title: Durable response of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma following high-dose peri-lesional injections of Viscum album extracts--a case report.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) is a common locally invasive skin cancer which rarely metastasises. First-line treatment is surgical excision, which is curative in most cases. Viscum album extract (VAE) is a widely used herbal cancer treatment with cytotoxic, apoptogenic and immunological effects, but has not been investigated in CSCC.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 78-year-old patient with histologically diagnosed CSCC refused surgical excision and was treated with peri-lesional high-dose VAE. After 10 months of treatment the CSCC had disappeared clinically. The patient has been recurrence-free for 4 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The presented case shows clinical response of a CSCC to high-dose peri-lesional VAE injections. Further research on VAE in CSCC is warranted.
authors: Institute for Applied Epistemology and Medical Methodology at the University of Witten/Herdecke, Freiburg, Germany. paul.werthmann@ifaemm.de
authors: Paul Georg
authors: PG
authors: Werthmann
authors: Gregor
authors: G
authors: Sträter
authors: Hedda
authors: H
authors: Friesland
authors: Gunver Sophia
authors: GS
authors: Kienle
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005153:Facial Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007267:Injections; D008297:Male; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D028182:Viscum album
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts; C508047:abnoba viscum