All posts by Chris

After Cancer, Cancer Survivors

Scientists Find Similar Patterns in Multiple Types of Cancer Tumors

DNA
Genome Mapping

Scientists mapping cancer genomes have found surprising similarities between cancer tumors that originate in different organs. Their findings could one day lead to genetically engineered cancer treatments capable of targeting specific cancer genes. Advanced targeted cell therapy now allows cancer treatment specialists to target specific types of tissue at the cellular level; but this research breakthrough could lead to treatments that can turn on or off specific genes that initiate cancer and govern the growth of cancer cells. The discovery was made by biomolecular engineers working on the National Institutes of Health sponsored Cancer Genome Atlas which seeks to catalog the DNA of the thousands of tumor types included in the many varieties of cancer.

Shifting the focus of cancer research and treatment from the cellular to the genetic level could also lead to new treatments for cancers that have so far failed to respond to treatment, study co-author Josh Stuart of the University of California-Santa Cruz told the Los Angeles Times. Typically, the cancer drugs currently used in traditional medicine are designed to treat cancers of a specific organ or tissue type, such as breast cancer or lung cancer. Based on this new research, scientists hope to develop cross-cancer treatments that can cross organ and tissue boundaries to attack tumors with genetic similarities no matter where in the body they are located. In the future, cancer may be identified and treated by tumor type rather than body location.

The Cancer Genome Atlas project is expanding our knowledge of how cancerous tumors form and grow; but perhaps more importantly, it is allowing scientist to see connections between different types of cancer that could eventually lead to a cure for cancer.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Care Tips

Heavy Metals Can Have Negative Impact on Cancer Treatments

Organic products and sustainable living reflect a modern recognition of the value of keeping life close to nature. A century or so ago nearly everyone lived a sustainable lifestyle and ate locally-sourced, home-grown food; there weren’t any other options. But since the Industrial Revolution man has been moving farther and farther away from his natural roots. In the process we have exposed our bodies to some very unnatural things: chemicals, plastics, petroleum distillates, nitrates, heavy metals, etc.

55 gallon waste drums
Toxic chemicals surround us.

Toxic substances have become part of our everyday lives. They are in the foods we eat, the clothes we wear, the construction materials used to build the homes we live in, the toys our children play with. Few of the items used to live a modern life seem to be completely free of toxicity; and in recent years many have been found to be carcinogenic.

Not so long ago, cadmium was found in children’s jewelry; and lead was discovered in the paint used on children’s toys. These and other high density metals are called “heavy metals.” In order to function properly the human body actually needs small quantities of certain heavy metals; but in excess even useful metals can be damaging. A large number of heavy metals are extremely toxic to the human body and can cause cancer and/or serious physical and mental degeneration.

Chelation therapy for cancer is a treatment that eliminates from the body harmful heavy metals and other undesirable substances that may interfere with cancer treatment and recovery. Find out more about chelation therapy for cancer on our website.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research

Issels Cancer Vaccines Offer Non-Toxic Cancer Treatment Alternative

Sick Young Woman Lying in Bed --- Image by © Royalty-Free/Corbis
There are non-toxic treatments for cancer. Find out what we do

Chemotherapy and radiation can be so toxic to the human body that some cancer patients choose to halt treatment rather than live through one more day of pain and misery. Traditional medicine’s standard cancer treatment weapons — chemotherapy and radiation — work by flooding the body with aggressively toxic chemicals or battering it with caustic radiation. The problem is that while these traditional cancer therapies do kill cancer cells, they also kill healthy cells, weakening and even damaging the body. For many cancer patients the physical and emotional cost of chemotherapy or radiation is simply too great. Alternative cancer therapies offer effective non-toxic cancer treatment options that work with the body to battle cancer.

Issels autologous cancer vaccines are prepared from the patient’s own blood to be non-toxic and immediately compatible with the patient’s system. Our cancer vaccines work with the body’s immune system to strengthen the patient’s natural immunity against cancer cells. Every day we are exposed to all sorts of bacteria, viruses, pollutants, diseases and other potentially hazardous elements. As these agents invade our bodies, our immune system goes on the attack, producing disease-fighting antibodies. These antibodies remain in the blood stream, our immune system responds and creates a powerful barrier to future exposure.

Issels cancer vaccines work in much the same way. Prepared from the patient’s own blood, Issels autologous cancer vaccines intensify immune system response and enhance the body’s ability to fight cancer.

Alternative Cancer Treatment

Gerson Diet Can Help Fight Obesity, Decrease Cancer Risk

Image of an apple
Gerson Diet Can Help Fight Obesity, Decrease Cancer Risk

Over the past few decades adult obesity in the U.S. has doubled and childhood obesity has tripled. Cancer researchers warn that unless Americans can trim down and learn to manage their weight more effectively, the obesity epidemic is likely to cause a spike in cancer diagnoses and cancer deaths.

While researchers are still working to understand how obesity promotes cancer development, it appears that fat tissue creates an ideal environment for the development and growth of numerous types of cancer. Obesity has been linked to an increased risk of developing breast cancer, colorectal cancer, kidney cancer, pancreatic cancer, esophageal cancer, thyroid cancer, gallbladder cancer, endometrial cancer and liver cancer.

An excess of fat cells can result in metabolic dysfunction, compromising the body’s immune system and its ability to fight cancer. Researchers have discovered that fat tissue stimulates the production of estrogen and other cancer-related hormones; can disrupt insulin production which can lead to chronic inflammation; and interferes with cytokines, disrupting vital cell communication and opening another door to cancer-related inflammation.

Eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly to maintain a healthy weight promote a healthy immune system and can help prevent cancer. More and more oncologists recommend diet and exercise goals for cancer survivors to reduce the risk of cancer’s return. Issels cancer treatment specialists recommend to their patients, according to their individual needs, an organic vegetarian diet that is high in immune-boosting vitamins, minerals, enzymes and micronutrients.

Next time: The benefits of exercise

 

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Immunotherapy

Cancer Report: Immunotherapy Yields ‘Remarkable’ Long-Term Results

Two physicians back to back.
Immunotherapy is in the news

After an intense review of cancer statistics and research conducted since 1990, the American Association for Cancer Research has issued a sobering progress report on the state of cancer and cancer treatments in the U.S. The report is of particular interest in light of a recent Institute of Medicine study warning that the U.S. is on the brink of a critical cancer care crisis that is expected to escalate as more baby boomers enter their senior years when cancer is more likely to occur. Despite progress being made in cancer awareness and treatment, cancer will strike more than 1.6 million Americans this year alone and kill more than 580,000.

As reported by CBS News, two key findings emerged from the report:

  1. Compared to 1990, cancer survival rates have increased by more than 1 million; but, as we discussed last time, the U.S. is falling behind in cancer prevention. According to the report, three lifestyle changes could prevent 50% of current cancer deaths.
  2. Advanced immunotherapy cancer treatments that employ the body’s own immune system to attack cancer are producing “remarkable,” long-term results without the difficult side effects that plague traditional cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation. The report notes that immunotherapies are in part responsible for the both the increase in cancer survival rates and the fact that survivors are living longer.

Issels Integrative Oncology has more than 60 years of experience using advanced immunotherapies as an essential part of integrative cancer treatment. As Issels treatment reviews indicate, we have a unique history of achieving complete, long-term remissions of advanced and standard-therapy resistant cancers. Visit our website to find out more about integrative immunotherapy cancer treatments.

Cancer Care Tips, News

New Report: 50% of Cancer Deaths Are Preventable

image of used cigarettes in sand.
The use of cigarettes has been linked to lung cancer

Half of all cancer deaths are preventable, according to a new American Association for Cancer Research report. You may be able to cut your cancer risk dramatically by making three lifestyle changes:

  • Reduce sun exposure,
  • Quit smoking, and
  • Maintain a healthy weight.

Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the U.S. with more than two million people diagnosed each year. One in five Americans will develop skin cancer. You can significantly decrease your skin cancer risk by wearing broad-spectrum sun screen that protects against both UVA and UVB rays whenever you are outdoors, even on cloudy days and in the winter.

Lung cancer is the deadliest cancer in the U.S., responsible for a third of U.S. cancer fatalities. Twice as many people die from lung cancer as from prostate and breast cancer. And lung cancer doesn’t just kill smokers. Non-smokers who live with smokers or work in a smoke-filled environment are also at increased risk of lung cancer. While there is some concern that electronic cigarettes may contain cancer-causing agents, a New Zealand study found that e-cigarettes are as effective as nicotine patches in helping smokers quit.

Obesity is the elephant in the room when discussing cancer and lifestyle choices. Obesity is associated with a third of U.S. cancer deaths, but the public is only just beginning to see obesity as a cancer risk factor. Obesity can interfere with your body’s metabolic function, weakening your immune system’s ability to fight off cancer and other diseases. Maintaining a healthy weight through diet and exercise may play a significant role in reducing cancer risk.