title: An exploratory study on the quality of life and individual coping of cancer patients during mistletoe therapy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although several clinical studies have shown that mistletoe therapy (MT, Viscum album) may improve cancer patients' quality-of-life (QoL), qualitative information on the improvement's nature is still lacking.
  
  
  METHODS
  This exploratory, prospective, cohort-study comprised 25 patients with different types of cancer. The patients filled in the EORTC QLQ-C30 Version 3.0 questionnaire at the beginning of MT (n = 25) and three months later (n = 21). If patients agreed, they were interviewed on both occasions (n = 17); the interviews were transcribed verbatim and submitted to a qualitative content analysis (n = 12).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Analysis of the questionnaires showed significant improvements in several subscales during MT. The interviews analysis revealed that most patients adopted the MT with a supportive goal, with all patients undergoing conventional therapies. After three months of MT, most interviewed patients revealed higher vitality and autonomy. MT was often seen as a chance to make an own personal contribution to the therapy, which was particularly appreciated in cases in which no conventional therapy was (anymore) advised. Concrete personal achievements such as changes in the private and/or in the professional environment were spontaneously mentioned by the patients, illustrating and corroborating their improvements in QoL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results show that the patients experienced an improvement of QoL during MT. This therapy seemed to offer a platform for an integrative coping with the disease, which might be important in reconciling the perceived shock of an existential illness with a good QoL.
authors: Research Department, Paracelsus Hospital Richterswil, Richterswil, Switzerland.
authors: Mathias
authors: M
authors: Brandenberger
authors: Ana Paula
authors: AP
authors: Simões-Wüst
authors: Matthias
authors: M
authors: Rostock
authors: Lukas
authors: L
authors: Rist
authors: Reinhard
authors: R
authors: Saller
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology*; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D028182:Viscum album
chemical_list: D028321:Plant Preparations