• Mistletoe is a plant that grows on several types of trees and has been used since ancient times to treat many ailments (see Question 1 and Question 2).



• Mistletoe extract has been shown to kill cancer cells in the laboratory and to boost the immune system (see Question 3).



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



• Many human studies using mistletoe to treat cancer have been done in Europe with unclear results, and a few clinical trials in the United States and abroad are in progress (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 or used except for clinical research (see Question 8)

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