It is widely available in health food stores. Chinese herbs also are used in the treatment of cancer. Chinese herbal remedies, particularly teas, though not popular as cancer treatments, are prized for the comfort patients feel that they bring. Iscador, a derivative of mistletoe, is a popular cancer remedy in Europe, where it has been used as folk treatment for centuries. Iscador grows at the tops of trees in the United States as well as in Europe, particularly along the French-Swiss border, and is available in many mainstream European cancer clinics.
European governments fund ongoing studies of iscador's effectiveness against cancer.
The FDA does not examine herbal remedies for safety and effectiveness and most have not been formally tested for side effects. There have been recent reports in the literature of severe liver and kidney damage from a limited number of herbal remedies, including chaparral tea.