Technical disputes on the effectiveness of mistletoe therapy
The mistletoe therapy is often used for accompanying the treatment of cancer, the effect remained, despite Successes in practice – is always controversial. At the beginning of the year 2019 were then published two studies, no additional benefit of mistletoe therapy were able to detect and, therefore, the application of the Foundation removed. However, the study have significant scientific shortcomings, and the result is doubt, therefore, the allegation of a German research team in a review of the Reviews.
In numerous scientific publications have already shown the benefits of mistletoe therapy, but the researchers came to Maren Friend from the University hospital of Jena, in their Review of the studies published to date, to the conclusion, that neither in relation to the quality of life in relation to the Survival benefits due to mistletoe therapy. The Review does not Stand up to a scientific assessment, however, so the criticism made. The benefits of mistletoe therapy were included in the Review correctly.
Various shortcomings of the Reviews
In the current opinion of the researchers, Professor Dr. med. Harald Matthes of the Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin worn her criticism of the Review on mistletoe therapy. This way, various defects such as incomplete (e.g., exclusion of studies), lack of transparency of the methodology, the lack of implementation of a Meta-analysis, as well as a faulty and inadequate assessment of the risk of distortion, so the accusation of researchers.
In addition, the conclusions of the review were surprising, as in 14 studies, a significant improvement in quality of life, in two studies a positive Trend and only in one study, no effect will be demonstrated. The authors of the Reviews, however, came to the conclusion that there is no influence on the quality of life was observed.
Controversial debate about the mistletoe therapy
“The debate about the efficacy of mistletoe therapy is always guided again to be controversial,” says Professor Matthes in a Press release of the umbrella Association of Anthroposophic medicine in Germany (DAMiD). Here, it is important to be able to data, support the scientific Standards. “This is not in the present Review, however, the case, so that is out of work and no meaningful conclusions can be drawn”, so the criticism of Matthes.
Right now high-quality research to be work on mistletoe therapy is urgently required, since in this year a guideline on the application of the complementary medicine to be published in the Oncology, stresses the research team. “The decision of whether mistletoe therapy is taken, of course, depends on the scientific evaluation of this therapeutic option,” adds Dr. med. Friedemann Schad, Director of the certified Oncological centre at the community hospital havelhöhe.
Review should be revised
The research team is not stimulated in the current Statement, “that the Review will be revised as the work meets the criteria of a systematic review sufficient” malicious more. The goal should be “to provide Physicians and health professionals, data available, with which you can make the right decisions on the ground of evidence-based recommendations.”
Corroborated the criticism of the Review by two recent publications, the come to entirely different and positive results for the mistletoe therapy, so the message of the DAMiD. Despite these new results, and has been scientifically published criticism, no content Revision by the author, however, authors of the review takes place. (fp)