Werthmann, Paul G.Hintze, AlexanderKienle, Gunver S.2024-05-232024-05-232017Werthmann, P. G., Hintze, A., & Kienle, G. S. (2017). Complete remission and long-term survival of a patient with melanoma metastases treated with high-dose fever-inducing Viscum album extract: A case report. Medicine, 96(46), e8731. https://doi.org/10.1097/MD.0000000000008731https://doi.org/10.1097/MD.0000000000008731https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14430/444<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"><strong>Introduction</strong>: Metastatic malignant cutaneous melanoma (MCM)—a highly immunogenic cancer—typically has a poor prognosis. Viscum album extracts (VAEs) have strong immune-stimulating, apoptogenic, and cytotoxic effects.</p><p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"><strong>Case presentation</strong>: A 66-year-old MCM patient with newly diagnosed lymph node metastases opted for sole VAE treatment. VAEs were initially applied subcutaneously, and then later in exceptionally high, fever-inducing doses, both intravenously and intralesionally. The metastases shrunk over the following months, and after 2 years, all lesions had completely remitted (regional and hilar lymph nodes). The patient has been tumor free for 3.5 years at the time of publication (and for 5 years since initiation of intensified VAE treatment). Besides fever and flu-like symptoms, no side effects occurred.</p><p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"><strong>Discussion</strong>: We presume that VAE triggered an increased release of tumor-associated antigens, enhanced immunologic recognition, and increased immune response against the tumor tissue and induced tumor remission.</p><p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"><strong>Abbreviations</strong>: AJCC = American Joint Committee on Cancer, BRAF = rapidly growing fibrosarcoma type B gene, FDG = Fludeoxyglucose (18F), MCM = malignant cutaneous melanoma, ML = mistletoe lectin, PET-CT = positron emission tomography–computed tomography, UICC = Union internationale contre le cancer, VAE = Viscum album extracts, VT = viscotoxin.</p><p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"><strong>Keywords</strong>: complete remission, fever, malignant cutaneous melanoma, Mistletoe, Viscum album extract</p><p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"><strong>Citation</strong>: Werthmann, P. G., Hintze, A., &amp; Kienle, G. S. (2017). Complete remission and long-term survival of a patient with melanoma metastases treated with high-dose fever-inducing Viscum album extract: A case report. <em>Medicine</em>, <em>96</em>(46), e8731. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1097/MD.0000000000008731" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.1097/MD.0000000000008731</a></p>malignant cutaneous melanomaViscum album extractComplete remissionFeverMistletoe/library/2021/3/8/complete-remission-and-long-term-survival-of-a-patient-with-melanoma-metastases-treated-with-high-dose-fever-inducing-viscum-album-extract-a-case-report