Issels Integrative Immuno-Oncology July 21, 2016  

What is Biotherapy Treatment for Cancer?

Dear Friend,

You may sometimes hear immunotherapy for cancer referred to as biological therapy, or biotherapy for short. The prefix "bio" relates to living organisms, as opposed to "chemo," which indicates chemicals. Biotherapy makes use of natural, living substances that assist your body's own immune system in fighting cancer.

Biotherapy vs. chemotherapy

Traditional chemotherapy uses drugs to directly attack cancer cells. The main drawback is that chemo drugs can't differentiate between cancer cells and healthy cells. As a result, damage to normal cells can result in nausea, fatigue, hair loss and other side effects associated with this type of treatment.

While your immune system does a good job at fighting bacteria and other foreign bodies, it has a hard time identifying and eliminating cancer cells. Biotherapy uses protocols developed from elements of the immune system, such as T-cells, cytokines and NK or natural killer cells, to harness and increase its cancer-fighting power.

How biotherapy affects the immune system

Biotherapy treatments can aid your immune system either directly or indirectly.

• Direct assistance boosts the immune system's ability to fight cancer cells by enhancing its power or making diseased cells easier to recognize.

• Indirect assistance results from stopping or suppressing the process whereby healthy cells are transformed into cancer cells, as well as preventing cancer cells from spreading to other parts of the body.

Issels® is in the forefront of biotherapy cancer treatments

Personalized immunotherapy for cancer used at our Issels® center is based on special testing methods to determine each patient's specific needs. Visit our website for more information about our individualized non-toxic therapies today.

Questions on Immunotherapy for Cancer Treatment?

Read more interesting articles on the "Issels Immunotherapy" news/blog posted every Tuesday and Thursday. Check It Out Now »


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The concept of using your body's own resources to fight cancer dates back more than 100 years, but immunotherapy for cancer has recently emerged in the public eye thanks to incredible advancements over the last 10 years. Is this cutting-edge treatment right for you? Find out in this interesting article from our news/blog.

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Hard to Treat Cancers Respond to Immunotherapy Treatment

Surgery is often the best option for pancreatic cancer. Unfortunately, the tumors are often discovered too late for surgery to be feasible. Doctors are left to use chemotherapy and other methods to control the cancer. Researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York found a treatment combination using immunotherapy that made pancreatic cancer more receptive to surgery. The test involved the use of PF-0416309, an immunotherapy drug that targets immune cells in pancreatic tumors. Read more about this important breakthrough.

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Videos – What Do Patients Say About Their Experience?

Watch videos of patients who share their own experiences at the Issels clinics with you. Listen to their stories and cancer journeys.

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