All posts by Chris

Cancer Care Tips, Cancer Caregivers

Find Out What to Expect When You Become a Cancer Caregiver

Improving the Lives of Others Can Help Improve Your Own Life.
Improving the Lives of Others Can Help Improve Your Own Life.

Has a loved one recently been diagnosed with cancer? Assuming the responsibilities of becoming a caregiver can seem overwhelming. Here are some cancer caregiver tips that will help you to better perform your role while maintaining your own physical and mental well-being.

Caring for a Cancer Patient

• The caregiver role is fluid. Duties can change based on factors such as where a patient is in the treatment process and whether he or she is staying in a hospital or at home.

• Caregivers are vital members of a patient’s healthcare team. Meet with the doctors frequently and don’t be afraid to speak up if you have questions or need more clarification.

• Talk to your loved one about how much they want to share with friends and family members and keep others updated accordingly.

• Everyone has their own way of coping with illness. Be available, but respect the patient’s wishes if he or she wants to be alone or doesn’t want to talk.

Caring for the Caregiver

• Caregiver is a rewarding role, but the road can be bumpy. Don’t feel guilty if you experience sadness, fatigue or grief. Joining a support group, either in person or online, can be a great source of strength.

• Have some friends or family members who can assist or even take over temporarily if you need a break.

• Plan activities such as workouts or movie outings that will help you maintain balance.

Issels® Is a Resource for Patients and Caregivers

Visit our website for more cancer caregiver tips as well as information about our personally created immunotherapy treatment programs, including cancer vaccines and NK cells.

Cancer Research

Brain Cancer: the Link Between High Blood Sugar and Glioma

New Advances Are Being Made in Cancer Treatment
New Advances Are Being Made in Cancer Treatment

High blood sugar levels are not associated with many positive health outcomes. In fact, people with diabetes carry a higher than average risk for many forms of cancer. However, some kinds of brain tumors are apparently more common in people with normal blood sugar.

In a study on the link between diabetes and brain tumors, researchers at Ohio State University found that people with high blood sugar are less likely to develop gliomas. Although gliomas are relatively rare, this research indicates that doctors should perhaps be vigilant about testing for gliomas in patients with healthy glucose levels.

Do Brain Tumors Affect Blood Sugar?

It’s odd to think that healthy glucose levels may pose a cancer risk, but the findings will help us understand more about how glioma brain tumors function.

The lead researcher on the study, Judith Schwartzbaum, wanted to find out if glioma tumors consume excessive amounts of glucose or if some other action in the tumor cells has an effect on blood sugar. It could simply be that non-diabetic patients have more growth factors available for the glioma to feed upon.

Immunotherapy for Cancer

The unexpected link between blood sugar and gliomas shows that each form of cancer — and each particular patient — displays a complex range of causes. Understanding cancer cells helps us develop better and more specific treatment options.

The Issels® Immunotherapy for Cancer treatment program uses the patient’s own immune cells to attack tumor cells such as gliomas with cancer vaccines and therapies that are highly personalized and non-toxic.

For more information about our Immunotherapy for Cancer treatment system, please contact us today.

After Cancer, Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Care Tips, Cancer Survivors, Living with Cancer

What Does Cancer Remission Mean?

What Does Cancer Remission Mean?
What Does Cancer Remission Mean?

This past April actress Shannon Doherty, who was diagnosed with breast cancer nearly two years ago, announced via social media that she is in remission. But is that the same thing as “cured?” An expert from the American Cancer Society (ACS) takes a look at the meaning of the term.

Does “In Remission” Mean “Cured?”

Dr. Otis Brawley, chief medical officer of ACS, recently spoke to Fox News Health about understanding the true concept of “remission.” Officially, when doctors examine a patient after cancer treatment and find no sign of the disease, he or she is declared to be in remission.

While remission is a major victory for cancer patients, it doesn’t necessarily mean the end of the story. Their doctors continue to conduct regular exams watching for a relapse, which occurs when cancer returns.

Remaining Vigilant After Cancer Treatment

Initially, post-treatment exams are performed every few months, and become less frequent while the patient remains cancer-free. Even so, cancer can sometimes reappear after years of remission. Doctors suspect that such cases arise due to cancer still being present, but too small to be detected.

Chances of a relapse are often affected by the type of cancer and the stage it was in at the time of diagnosis. Cancer patients can also enter partial remission when the size of the tumor decreases by at least 50 percent.

Immunotherapy Cancer Treatment at Issels®

Our personally tailored immunotherapy programs have helped numerous patients diagnosed with all forms of cancer achieve long-term remission. Contact us for more information about our special testing methods and integrative treatment protocols.

Cancer Care Tips, Cancer Caregivers, Cancer Survivors, Cancer Treatment, Uncategorized

New to Cancer Caregiving? Not Sure What to Do?

New to Cancer Caregiving?
New to Cancer Caregiving?

If you’re not careful, becoming a cancer caregiver can become one of the most stressful experiences of your life. However, it doesn’t always have to turn out that way. What might have been a frustrating time can become one of the most rewarding times you have ever experienced. Here at Issels®, we want nothing more than to equip you for what lies ahead. To do that, we want to provide you with some essential cancer caregiver tips.

What to Expect as a Caregiver for Someone with Cancer

If you’re caring for someone with cancer, it’s important to know what you can expect. Many people find it to be a pleasant experience. Spouses, siblings and other close relatives often find themselves as caregivers for family members with cancer. However, others may fill this role too. For example, neighbors and even co-workers can also be cancer caregivers.

On the other hand, you may feel as though this role is being forced upon you. It might not be something you’re willing to take on, so it’s important for you to be clear about your boundaries from the very beginning.

The Best Cancer Caregiver Tips

As a caregiver, you need to set healthy boundaries and take care of yourself too. These cancer caregiver tips will help you to do that. You should always:

• Look for signs of depression within yourself

• Find your own support system

• Get plenty of exercise

• Eat a health diet

• Consider getting personal counseling

• Take some time for yourself

At Issels®, we take care of our patients’ caregivers too. If you need more information about our immunotherapy services, please contact us.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, Cancer Survivors, Immunotherapy, Immunotherapy for Cancer, Uncategorized

June is Cancer Immunotherapy Month

June is Cancer Immunotherapy Awareness Month
June is Cancer Immunotherapy Awareness Month

In the fight against cancer, immunotherapy has been a game-changer. The Society of Immunotherapy for Cancer (SITC) is recognizing June as Cancer Immunotherapy Month to recognize and promote the value of these treatments.

Putting Immunotherapy in the Public Eye

The SITC observes Cancer Immunotherapy Month by promoting public awareness of immunotherapy and sponsoring educational events for both healthcare professionals and patients.

Here are a few of the programs scheduled for the upcoming month:

• “Cancer Immunity and Immunotherapy” is being held as part of the annual meeting of the Federation of Clinical Immunology Societies. Presentations will focus on tumor immunology and therapies such as vaccines, CAR-T cells and checkpoint inhibitors.

• “Incorporating Radiation Oncology into Immunotherapy” is a two-day workshop exploring the challenges and opportunities of combining the different methods into one integrative treatment.

• “Rational Combinations 360º” is a comprehensive examination of combining therapies as it relates to business, clinical and scientific aspects.

How Can You Participate?

Everyone has been touched by cancer in one way or another. There are a number of ways you can support Cancer Immunotherapy Month.

• Join the Cancer Immunotherapy CONNECT Open Forum and share your stories with other members.

• Purchase a SITC Cure t-shirt.

• Post your support of immunotherapy for cancer research on Twitter, Facebook and other social media platforms.

• Donate to the Forward Fund for immunotherapy research.

State-of-the-Art Immunotherapy for Cancer at Issels®

Our founder, Dr. Josef M. Issels, was a pioneer in the development and use of immunotherapy. Visit our website for more information about Dr. Issels and our individually tailored non-toxic immunotherapy programs.

Cancer Survivors, Immunotherapy for Cancer, Living with Cancer, Uncategorized

June 4th is National Cancer Survivors Day – Celebrate With Us!

Cancer Survivor's Day is Celebrated in the Month of June
Cancer Survivor’s Day is Celebrated in the Month of June

Everyone’s life has been touched by cancer, whether it’s through personal experience or that of family and friends. We all have a reason to participate in National Cancer Survivors Day on June 4, celebrating the advances in cancer treatment that have given hope to so many people.

What Is National Cancer Survivors Day?

More than 15.5 million people in America are cancer survivors, which the National Cancer Survivors Day Foundation defines as “living with a history of cancer.” Thirty years ago, the first Sunday in June was designated as a day to honor these cancer survivors, provide inspiration for those recently diagnosed, and support the families who are affected.

While National Cancer Survivors Day is primarily a time of celebration, the Foundation also uses the event as an opportunity to educate people about the challenges that cancer survivors continue to face.

Life as a Cancer Survivor

The end of treatment is actually the beginning of a number of serious issues that affect a cancer survivor’s quality of life.

• Inadequate health insurance can limit access to specialized care providers. Even with insurance, medical treatment can be a catastrophic drain on finances.

• Cancer survivors may have difficulty fitting into their personal and professional circles.

• Risk for secondary cancers and other problems is greater for cancer survivors.

Issels®: Leading the Way in Immunotherapy Cancer Treatment

The biggest advances in cancer treatment have come through immunotherapy, which helps your body’s own immune system fight tumors naturally. Contact us today for more information about our state-of-the-art, individually-developed methods, including cancer vaccines and NK cells.