Intralesional and subcutaneous application of Viscum album L. (European mistletoe) extract in cervical carcinoma in situ: A CARE compliant case report (vol 97, e13420, 2018)

Rationale: Carcinoma in situ (CIS) of the uterine cervix is a premalignant condition of squamous epithelium. The standard treatments are excision and ablation procedures; for women with positive margins, hysterectomy is recommended. Patient concerns: A 47-year-old Peruvian woman with recurrent candidal vaginitis had been diagnosed with colpocervicitis and squamous metaplasia 8 years ago, which were not treated. Diagnoses: The patient was diagnosed with CIS after cervical conization procedure. She refused radical hysterectomy and opted for integrative medicine treatment. Interventions: She was treated with intralesional and subcutaneous Viscum album L. extract (VAE) injections. VAE is a widely used herbal cancer treatment with cytotoxic, apoptogenic, and immunological effects, but it has not been investigated in cervical CIS. Outcomes: Ending month 5 of treatment, complete remission of cervical CIS was observed. The patient is still in remission after 30 months (until publication). Lessons: This is the first report on complete remission of cervical CIS after intralesional and subcutaneous injection with VAE. Prospective studies should evaluate to what degree the treatment effect is reproducible.