Category Archives: Alternative Cancer Treatment

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Immunotherapy, Immunotherapy for Cancer, Living with Cancer

Exciting New Treatment Possibilities for Hard to Treat Cancers

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Do you Have or Know Someone Who is Currently Experiencing a Hard to Treat Cancer? There is Hope!
Do you Have or Know Someone Who is Currently Experiencing a Hard to Treat Cancer? There is Hope!

Cancer cells have the ability to hijack healthy cells, which is one of the reasons tumors are so difficult to treat. A team of British scientists recently found a way to counteract this process, in effect hijacking the hijacking.

How Healthy Cells Aid Tumor Growth

For healthy people, fibroblasts are cells that help to hold different organs together. Cancer cells transform them into cancer associated fibroblasts, or CAFs, that aid in a tumor’s growth and spread.

Higher levels of CAFs are found in many bowel, neck and head cancer cases that have poor survival rates. Despite this knowledge, scientists had been unsuccessful at targeting CAFs.

Halting Pro-Cancer Activities

A team at the University of Southampton identified an enzyme called NOX4 that is essential for CAFs to work with cancer cells. Using a developmental drug that treats organ fibrosis, the team was able to halt pro-tumor actions by CAFs.

When mice were treated with the drug, the size of their tumors was reduced by up to 50 percent. Cancer Research UK is now funding the Southampton team as they explore the use of this approach in immunotherapy for cancer.

Professor Gareth Thomas, lead researcher of the Southampton team, said that targeting CAFs can offer new possibilities for patients whose cancer has been unresponsive to traditional treatments.

Immunotherapy for Cancer: Harnessing the Power of Your Own Immune System

Immunotherapy for cancer programs at Issels® boost the power of your own immune system to target and attack cancer cells. Contact us to learn more about cancer vaccines, NK cells, hyperthermia and other individually tailored immunotherapy treatments.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Immunotherapy, Immunotherapy for Cancer, Living with Cancer

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

This Month is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Support those Going Through Treatment Today!
This Month is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Support those Going Through Treatment Today!

Nearly one in eight women in the United States will develop breast cancer, which has the highest death rate for females after lung cancer. Beginning in 1985, October has been designated as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month to educate the public and raise funds for research.

Raising Global Awareness of Breast Cancer

American Cancer Society and the pharmaceutical division of Imperial Chemical Industries, now known as Astra Zeneca, co-founded NBCAM to encourage women to get mammograms. Eight years later, Evelyn Lauder of Estee Lauder Companies established the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and popularized the symbolic pink ribbon.

NBCAM Activities

During the month of October, organizations around the world stage promotions and fundraisers to support NBCAM. Some of their major activities include:

• The National Football League integrates pink both on and off the field.

• Landmark buildings such as the White House and Tokyo Tower are lit up in pink.

• Race for the Cure, a series of 5K runs and fitness walks, originated in Dallas but is now held throughout the world.

• Susan G. Komen sponsors a three-day event where participants walk an average of 20 miles per day. 3-Day for the Cure® is held in major American cities such as Atlanta, Chicago and San Francisco.

• The third week of October is now dedicated to raising awareness of male breast cancer, which is less common but equally important.

Immunotherapy for Cancer: Treating Men and Women of All Ages

Both men and women diagnosed with breast cancer, leukemia and all other forms have been successfully treated with personally developed immunotherapy for cancer programs at Issels®. Contact us to learn more.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, Cancer Treatment

Molecularly Targeted Therapy – Considered Exciting Cancer News

Molecular Targeted Therapy Hit the Bulls Eye!
Molecular Targeted Therapy Hit the Bulls Eye!

Traditional cancer treatments often attack both cancer and healthy cells, resulting in debilitating side effects such as fatigue and weight loss. Doctors are excited about a revolutionary cancer treatment that specifically targets cancer cells.

Cancer Treatment that “Hits the Bullseye”

As implied by the name, molecularly targeted therapy involves drugs designed at the molecular level of the cell to attack and destroy specific types of cancer. Glivec (or Gleevec), also known as STI571, is the pioneering drug in this promising new therapy.

These so-called “designer drugs” begin with the identification of an abnormal molecule unique to a particular type of cancer. Scientists can then create a drug that interferes with the function of that molecule.

Glivec: Targeting Leukemia

Glivec has been found to be effective against chronic myeloid leukemia, also known as CML. Dr. Brian Druker, who led the research on Glivec, discovered that scientists have previously used STI571 to treat a rare gastrointestinal cancer that shares an enzyme related to one in CML.

Dr. Druker, who also serves as director of the leukemia program at the Oregon Health Sciences University, believes that STI571 can lead the way in finding the abnormalities in other types of cancer so they can also be treated with molecularly targeted therapy.

FDA approval of Glivec was fast-tracked and the drug is now available from Novartis Pharmaceuticals.

Immunotherapy: Non-Toxic State-of-the-Art Cancer Treatment

Glivec and other new drugs have the medical community abuzz, but Issels® has experienced decades of success with our personally developed immunotherapy treatments. Visit our website to read and hear testimonials from patients of all ages with all types of cancer.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Treatment, Living with Cancer

Tips for Lowering Your Stress Levels While in Cancer Treatment

Taking a Deep Breath and Seeking Help Can Really Help Take Stress Down a Notch.
Taking a Deep Breath and Seeking Help Can Really Help Take Stress Down a Notch.

If you have been diagnosed with cancer, stress relief is more important than ever for your quality of life. A recent study found that relaxation techniques such as yoga and meditation actually produce molecular changes that counteract depression.

The Immune System in Overdrive

When stress triggers the familiar “fight-or-flight” reaction, it also boosts production of a molecule called NF-kB. This molecule in turn stimulates genes to produce cytokines, which are proteins that cause inflammation as part of the immune system response.

In the short term, this process is helpful in battling infections and other common ailments. Problems arise when the pro-inflammatory gene expression is chronic, leading to higher cancer risk along with accelerated aging and mental disorders such as depression.

Exploring the Mind-Body Connection

The study from the Universities of Coventry and Radboud, published in Frontiers in Immunology, examined gene behavior in 846 participants over a span of 11 years. Principle focus was the effect of mind-body interventions (MBIs) such as yoga, tai chi and meditation.

Results showed that regular practice of MBIs caused reduced production of NF-kB and cytokines. This decrease reversed the pro-inflammatory gene expression pattern, with a corresponding reduction in the risk of inflammation-related conditions.

According to lead researcher Ivana Buric, the process leaves a “molecular signature” that reverses the effects of stress and anxiety. MBIs can change the genetic code to follow a path toward health and well-being.

Immunotherapy for Cancer: A Personalized Approach

No two cases of cancer are the same. Contact us to learn how Issels® uses individually developed immunotherapy for cancer programs to help patients of all ages and all forms of cancer.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, Cancer Survivors, Cancer Treatment, Uncategorized

What is Recurrent Cancer – What Do I Need to Know?

What Do I Need to Know?
What Do I Need to Know?

Have you ever heard stories about patients undergoing immunotherapy for cancer and experiencing no recurrence? Here’s what you need to know about recurrent cancer and what it means in terms of your overall health.

When Cancer Comes Back

Recurrence refers to cancer that returns after treatment has been completed. It originates with cancer cells that remained after the first course of treatment but were too small to show up in post-treatment testing.

Recurrent cancer is the same form as the original tumor, as opposed to a new type of cancer that may develop in patients who have a history of tumors. The latter is known as second primary cancer.

Types of Recurrent Cancer

Cancer recurs in three different ways:

• Local recurrence is in the same general area as the original tumor.

• Regional recurrence describes cancer that has grown into lymph nodes or other tissues near the original cancer.

• Distant recurrence is when cancer has spread to organs or other tissues far from the original site.

Another term that describes distant recurrence is metastatic cancer. Regardless of where the cancer has spread, it’s still the same type as the original tumor.

Testing and Treatment

Your doctor will likely repeat many of the same tests that resulted in the first diagnosis. These tests provide information to help determine the appropriate course of treatment.

Effective Non-Toxic Immunotherapy for Cancer at Issels®

The personally tailored immunotherapy for cancer treatments at Issels® are designed to boost your own immune system’s ability to recognize and destroy cancer cells. Contact us today to learn how our programs have helped patients achieve long-term remission.

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

How the Presence of Estrogen Protects Women from Gastric Inflammation Leading to Cancer

Advanced Cancer Research
Advanced Cancer Research

In the past, scientists have attributed gender discrepancies in cancer rates to lifestyle differences. Recent evidence strongly indicates that the cause may actually lie in biological differences instead.

This theory was bolstered by the results of an MIT study involving male mice infected with H. pylori, a bacterium that can lead to gastric cancer. More than 50 percent of people around the globe are infected with H. pylori, and while many remain asymptomatic, gastric cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide.

How Gastric Cancer Develops

H. pylori infections are controlled by the body’s immune system, but a common side effect is gastritis, which is an inflammation of the stomach. The result is conditions that lead to the development of gastric cancer.

Studies have indicated that estrogen can protect women from gastritis, lowering their gastric cancer risk. Conversely, Tamoxifen and other drugs that block estrogen have been linked to higher risk of gastric cancer in women.

Testing the Theory

The mice in the MIT study were treated with estrogen, Tamoxifen or both. None of them developed cancer despite a prior history of gastritis, suggesting that Tamoxifen in the stomach may mimic rather than block estrogen. In the untreated control group, 40 percent of the mice developed gastric cancer.

Issels®: The Leader in Immunotherapy for Cancer

Using estrogen to treat cancer is an example of using the body’s own resources. Immunotherapy for cancer is a non-toxic way to boost the power of your own immune system to fight cancer.

Visit our website to learn more about how Issels® uses personally tailored immunotherapy for cancer to help patients achieve long-term remission.