Monthly Archives: July 2018

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, Cancer Treatment, Immuno-Oncology, Immunotherapy for Cancer, Living with Cancer, Uncategorized

Cancer Treatment and the Impact on Cognitive Ability

Immunotherapy is Changing Cancer Treatment Again in Exciting New Ways
Cancer Treatment and the Impact on Cognitive Ability

Effective cancer treatment sometimes involves dealing with side effects and secondary symptoms. Here are some things you need to know about the possible effects of cancer and its treatment on cognitive abilities.

What Is Cognition?

Simply put, cognition is “the mental process of learning and understanding.” Cognitive thinking is what allows you to focus, process new information, solve problems, perceive spatial relationships and communicate via speaking and writing.

Cognitive Problems Related to Cancer

Problems involving learning and memory are common signs of cognitive impairment due to cancer. Specific problems can include:

– Inability to complete tasks

– Failure to recognize familiar objects

– Loss of focus and concentration

– Difficulty with money management, such as paying bills

– Lack of motivation

– Disorganized behavior and/or thinking

Other Factors Contributing to Cognitive Problems

States of mental and physical well-being are deeply intertwined. Cancer patients and survivors may find that the following issues also impact cognitive abilities:

– Age

– Overall weakness or frailty

– Drug and alcohol use

– Chemotherapy and other cancer treatment

– Other diseases or illnesses

– Being postmenopausal

Restoring Cognitive Abilities

Researchers are studying the use of certain drugs in treating cognitive problems, but a pharmaceutical solution is still in the future. Many patients have found these natural methods to be helpful:

– Movement therapy, such as tai chi or yoga, that emphasizes the mind-body connection

– Learning new ways to absorb information

– Using calendars, tech devices or other tools to stay organized

– Activities such as gardening or caring for pets that establish focus

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Cancer Research, Cancer Treatment, News

Fast Diagnostic Testing May Improve Cancer Outcome for Many Patients

Fast Diagnostic Testing May Improve Cancer Outcome for Many Patients
Fast Diagnostic Testing May Improve Cancer Outcome for Many Patients

Early detection greatly improves the chances of immunotherapy for cancer and other treatments to have a beneficial effect. A recent literature review by a team of experts emphasizes the importance of patients receiving fast diagnostic testing as soon as possible after a positive screening.

Making the Case for Fast Diagnostic Testing

An interdisciplinary team of cancer experts, led by a group from the University of Pennsylvania, conducted a review of studies involving patients with breast, cervical, colorectal and lung cancer. All studies were published between January 1998 and December 2017 and were drawn from average-risk populations except in the case of lung cancer.

Patient outcome data in the studies provided clear support for the policy of receiving quick diagnostic testing, such as a CT scan, after a positive screening result. While the team suggested a target time frame for each type of cancer ranging from 60 to 90 days, they emphasized that there is no specific window of safety.

Why Time Is of the Essence

Dr. Chyke Doubeni, lead author of the review, stated the following benefits of prompt diagnostic testing:

– Reduced mortality risk

– Less worry and uncertainty for the patient

– Reduced likelihood of delays, such as changes in insurance coverage

Researchers will now focus on identifying the data that will allow more precise definitions of time frames for testing.

Why Issels® Is a Leader in Immunotherapy for Cancer

Have you received a diagnosis of advanced cancer? Our personally developed immunotherapy for cancer treatment programs have helped patients with stage IV and therapy-resistant cancers achieve long-term remission.

Contact us for more information.

Breast Cancer, Cancer Research, Cancer Treatment, News

Surgery for Breast Cancer May Awaken Sleeping Cancer Cells

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Surgery for Breast Cancer May Awaken Sleeping Cancer Cells
Surgery for Breast Cancer May Awaken Sleeping Cancer Cells

One of the challenges in developing immunotherapy for cancer treatments is that benefits of a method are sometimes offset by drawbacks. In a recent example, scientists have found that breast cancer surgery may trigger micrometastases that are too small to be found on imaging.

Seeking Treatment for Metastatic Breast Cancer

Approximately 35 percent of women who are diagnosed with breast cancer already have thousands of these micrometastases lying dormant in their system. Only half of them develop into full-blown metastatic cancer, and scientists believe the half that remain dormant are controlled by immune system activity.

A research team at the Whitehead Institute wanted to explore the problem, but they didn’t want to withhold surgery from breast cancer patients to form a control group. Testing was conducted on mice that had been injected with breast cancer cells and undergone simulated “surgery.”

“Surgery-Driven Interruption of Dormancy”

Of the mice that had “surgery,” 60 percent had continued growth of cancer cells, while only 10 percent of the mice that didn’t receive surgery had the same result. The team concluded that “surgical wounding” superseded attacks by the immune system, allowing the tiny malignancies to grow.

The test also uncovered a possible solution. When the mice were given non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) pre- and post-“surgery,” it appeared to counteract the negative effects of the wounds. This opens the door to the possibility of over-the-counter products such as aspirin and ibuprofen being used as treatments.

Immunotherapy for Cancer: Personalized, Non-Toxic Treatments

At Issels®, our individually developed cancer programs focus on destroying tumors while treating internal factors that contribute to cancer growth. Contact us to learn more.

Cancer Research, Cancer Treatment, News, Stage Four Cancer Treatment

New Research: Blood Flow Determines Secondary Tumor Locations

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New Research: Blood Flow Determines Secondary Tumor Locations
New Research: Blood Flow Determines Secondary Tumor Locations

One of the goals of immunotherapy for cancer is control of metastasis, which is a leading cause of cancer deaths. Results of a recent study concerning metastasis and blood flow could shed some needed light on ways to disrupt the process.

Investigating the “Metastatic Cascade”

In metastasis, tumor cells migrate from the original site via the lymph system or bloodstream to establish secondary tumors. The process involves a series of six steps known as the metastatic cascade.

A team from Frances’s National Institute of Health and Medical Research conducted tests focused on the fourth step, when tumor cells build up in tiny capillaries and pass through the walls into surrounding tissue. During the first phase, they tracked tumor cells in zebrafish embryos.

The Relationship Between Blood Flow and Metastasis

The scientists discovered there was a specific velocity range of blood flow connected with capillaries where the tumor cells stopped traveling. Blood flow was also found to be an essential factor in allowing the capillary lining, or endothelium, to “remodel” around the tumor cells.

Researchers came to the same conclusions in the next phase, involving mice with brain metastases. For the final step, the team observed brain metastases in 100 human patients.

When the scientists compared the brain metastases map to one showing the blood flow of a healthy human, it confirmed the results of the zebrafish tests. Secondary tumors tended to grow in areas with specific blood flow velocity.

Immunotherapy for Cancer: Treating Tumors and Their Environment

At Issels®, we have achieved a great deal of success in helping patients with metastatic and therapy-resistant cancers. Contact us to learn more.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, Cancer Survivors, Cancer Treatment, Immuno-Oncology, Immunotherapy, Immunotherapy for Cancer, Stage Four Cancer Treatment, Uncategorized

July is Bone Cancer Awareness Month – What to Know

Picture of a bone cross section
Bone Cancer or Sarcoma is in the focus in July

What are the types of bone cancer? Can it be treated with immunotherapy for cancer programs? July is Bone Cancer Awareness Month, making it a good time to share some facts about the disease from the National Cancer Institute.

Basics of Bone Cancer

As the name implies, bone cancer is a malignant tumor that forms in bone tissue. The majority of bone tumors are benign, which means they’re non-fatal and don’t spread.

On the other hand, bone cancer CAN spread to other parts of the body. Regardless of the location of the metastasis, or spread, the disease is still referred to as bone cancer based on its original site.

Types of Bone Cancer

– Osteosarcoma, usually found in the knee or upper arm, develops in hard bone tissue.

– Chondrosarcoma forms in cartilage, which is the tough but resilient tissue that cushions joints.

– The Ewing Sarcoma Family of Tumors, or ESFTs, are thought to arise from primitive nerve tissue in bone or soft tissues.

Bone Cancer Symptoms

Chronic pain or swelling in or near a bone are the most common symptoms of bone cancer, but they could also be indicative of other conditions, so it’s important to be tested.

Treatments for Bone Cancer

Traditional treatments such as surgery and chemotherapy are often used with bone cancer patients. The NCI and other organizations also sponsor frequent clinical trials to investigate immunotherapy for cancer treatments.

Help for Patients with Stage IV Bone Cancer

Visit our website for testimonials from patients with metastasized bone cancer and other forms who have achieved long-term remission with immunotherapy for cancer at Issels®.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, Cancer Treatment, Cancer Vaccine, Immuno-Oncology, Immunotherapy, Immunotherapy for Cancer, Uncategorized

Cancer Gets Fuel From Fat Cells – How to Starve Tumors

It's Time to Cross Out Cancer!
It’s Time to Cross Out Cancer!

Cancer research is now going beyond the genetic aspect to explore how the disease interacts with the body’s systems. Recent studies of the relationship between cancer and fat cells may have implications concerning immunotherapy for cancer.

Feeding the Growth of Cancer Cells

While the precise causes are not yet known, obesity has been identified as a risk factor for prostate cancer, which is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men. As a result, research into the link between cancer and fat cells has focused on this form of the disease.

Previous tests involved mice who were fed a high-fat diet. In contrast, researchers at Sanford Prebys Medical Discovery Institute in San Diego conducted a study using mice who lacked a protein called p62, causing them to become obese on a normal diet.

According to co-author Dr. Jorge Moscat, this control was necessary to get a clear understanding of the communication pathways between cancer and fat cells. The team discovered that p62 suppresses another protein known as mTORC1, which in turn inhibits energy use by fat cells.

Can Cancer Cells Be “Starved” to Death?

With metabolism halted in fat cells, nutrients are then available to fuel development of tumor cells. Lack of p62 also triggers production of proteins found at high levels in particularly aggressive forms of prostate cancer.

As explained by Dr. Moscat, these findings can help identify specific substances to be targeted by immunotherapy for cancer treatments with the goal of “starving” cancer cells.

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