patient numbers (n), exact dosing regimens (e.g., 0.1 mg/kg daily SC), routes of administration, treatment frequencies, or durations. It also does not specify the control arm or the precise methodologies (ELISA, qPCR) used for data collection.