Clinical Regression of Chondrosarcoma Applying High Doses of Viscum album extracts (VAE) by Intratumoral Injection: A Case Report

Abstract

Mistletoe lectins (ML/VAL) are known to induce apoptotic cell death. Intratumoral applications of Viscum album extract (VAE) have induced local tumor response in various cancer entities for variant carcinomas. A 46-year-old male patient suffering from chondrosarcoma had two large-sized masses (40 cm x 25 cm x 17 cm) and a satellite tumor (8 cm x 14 cm x 3 cm). The patient was treated with by 24 times Abnobaviscum F (fraxini) 20 mg intratumoral injections and concomitant administration of 19 times Helixor A (abietis) 100 mg IV infusions weekly. 32 weeks after treatment the tumoral parenchyma showed a significant regression (>70% of the tumor size) These treatments aimed to improve survival and QoL by reducing tumor burden and symptoms, such as shortness of breath, coughing, hemoptysis, and cachexia.

Retrospectively, on average, the lectin amount in one ampoule of Abnobaviscum F 20 mg was 205.2 ng/ml. As eight ampoules of Abnobaviscum F 20 mg (total 160 mg) were injected into the patient a day by intratumoral application, up to 1,642 ng/ml of mistletoe lectin (ML) was injected as the extending maximum high-dose in safety. The concentration of VAL was determined by ELISA. Reference mistletoe lectin was isolated using an immunoaffinity column with lectin- specific monoclonal antibodies.