The host tree plays no role
These three preparations are usually made from poplar mistletoe, a very common form of the plant. The manufacturers do not provide detailed information about the host trees and the selection of a host tree plays no role for this form of therapy.
Coverage of costs
These preparations are only approved for supportive (palliative) treatment of cancer. Health insurance companies only cover the costs for patients who are in this stage of the disease.
Therapy cycles
Therapy is carried out over a period of five years in cycles of three months with interruptions of three to four weeks between cycles.
Phytotherapeutic Preparations
Three preparations exist which have not been developed within the context of Anthroposophical Medicine, but within that of Phytotherapy : Cefalektin, Eurixor and Lektinol. The last two are standardised in terms of a certain content of mistletoe lectin I.
All three preparations are available in only one strength. The dosage is determined on the basis of body weight. At the beginning of the treatment, the solution from the ampoule is diluted with physiological saline solution in order to test the patient’s tolerance. If no reddening of the skin occurs or it does not exceed an area measuring two centimetres in diameter, treatment using the prescribed concentration can begin immediately. If there is a stronger reaction to the preparation, the solution in the ampoule is diluted again or the physician prescribes a different mistletoe preparation.
As a general rule, all three preparations are administered twice a week using the same dosage; Cefalektin is administered once a day subcutaneously. One therapy cycle lasts three months. Then the therapy is interrupted for a period of three to four weeks before the next therapy cycle begins. The mistletoe treatment is to be continued in this way over a period of five years.
These three preparations are usually made from poplar mistletoe, a very common form of the plant. The manufacturers do not provide detailed information about the host trees.
All phytotherapeutic mistletoe preparations are only approved for supportive (palliative) treatment of cancer. For this reason, health insurance companies in Germany only cover the costs for these medicaments if they are prescribed for this purpose and during this phase of the disease.
At a glance
The preparations developed within the field of phytotherapy are not specified according to host trees. They are administered subcutaneously in the same dosage twice a week or, in the case of Cefalektin, once a day, for several years.