This is a retraction of: Michael Frass, Peter Lechleitner, Christa Gründling, Claudia Pirker, Erwin Grasmuk‐Siegl, Julian Domayer, Maximilian Hochmair, Katharina Gaertner, Cornelia Duscheck, Ilse Muchitsch, Christine Marosi, Michael Schumacher, Sabine Zöchbauer‐Müller, Raj K. Manchanda, Andrea Schrott, Otto Burghuber, Homeopathic Treatment as an Add‐On Therapy May Improve Quality of Life and Prolong Survival in Patients with Non‐Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Prospective, Randomized, Placebo‐Controlled, Double‐Blind, Three‐Arm, Multicenter Study, The Oncologist, Volume 25, Issue 12, December 2020, Pages e1930–e1955, https://doi.org/10.1002/onco.13548.
The journal published the article in November 20201 and a correction in March 2021.2 In August 2022, the journal received a request from the Commission for Research Integrity of the Austrian Agency for Research Integrity (OeAWI) to retract the article following an investigation they conducted at the request of the Vice Rector of the Medical University of Vienna. The journal published an Expression of Concern in October 2022,3 followed by a second correction4 and accompanying Editorial in September 2024.5
Subsequent to the two corrections, concerns have continued to be raised about the study. In light of this continued uncertainty and the issues previously covered in the corrections, the journal no longer has confidence in the results and conclusions reported in the article and has decided to retract.
Many co-authors disagree with the journal’s decision to retract6, while one agrees7 and others have not commented either way.
Footnotes
Michael Frass, Peter Lechleitner, Christa Gründling, Claudia Pirker, Erwin Grasmuk‐Siegl, Julian Domayer, Maximilian Hochmair, Katharina Gaertner, Cornelia Duscheck, Ilse Muchitsch, Christine Marosi, Michael Schumacher, Sabine Zöchbauer‐Müller, Raj K. Manchanda, Andrea Schrott, Otto Burghuber, Homeopathic Treatment as an Add‐On Therapy May Improve Quality of Life and Prolong Survival in Patients with Non‐Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Prospective, Randomized, Placebo‐Controlled, Double‐Blind, Three‐Arm, Multicenter Study, The Oncologist, Volume 25, Issue 12, December 2020, Pages e1930–e1955, https://doi.org/10.1002/onco.13548
Michael Frass, Peter Lechleitner, Christa Gründling, Claudia Pirker, Erwin Grasmuk-Siegl, Julian Domayer, Maximilian Hochmair, Katharina Gaertner, Cornelia Duscheck, Ilse Muchitsch, Christine Marosi, Michael Schumacher, Sabine Zöchbauer-Müller, Raj K. Manchanda, Andrea Schrott, Otto Burghuber, Homeopathic Treatment as an Add-On Therapy May Improve Quality of Life and Prolong Survival in Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Prospective, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind, Three-Arm, Multicenter Study, The Oncologist, Volume 26, Issue 3, March 2021, Page e523, https://doi.org/10.1002/onco.13693
Expression of Concern: Homeopathic Treatment as an Add-On Therapy May Improve Quality of Life and Prolong Survival in Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Prospective, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind, Three-Arm, Multicenter Study, The Oncologist, Volume 27, Issue 12, December 2022, Page e985, https://doi.org/10.1093/oncolo/oyac221
Correction to: Homeopathic Treatment as an Add-On Therapy May Improve Quality of Life and Prolong Survival in Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Prospective, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind, Three-Arm, Multicenter Study, The Oncologist, Volume 29, Issue 11, November 2024, Pages e1631–e1632, https://doi.org/10.1093/oncolo/oyae253
William D Figg, Susan E Bates, Clinical trial results: each patient’s participation should count, The Oncologist, Volume 30, Issue 7, July 2025, oyae252, https://doi.org/10.1093/oncolo/oyae252
Michael Frass, Peter Lechleitner, Christa Gründling, Katharina Gaertner, Cornelia Duscheck, Ilse Muchitsch, Christine Marosi, Raj K. Manchanda, and Otto Burghuber disagree with the journal’s decision to retract.
Sabine Zöchbauer-Müller agrees with the journal’s decision to retract.