All posts by Nancy McCord

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

Highlighting Natural Killer Cell Activation through the Issels Immunotherapy Protocol

Worker in a lab
NK Cells and Immunotherapy for Cancer

Natural Killer (NK) cells may sound scary, but they play a valuable role in immunotherapy for cancer. Boosting NK cell levels helps the immune system mount a strong response in order to eliminate tumors.

How Natural Killer Cells Work

When cancer is diagnosed early, treatment has a good success rate. Cases of late-stage cancer are more difficult to treat because the tumor cells have often begun metastasizing throughout the body.

This is where NK cells come in. They fight tumors as well as metastasized cancer cells through production of proteins known as cytokines. In addition, NK cells are so-called because of their capacity to quickly attack foreign bodies without the activation of antibodies.

Another valuable benefit of NK cells is their function in mediating anti-tumor immunity. Studies have shown that mice with reduced levels of NK cells have lowered resistance to metastases and RMA tumor outgrowth.

The Effect of Immunotherapy on NK Cell Levels

An analysis of NK cell counts was done on 129 patients who had gone through the Issels® treatment program. The group of patients ranged across all four Stage classifications and a wide variety of types of tumors.

Each patient’s individual protocols included non-toxic treatments such as immune-stimulants, autohemotherapy, oxidative therapy, enzymatic therapy, phytotherapy, amino acids, detoxification strategies, dietary and life-style changes, as well as emotional support. After approximately three weeks, the group showed an average 48 percent increase in absolute NK cell levels per individual.

Issels®: A Trailblazer in Immunotherapy for Cancer

Our clinic was established to carry on the groundbreaking work of our founder, Dr. Josef M Issels, in the field of immunotherapy for cancer. Contact us for more information about cancer vaccines and other personally tailored treatment programs.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Treatment, Immunotherapy for Cancer

Reader Reviews of “Cancer: a Second Opinion” by Dr. Josef M. Issels

Josef M. Issels, Our Founder
Josef M. Issels, Our Founder

“Every second of every day, a man, woman or child dies of cancer.” That is the opening line of Cancer: A Second Opinion, written by Dr. Josef M. Issels, founder and namesake of our immunotherapy for cancer clinic. It also sums up why he felt the need to share his valuable work with the rest of the world.

“A General Disease of the Whole Body”

The medical community has traditionally viewed cancer as a localized disease and focused treatment on the tumor itself. Dr. Issels put forth the idea that cancer is actually the symptom of a generalized disease affecting the entire body.

This concept formed the basis of Dr. Issels’ groundbreaking work developing integrative immunotherapy for cancer treatments. While acknowledging that methods such as surgery and radiotherapy are necessary tools, Dr. Issels focused on treatments that fight the cause of cancer by boosting the immune system, the body’s natural line of defense.

The Public Responds

Cancer: A Second Opinion has achieved a five-star rating on Amazon. Here’s what some readers had to say in their reviews:

  • “Perhaps the most important book written on cancer in the twentieth century.”
  • “This book is for fighters.”
  • “When confronted with cancer I wanted to read more, and this was a great book for info. Would suggest it to anyone dealing with this.”

Issels®: A Pioneer in Immunotherapy for Cancer

Cancer vaccines, NK cells and hyperthermia are some of the non-toxic, innovative treatments used at our Issels® clinic. Visit our website to learn more about Dr. Issels and how we are carrying his legacy forward.

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

PBS News Hour Features Immunotherapy for Cancer

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Diverse Hands Holding The Word Cancer
Immunotherapy brings breakthroughs to cancer treatment.

As immunotherapy for cancer becomes an increasingly valuable method for fighting tumors, stories have moved from medical journals into the mainstream media. Immunotherapy was the topic of a recent edition of Leading Edge, a weekly science and technology report featured on PBS News Hour.

Immunotherapy: One Woman’s Story

First up were Melinda Welsh, a journalist who was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma, and her oncologist, Dr. Alain Algazi of the University of California, San Francisco. When Melinda’s cancer metastasized, her doctors told her she had no more than a year to live.

Dr. Algazi began treating Melinda with an immunotherapy method known as a checkpoint inhibitor, which releases the “brakes” that prevent the body’s immune system from attacking tumor cells. Melinda then went into remission and continues today, three years after receiving her original diagnosis.

The Immunotherapy Difference

Host Hari Sreenivasan then conducted a discussion with Dr. Jeffery Bluestone, CEO of Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, and New York Times reporter Matt Richter.

Highlights of the conversation include:

• Immunotherapy for cancer differs drastically from other treatments in that it uses the body’s natural power rather than poisons to fight tumors.

• Richter, who has profiled a number of cancer patients, characterized immunotherapy as a “quantum leap” in the fight against cancer.

• Dr. Bluestone cited the example of melanoma, which has gone from 5 percent five-year survival to 40 percent five-year survival.

A Personalized Approach

Our non-toxic immunotherapy for cancer treatments are tailored to meet your specific needs. Visit our website to read and hear success stories from patients who have been treated at our Issels® clinics.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, Immunotherapy, Immunotherapy for Cancer

Medical University of South Carolina’s Antibody Treatment Research Holds Promise

Immunotherapy for Cancer
Immunotherapy for Cancer using Antibody Treatment

Researchers continue to make strides in discovering new cancer immunotherapy methods that help doctors successfully target tumor cells. As revealed in a recently published report, a team of scientists at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) have created a promising antibody-based therapy using a specific diagnostic marker known as GARP.

When Immune Cells Fail

Numerous studies have focused on TGF-beta, which is a protein used by regulatory T-cells (Tregs) to direct immune cells away from healthy cells. Malignant tumors get around this by releasing vast amounts of TGF-beta, essentially hijacking Tregs and causing them to suppress immune cell activity against the cancer cells.

GARP is the only known receptor that lets TGF-beta dock on cell surfaces. The MUSC team set out to determine whether GARP was the means by which tumor cells were able to harness TGF-beta.

Is GARP the Key to Activating Tregs?

After finding that GARP levels were higher in certain types of tumors, the team conducted a test in which they removed the GARP gene from mice with mammary tumors. As a result, the tumors grew more slowly and there was little metastasis to the lungs.

The MUSC team then used human GARP in mice to develop antibodies. Their hope is that in the future, cancer immunotherapy in conjunction with GARP antibodies will result in more effective treatment for breast cancer.

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

For decades, Issels® has been the leader in non-toxic integrative cancer treatments that boost your own immune system’s ability to fight tumors. Contact us today to learn more about the Issels® difference.

 

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, Cancer Vaccine, Immunotherapy, Immunotherapy for Cancer

Dendritic Cell Therapy Has Been Funded by the American Cancer Society

Advances in Cancer Therapies
Advances in Cancer Therapy

As part of the American Cancer Society’s initiative to eliminate cancer, they have funded research by some of the most brilliant minds in the medical field. Among the 46 ACS-funded scientists who have gone on to win the Nobel Prize is a doctor who did groundbreaking work involving dendritic cell therapy.

Top Scientists Go to Bat for ACS

Immunotherapy for cancer received a major boost when Dr. Ralph M. Steinman of Rockefeller University discovered the dendritic cell, which plays a vital role in the function of the immune system. Dendritic cells trigger responses in T cells, allowing them to more effectively target invading cancer cells.

Dr. Bruce A. Beutler, professor of genetics and immunology at Scripps Research Institute in San Diego, is another Nobel laureate who received a grant from ACS. Along with his colleague Jules Hoffman, head of a laboratory in Strasburg, France, Dr. Beutler conducted extensive research concerning innate immunity, which is the body’s first line of defense against cancer cells and other invaders.

ACS Grants Lead to Improved Cancer Treatments

Dr. Stein’s work led to the development of Provenge, a prostate cancer vaccine that has become a valuable part of immunotherapy for cancer. The findings of Dr. Beutler could ultimately result in more effective treatments for cancer as well as rheumatoid arthritis and other chronic inflammatory diseases.

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

Cancer vaccines are just one of the advanced non-toxic therapies used at our Issels® center. Contact us to learn more about how our personalized immunotherapy protocols have helped patients with all forms of cancer, including leukemia, melanoma and breast cancer.

Cancer Care Tips, Cancer Survivors, Immuno-Oncology, Immunotherapy

Cancer Survivors: How to Thrive After Treatment

Close-up of stethoscope and paper on background of doctors and patient working with laptop
How to Thrive After Cancer Treatment

Thanks to cutting-edge treatments like immunotherapy, more and more cancer patients are experiencing positive outcomes. If you’re one of the nearly 15 million cancer survivors in the United States, you may feel a bit adrift as you try to resume your everyday life.

Dr. Joanne Mortimer of the Women’s Cancers Program at City of Hope offers these valuable tips to help you cope and even thrive post-treatment.

Take Care of Your Body and Mind

Cancer is a physical disease that also affects your mental and emotional states. Don’t allow worries about finances, spousal intimacy or other issues to interfere with your recovery. Talk to your doctor and get a referral for a counselor or support group.

Be Realistic

The end of treatment can be similar to other types of loss, where you feel uncertain about where to go from there. Focus on matters you can control, such as following a healthy diet or staying physically active, and you will feel less anxious about the things you can’t.

Educate Your Doctor

The increasing number of cancer survivors is relatively recent, so doctors are also learning about life post-treatment. Don’t be afraid to discuss any symptoms with your doctor, no matter how minor you might think they are. The more information you provide, the better your doctor will be able to assist you and other cancer survivors down the road.

Our Issels® personalized immunotherapy treatments have helped a number of people achieve long-term remission. Visit our website and be inspired by testimonials from patients who have survived cancers of almost every type.