All posts by Chris

Cancer Care Tips, Cancer Caregivers, Living with Cancer

Tips for Long Distance Cancer Caregiving

Long Distance Caregiving
Long Distance Caregiving

If a loved one receives a diagnosis of cancer, you want to be at their side offering care and assistance. Unfortunately, in many cases the realities of life may prevent that. You can still be a source of support when you follow these long-distance cancer caregiver tips.

Providing Effective Long-Distance Cancer Care

  • Contact the hospital discharge planner to coordinate the patient’s return to home.
  • Arrange for a home health aide to assist the patient until permanent plans are settled. An aide is also a good option to fill in the gaps or provide other caregivers with a break.
  • Create a network of friends and family members who can help, and set up a phone tree for quick and efficient communication.
  • Keep a bag at the ready packed with toiletries and clothes so you’re ready to travel at short notice.
  • Consider the distance to be traveled and whether ground or air is your better option.
  • If you have children or pets, have a contingency plan in place regarding their care in your absence.
  • Talk to your boss and co-workers about your situation. You may be able to continue your work offsite, but review your workload and deadlines in case someone else needs to step in for you.

What is the Issels® Difference?

At Issels®, our immunotherapy for cancer treatments are personally designed to meet each patient’s individual needs. Visit our blog for more cancer caregiver tips and information about our cutting-edge non-toxic therapies, including cancer vaccines and LAK cells.

Cancer Research, Immunotherapy, Immunotherapy for Cancer, News

Immunotherapy is the Hot Buzz in the World of Cancer Research Publications

Could Immunotherapy Be Your Miracle Treatment?
Cancer Immunothereapy in the News

Thanks to rapid and effective developments, immunotherapy for cancer continues to be a hot topic in the medical community. A recent analysis shows the explosive growth of this subject in academic and industrial publications.

Immunotherapy for Cancer in the News

Results of the analysis conducted by Drs. Enal Razvi and Gary Oosta were published in Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News. Data was based on publications in the broad space of cancer immunology, which have seen exponential growth from zero in the early ’70s to more than 600 in the past year.

While there has been a clear increase in quantity, what about qualitative measures? A word cloud corresponding to titles and abstracts shows that the major areas of focus are “cancer,” “immunotherapy,” “cells,” “immune” and “tumor.”

Drilling down to find the key components of these publications, the most commonly mentioned one is “dendritic cells,” which play a vital role in initiating the immune response. “Cell death” (apoptosis) has generated 33 percent annual growth.

What Does the Future Hold?

Drs. Razvi and Oosta drew the following conclusions:

  • Understanding in vivo mechanisms and pathways driving immunological cascades is crucial for continued progress.
  • Companies will continue clinical trials, both individually and in collaboration with others.
  • Immunotherapy for cancer will eventually use biomarkers to identify which populations and sub-populations are the optimum candidates for specific treatments.

Individualized Blueprints for Immunotherapy

At Issels®, our integrative therapies are personalized based on each patient’s lifestyle and genetic makeup as well as the tumor microenvironment. Contact us today to hear success stories from patients of all ages who have dealt with leukemia, melanoma and other forms of cancer.

Cancer Research, Immunotherapy, Immunotherapy for Cancer

Research Being Done to Boost Immunotherapy Response in the Tumor Microenvironment

New Smart Blood Test Allows Doctors to Tailor Treatment
The Microenvironment

Cancer cells often proliferate due to their ability to evade the body’s natural defense system. Immunotherapy for cancer eliminates this advantage by boosting the response of immune cells, but researchers have discovered a possible roadblock: a limited amount of cellular “fuel.”

Running on Empty

A team at the University of Pittsburgh conducted a study to determine why treated T cells lose mitochondrial function once they are reintroduced to the tumor environment. They confirmed that the reaction is definitely a result of proximity to the tumor and not a side effect of activation.

Data obtained during testing showed that the tumor microenvironment contains signals that repress oxidative metabolism in T cells. In effect, the cells starve from lack of energy.

Stoking the Flames

The study, published last August in the journal Immunity, found that T cells suffer a progressive loss of a PPAR-gamma coactivator that programs mitochondrial function. Laboratory testing on rats showed that just as T cells can be treated to better detect and fight tumor cells, they can be treated with the coactivator to maintain effective metabolism levels.

Dr. Greg M. Delgoffe, leader of the University of Pittsburgh team, has joined with other scientists to develop new methods of immunotherapy for cancer using the study’s results. Strategies include incorporating commonly used drugs along with further T cell modification to stimulate metabolism.

Issels®: The Leader in State-of-the-Art Immunotherapy

Our innovative, personally tailored therapies fight cancer by focusing on both the tumor and its microenvironment for more effective treatment. Contact us to learn more about our non-toxic protocols such as cancer vaccines and NK cells.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Care Tips, Living with Cancer

Common Digestive Problems during Cancer Treatment, What to Do to Solve Them

Waking from Cancer Related Digestive Issues
Waking from Cancer Related Digestive Issues

Going through cancer treatment can feel as though you’re fighting an uphill battle. Several different kinds of problems may arise during your course of treatment, but there are ways to lessen their effects or eliminate them entirely. Your friends at Issels® have put together a list of three cancer treatment tips that can help you along the way, allowing you to remain comfortable as you get back to feeling better.

  1. Changing Appetites

A decrease in appetite is normal immediately following an intensive round of treatment. Counteracting this might include eating several small meals a day, as well as eating foods with a high caloric value. Staying hydrated is important even if you’re not eating a lot, which usually means drinking lots of water.

  1. Constipation

Fruits, fiber, vegetables and fluids are what you need to consume if you are having constipation problems. Coupled with a lack of appetite, you might find it hard to get your body moving, and in extreme cases you should consult with your doctor about finding a laxative that will work best for you.

  1. Diarrhea

If your bowel movements are too frequent and too loose, you may want to cut down on the foods mentioned above, though you should still be drinking plenty of fluids. Constant diarrhea should be discussed with your doctor, who may put you on a prescription or recommend an over-the-counter medication to help with it.

To find out more about how Issels® can help treat cancer in any stage or for more cancer treatment tips, give us a call at 1-888-447-7357 or use the contact form on our website.

Cancer Research, News

Ovarian Cancer May Now be linked to Douching

Is Douching Really a Good Idea?
Is Douching Really a Good Idea?

Douching dates back to ancient times, but studies have uncovered numerous reasons why it’s more harmful than good. Now comes news that women who douche may be doubling their chances of developing ovarian cancer.

First Study to Link Douching with Ovarian Cancer

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) recently issued the results of a study begun in 2003 involving 41,000 women in the United States and Puerto Rico. All were between the ages of 35 and 74 and had a sister who had been diagnosed with breast cancer, although they themselves had neither breast nor ovarian cancer.

In July 2014, ovarian cancer was detected in 154 women. Those who reported douching during the year prior to entering the study were nearly twice as likely to have developed ovarian cancer. The reasons behind the connection are still unknown and will be explored through further research.

Is Douching Necessary?

While douching is supposedly hygienic, it actually results in an excess of bacteria that can back up into the uterus, Fallopian tubes and ovaries. Health problems linked with douching include pelvic inflammatory disease, cervical cancer and reduced fertility.

According to the Department of Health and Human Services, 25 percent of women between the ages of 25 and 44 use douches. Clarice Weinberg, lead author of the NIEHS study, warns that there are “a number of health reasons not to douche” and no good reasons to continue.

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

Our immunotherapy for cancer treatments have helped patients diagnosed with breast and ovarian cancer as well as many other forms. Contact us to learn more about our personalized non-toxic treatment methods.

Cancer Research, Immuno-Oncology, Immunotherapy, Immunotherapy for Cancer

New Smart Blood Test Allows Doctors to Tailor Treatment

New Smart Blood Test Allows Doctors to Tailor Treatment
New Smart Blood Test Allows Doctors to Tailor Treatment

One of the challenges doctors face in treating cancer is the difficulty of determining the most effective treatment protocols for each patient. Researchers are optimistic that liquid biopsies, or “smart blood tests,” will help match patients with appropriate therapies.

Using DNA Tracking for Individualized Treatment

At our Issels® center, immunotherapy for cancer is tailored to a patient’s specific case, including location of the tumor and its microenvironment. Liquid biopsies track cancer DNA, enabling doctors to customize a patient’s treatment and monitor progress.

Blood tests are minimally invasive, so patients could undergo the process frequently with no ill effects. Doctors can then track changes more accurately over time and determine whether treatment should be changed or modified.

Liquid Blood Tests Undergo Groundbreaking Trial

This fall, scientists from the Institute of Cancer Research in London will launch the plasmaMATCH trial with 1,000 breast cancer patients. Breast cancer makes a good test subject due to its propensity to mutate as a defense against treatment.

If the trial results are encouraging, experts hope that liquid biopsies will become a standard element of cancer care within the next two years. According to Professor Johann de Bono of the Institute of Cancer Research, smart blood tests could lead to major changes in cancer screening and risk assessment with the general public.

Personally Tailored Immunotherapy for Cancer at Issels®

Our non-toxic immunotherapy protocols are based on a patient’s particular tumor and microenvironment, as well as personal factors such as lifestyle and genetic predispositions. Contact us for more information, including testimonials from patients with all forms of cancer.