• Mistletoe is a plant that grows on several types of common trees such as apple, oak, and elm, and has been used since ancient times to treat many ailments (see Question 1).



• Mistletoe extract has been shown to kill cancer cells in the laboratory and to affect the immune system. However, there is no evidence that mistletoe's effects on the immune system help the body fight cancer (see Question 2 and Question 3).



• Mistletoe extracts are usually given by injection under the skin or, less often, into a vein or into the pleural cavity (see Question 4).



• Animal studies have suggested that mistletoe may be useful in decreasing the side effects of standard anticancer therapy, such as chemotherapy and radiation (see Question 5).



• More than 30 human studies using mistletoe to treat cancer have been done since the early 1960s, but major weaknesses in many of these have raised doubts about their findings (see Question 6).



• Very few bad side effects have been reported from the use of mistletoe extract, though mistletoe plants and berries are poisonous to humans (see Question 7).



• The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved mistletoe as a treatment for cancer or any other medical condition (see Question 8).



• The FDA does not allow injectable mistletoe to be imported, sold, or used except for clinical research (see Question 8).

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