According to a CBC News report, ancient druids believed mistletoe had magical properties because of the way it grows, never touching the ground and without taking nourishment from the earth. However, University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff researchers are warning there is nothing magical about the use of mistletoe extract for the treatment of cancer, and in fact, it can cause harm.

Serious side effects from the injection of mistletoe extract have been reported in the Christmas issue of the British Medical Journal, including a case concerning a 61-year-old woman who had a tumor-like growth develop under her skin, brought on when she self-injected herself with mistletoe extract. The researchers warn that the use of mistletoe extract has been shown to cause a severe allergic reaction, breathing difficulties, joint pain and kidney failure. Some studies have shown that mistletoe might actually lead to cancer growth.

Edzard Ernst, a professor of complementary medicine at the Universities of Exeter and Plymouth is quoted as saying, "The idea that mistletoe may help treat cancer is based on that the idea that mistletoe, like cancer, is a parasitic growth that eventually kills its host." The researchers of this published study indicated that there are over 30 mistletoe extract preparations available in Europe, and its use by cancer patients is well-known.

From another source, the National Cancer Institute's overview of mistletoe includes the following:

• Mistletoe is a plant that grows on several types of trees and has been used since ancient times to treat many ailments.
• Mistletoe extract has been shown to kill cancer cells in the laboratory and to boost the immune system.
• Animal studies have suggested that mistletoe may be useful in decreasing the side effects of standard anticancer therapy.
• Many human studies using mistletoe to treat cancer have been done in Europe with unclear results, and a few clinical trials in the United States and abroad are in progress.
• Very few bad side effects have been reported from the use of mistletoe extract, though mistletoe plants and berries are poisonous to humans.
• The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved mistletoe as a treatment for cancer or any other medical condition.
  

To read detailed information about the highlighted overview, visit the NCI's FAQ about mistletoe.

Breast cancer survivor, actress and anti-pharmaceutical advocate Suzanne Somers, author of Ageless: The Naked Truth About Bioidentical Hormones, suggests that if she had it to do over again, she would not undergo radiation treatment for breast cancer. During an interview Somers shares information on bioidentical hormones with The Desert Sun's Bruce Fessier, Somers is quoted as saying, "The whole time I was lying on that radiation table and I was so sick from it, I kept thinking, isn't it radiation that gives us cancer? I couldn't get that thought out of my mind."

At the time of her breast cancer diagnosis, Somers researched Iscador, a mistletoe extract, and chose to include the alternative therapy as part of her treatment. Somers said she refused to give up her hormones, insisting that she knew more about hormones than the doctor treating her for cancer.

Somers has critics in the medical and pharmaceutical communities, and perhaps rightly so. Manipulating hormones with bioidentical hormone therapy is not nearly as simplistic as she makes it sound, nor is cancer.

In her defense, while she does hold some unorthodox beliefs about health and cancer treatment, she readily adds that her approach to health is not something she advocates for everyone. Even with that caveat, people must be interested in what she has to say, as most of her books become bestsellers. Without a formal medical education and scientific expertise to back up what she has to say, I am not certain why so many seem to be listening.

I understand cancer is a scary diagnosis, and current treatments including chemotherapy, radiation and chemoprevention drugs are an inexact science. Not everyone diagnosed with cancer is cured. But cancer is also not a disease that allows the patient a great deal of time to experiment with various treatments.

As a breast cancer survivor, with a keen interest in cancer and cancer treatments, I believe there is a place for some alternative treatments. I also believe, in time, that some of the current conventional treatments will be replaced with more effective treatments. I am relatively certain that Suzanne Somers is a lovely woman. However, I try to chose my authority figures and the experts whose advice I value very carefully. Your thoughts?

Researchers are not suggesting that people begin consuming grape seed extract because no one is certain at this point in time very much about the potential side effects of taking the extract, but they have found that grape seed extract has the ability to slow the growth of colorectal tumors in both cell cultures and in mice by 44 percent.

In the study, the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver researchers were also able to determine the molecular mechanism by which grape seed extract works to inhibit cancer growth.

As far back as 1999, the same researchers discovered that grape seed extract was effective in cancer prevention relating to skin cancer. Later preclinical work demonstrated that the extract slowed the growth of prostate cancer cells.

For an in-depth explanation of the chemoprevention benefits of grape seed extract, read Grape Seed Extract Halts Cell Cycle, Checking Growth Of Colorectal Tumors In Mice. The study is available as a PDF document and can be obtained by emailing Decicco@aacr.org or Ortiz@aacr.org.

I have a cabinet full of supplements I've never taken. I've never been convinced they will do much for me -- other than add an easy-to-forget routine to my day -- and doctors have typically advised me that a healthy diet will deliver just about everything I need for optimal functioning. I still wonder sometimes if I get enough calcium and at times I have taken iron supplements when doctors have determined I lacked appropriate iron levels. But I have never wondered about all the other pills and powders and liquids that claim to promote health -- and sometimes prevent cancer. And after reading a recap of a study in the September 2006 Oprah magazine, I am further convinced that supplements are just not for me.

A report from ConsumerLab.com (CL), a company that tests and certifies supplements, suggests that some people might be ingesting too much lead as they try to keep cancer at bay. CL randomly selected various green tea preparations from store shelves, websites, and direct marketers and found that two out of four contained what is considered unacceptable levels of lead. Green tea products they recommend avoiding are Futurebiotics Premium Extract Standardized Green Tea tablets and Herbal Select Standardized Green Tea Extract. Products found to be totally free of lead are Life Extension Mega Green Tea Extract, Nature's Bounty Green Tea Extract, Pharmanex Tegreen 97, and Puritan's Pride Green Tea Extract.

Experts believe that some supplements may help prevent cancer. But most testing is done on food so we can't be entirely sure about the safety of supplements. Their advice is this -- make a change through a healthy diet rather than supplements. This is just what I plan to do.

In 2003, at the American Association for Cancer Research Second Annual International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research, studies were presented that found pomegranate fruit extract a novel agent for skin cancer prevention. Researchers say if further studies confirm preliminary findings, skin care products such as creams, patches, and sunscreens containing pomegranate may be developed to protect the skin against cancer.

"The incidence of skin cancer is rising faster than any other solid tumor in the United States. It is critical that we develop novel approaches to both primary and secondary prevention of what appears to be becoming an epidemic," stated Dr. David Alberts, M.D., of the University of Arizona. "We are pleased to see numerous studies exploring the therapeutic value of topically-applied natural ingredients that people can begin incorporating into everyday life."

While research of pomegranate extract is ongoing, and the bath and beauty skin care products featured in this post do not claim to reduce skin cancer risk, they do all contain pomegranate extract. Pampering yourself with these delightful bath and body products is simply a treat -- and if research does prove that pomegranate extract provides topical health benefit, all the better. Indulge yourself, you deserve it.

St Helena Olive Oil Co. Pomegranate Soap

Made with olive oil and the fruit of the pomegranate, which gives St Helena Olive Oil Co. Pomegranate Soap its rich pink color and refreshing scent, according to the product description, pomegranate is known for its soothing properties for sensitive skin. View product details here.

Noveya All-Natural Pomegranate Soap

Noveya makes its All-Natural Pomegranate Soap from a special formula of pomegranate extract, pomegranate juice, pomegranate leaves, pomegranate peel, essential oil of patchouli, essential oil of lavender, vanilla extract, organic goat's milk, and pure wildflower honey all enhanced by red clay from the Negev to hydrate and enrich the skin with nutrients. View product details here.


Archipelago Botanicals Pomegranate Collection

Archipelago Botanicals has developed a line of pomegranate bath and beauty products. According to the company webpage, ancient Greeks touted its medicinal benefits, while modern beauty editors point out that the fruit is loaded with powerful antioxidants. Two of the products they offer are:

Archipelago Botanicals Pomegranate Triple Milled Soap made with a blend of pomegranate, white tea, cranberry, and chamomile extracts in a 100 percent vegetable base. View product details here.

Archipelago Botanicals Pomegranate Body Polish is formulated with ground pomegranate and cranberry seeds to gently exfoliate and detoxify. View product details here.

Aqua Dessa Honey Pomegranate Facial Cleansing Foam

Created to be mild foaming facial cleanser, Aqua Dessa Honey Pomegranate Facial Cleansing Foam is made with honey, pomegranate and antioxidants vitamin C, vitamin E, black currant, raspberry, blackberry, strawberry and blueberry to hydrate and nourish the skin. View product details here.

Bella Lucce Pomegranate Polishing Crème

Made with pomegranate extract, the polishing cream exfoliates with tiny microderm abrasion crystals in a product designed to meet the same high quality standards you might experience with pricey microderm abrasion treatments at a spa. In fact, Bella Lucce's bath and body products are featured in luxe spas, salons and natural wellness centers in 38 states and nine countries -- from Los Angeles to Dubai. View product details here.

A study was conducted that shows some promise in slowing tumor growth of prostate cancer cells by adding extract from a mushroom called Phellinus linteus to the drug doxorubicin. This drug is better known as Adriamycin. The findings were reported in the British Journal of Cancer and it suggests that a lower dose of chemotherapy combined with this type of mushroom extract can be as effective as treating prostate cancer with the full dose of doxorubicin.

Prostate cancer is the third most common cancer in men. We know that important drugs have been found in nature and this could potentially be one that can help to treat cancer without all the nasty side effects. It was added that further studies need to be done to understand how this type of mushroom can inhibit cancer growth.

ABC News Good Morning America Kate Snow interviewed Los Angeles dermatologist Dr. Jessica Wu about a new herbal supplement being introduced on the American market this summer that is reported to protect the skin from sun damage that can lead to skin cancer.

Heliocare, a tropical fern extract used in Europe for decades to treat the skin conditions of psoriasis and eczema, comes in pill form and is taken daily.

Dr. Wu warns you cannot skip the sunscreen when spending time in the sun because the herbal supplement will not prevent sunburn.

"It gets into your blood stream and works from the inside out, as opposed to sunscreen which works from the outside in," explained Dr. Wu. "So this pill mops up the damage that gets past the sunscreen you might be wearing. It also repairs damage that is done to your skin that leads to skin cancer."

Heliocare is not recommended for pregnant women, nursing mothers, or children. Heliocare is expensive -- a bottle of 60 pills costs $60 dollars. I don't know why, but I was surprised when I watched this news story on ABC News. If something as simple as a fern extract can reverse sun damage to skin and reduce the risk of skin cancer -- and has been on the European market for decades -- why haven't we heard about it here in the US before now? I am not promoting this product -- I am just telling you what I saw on the news. ABC News.

You can watch the video of the news interview here.