Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36879290›Full record

Trial reportRadiation oncology (London, England)2023

Evaluation of quality of life in lung cancer patients receiving radiation and Viscum album L.: a real-world data study.

Friedemann Schad, Diana Steinmann, Shiao Li Oei, Anja Thronicke, Christian Grah

Abstract readClinical Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Radiation oncology (London, England), 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
10citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

10 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Mistletoe in Cancer Cell Biology: Recent Advances.Current issues in molecular biology · 2025
    Review
  3. Combined Immune Checkpoint Blockade and HelixorInternational journal of molecular sciences · 2025
    Article
  4. Article
  5. Review
  6. Article
  7. Immune Checkpoint Blockade Combined with AbnobaViscumPharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024
    Article
  8. Article
  9. The Antioxidant Activity of Mistletoes (Plants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023
    Review
  10. The Anti-Inflammatory Activity ofPlants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023
    Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Friedemann SchadHospital Gemeinschaftskrankenhaus Havelhöhe, Research Institute Havelhöhe, Kladower Damm 221, 14089, Berlin, Germany. friedemann.schad@havelhoehe.de.
Diana SteinmannDepartment of Radiotherapy and Special Oncology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
Shiao Li OeiHospital Gemeinschaftskrankenhaus Havelhöhe, Research Institute Havelhöhe, Kladower Damm 221, 14089, Berlin, Germany.
Anja ThronickeHospital Gemeinschaftskrankenhaus Havelhöhe, Research Institute Havelhöhe, Kladower Damm 221, 14089, Berlin, Germany.
Christian GrahLung Cancer Centre, Hospital Gemeinschaftskrankenhaus Havelhöhe, Berlin, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundLung cancer (LC) is associated with high mortality and poor quality of life (QoL). The disease as well as oncological treatments such as radiation and chemotherapy with adverse effects can impair the QoL of patients. Add-on treatment with extracts of Viscum album L. (white-berry European mistletoe, VA) has been shown to be feasible and safe and to improve the QoL of cancer patients. The aim of this study was to analyze the changes in QoL of LC patients being treated with radiation according to oncological guidelines and add-on VA treatment in a real-world setting.

methodsA real-world data study was conducted using registry data. Self-reported QoL was assessed by the evaluation of the European Organization of Research and Treatment Health-Related Quality of Life Core Questionnaire scale (EORTC QLQ-C30). Adjusted multivariate linear regression analyses were performed to analyze factors associated with changes in QoL at 12 months.

resultsA total of 112 primary LC patients (all stages, 92% non-small-cell lung cancer, median age 70 (ICR: 63-75)), answered the questionnaires at first diagnosis and 12 months later. Assessment of 12 months changes in QoL revealed significant improvement of 27 points for pain (p = 0.006) and 17 points for nausea/vomiting (p = 0.005) in patients who received combined radiation and VA. In addition, significant improvements of 15 to 21 points for role (p = 0.03), physical (p = 0.02), cognitive (p = 0.04), and social functioning (p = 0.04) were observed in guideline treated patients receiving no radiation but add-on VA.

conclusionsAdd-on VA therapy reveals supportive effects for the QoL of LC patients. Particularly in combination with radiation a significant reduction in pain and nausea/ vomiting has been observed. Trial registration The study received ethics approval and was retrospectively registered (DRKS00013335 on 27/11/2017).

Indexed as

Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell LungLung NeoplasmsViscum albumAgedHumansNauseaPainQuality of LifeIntegrative oncologyLung cancerMistletoeMultimodal therapyNon-small-cell lung cancerQuality of lifeRadiotherapy

Identifiers

PMID36879290
PMCPMC9990362

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.