Category Archives: Alternative Cancer Treatment

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Care Tips, Living with Cancer

Exercise and Improved Quality of Life for Cancer Patients

Exercise Tips For Cancer Patients
Exercise Tips For Cancer Patients

Exercise has long been considered an essential part of a healthy lifestyle. Recent analysis of past studies involving cancer patients shows that physical activity can have the same benefits for patients undergoing integrative immunotherapy and other treatments.

Can exercise really help cancer patients?

The study, reported by co-authors Dr. Arnaud Vincent and Jasper Gerittsen, was recently published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. The duo reviewed results of 16 earlier tests comparing the effects of exercise vs. inactivity in cancer patients. In general, those asked to increase their physical activity reported a greater quality of life than those in the control groups.

Improvements ranged from better overall body functioning to higher self-esteem. While exercise schedules varied from two to five times per week, there was no significant difference in results for patients with the greater frequency of sessions. One notable finding showed that patients who began exercising during treatment enjoyed both physical and mental benefits, while those who started after treatment saw only physical improvement.

Adding regular physical activity

Doctors and patients alike often believe that cancer treatment calls for more periods of rest, but this analysis may lead to a new perspective. Dr. Vincent explained that the spectrum of physical activity is wide enough to allow flexibility in adapting exercise appropriate for patients restricted to wheelchairs or beds.

Lifestyle is an important consideration in developing our personalized integrative immunotherapy programs. For decades, Issels® has been a leader in non-toxic protocols that reduce many of the serious side effects associated with traditional treatments. Contact us today to learn more about the Issels® difference.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, Living with Cancer

Strategies to Improve Nutrition during Cancer Treatment

Cancer Nutrition Tips
Cancer Nutrition Tips

If you have cancer, side effects from treatment, as well as from the disease itself, can keep you from obtaining proper nutrition at a time when you need it most. While non-toxic immunotherapy reduces side effects, you may still experience difficulties eating and drinking.

Here are some of the more common problems you may encounter along with strategies to keep them from interfering with a healthy diet.

Nausea

  • Instead of three regular meals, eat smaller meals throughout the day.
  • Avoid spicy or other strong-tasting foods.
  • Stick with low-fat foods, which are easier to digest. Dry or salty foods can also minimize nausea.

Difficulty swallowing

  • Avoid foods with rough or dense textures.
  • Choose soft foods that can be eaten cold or at room temperature.

Poor appetite

  • Drink liquids at mealtime only as necessary. Consume the majority between meals.
  • Try protein drinks and other nutrient-rich commercially prepared beverages. These can also help if you struggle to meet nutritional needs through food alone.
  • “Graze” on smaller, more frequent meals.

Fatigue

  • Keep a variety of ready-to-eat items on hand.
  • Consume juices and other beverages that are high in nutritional value.
  • Ask family and loved ones to assist with buying appropriate foods and preparing meals and snacks to be stored for quick access.

Our Issels® non-toxic immunotherapy reduces side effects by stimulating your body’s natural immune responses. All treatments are personalized for best results based on your individual lifestyle, environment and genetic predisposition. Visit our website for more information about our cancer vaccines and other integrative programs.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Care Tips, Cancer Research, Living with Cancer

What to Know About the Cancer Risks of CT, MRI, and PET Scans

Steps for Dealing With Cancer
Cancer Scans

Diagnostic imaging has become a valuable tool for doctors to diagnose and evaluate conditions ranging from broken bones to cardiovascular disease, as well as an effective way to monitor progress of treatments such as cancer vaccines. The widespread use of these tests has stirred debate in the medical community regarding the increased cancer risk they may create.

Radiation risk of imaging

CT (computed tomography) scans are at the center of the controversy. These tests use ionizing radiation, which is known to damage DNA and cause cancer, to create intricate 3D images of the area being scanned. As such, they are the equivalent of approximately 200 chest X-rays.

Unlike CT scans, X-rays and PET scans, MRI scans and ultrasounds involve no radiation. MRI scans use magnetic fields and ultrasounds use high-frequency sound waves. Neither medium causes irreversible damage to humans.

Has diagnostic imaging become overused?

In just 20 years, diagnostic imaging has grown into a $100 billion per year business. While the tests often reduce the need for exploratory surgery, many radiologists are concerned that they are being used indiscriminately, with some specialists requiring scans before a patient’s initial visit.

Imaging frequently turns up conditions that have been dubbed “incidentalomas,” so called because they are generally harmless conditions that are discovered unexpectedly. These diagnoses can lead to expensive and unnecessary procedures that may result in complications.

Our Issels® immunotherapy programs include non-toxic treatments such as cancer vaccines to stimulate your body’s own powerful immune responses. Visit our website for more information about our personalized therapies.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, News

VP Staff Meets with Cancer Experts as a Push towards a Cure

The Cure is Out There
The Cure is Out There

It’s nearly impossible to find anyone whose life has not been touched by cancer. If you have not been affected by the disease yourself, you have at least one family member or friend who has. Vice President Joe Biden has channeled grief over his eldest son’s death into a personal campaign to find a cure.

Turning tragedy into hope

In May 2015, 46-year-old Beau Biden passed away from brain cancer. The following October, his father announced that he would not be running for president in order to devote time toward a “moon shot in this country to cure cancer.”

Since that time, Biden has followed through on his commitment to ramp up government’s role in the search for a cure. He and his staff members have participated in dozens of meetings to become fully educated in the current progress, seeking the most promising opportunities to accelerate the fight. This past January, Biden and his advisors sat down with 15 members of the American Association for Cancer Research.

During the same month, the Vice President’s office issued a statement saying Biden saw “great promise in genomics, immunotherapy and combined therapies,” all of which are part of our Issels immuno-oncology treatments. Biden also showed support by lobbying for a proposed multi-million dollar boost in funding for the National Institutes of Health.

The power of immunotherapy

The staff at our Issels immuno-oncology clinic has long shared the Vice President’s enthusiasm for personalized, non-toxic cancer treatments. Contact us to learn why our state-of-the-art programs may be the right choice for you or your loved one.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Care Tips, Cancer Caregivers, Living with Cancer

Five Life Changing Tips for Cancer Caregivers

Tips For Cancer Caregivers
Tips For Cancer Caregivers

Being a caregiver for a loved one with cancer is one of the more stressful, yet also one of the more rewarding roles you will ever perform. You are called on to provide both physical and emotional assistance, but at the same time it’s important that you maintain your own strength and positive frame of mind.

Using these five valuable tips can change your life and that of your loved one.

  1. Don’t be afraid to talk about the future.

You may be reluctant to look ahead, but talking about the future takes your minds off present difficulties and helps maintain an atmosphere of hope.

  1. Be present and interact during clinic visits.

Whether your loved one is receiving non-toxic immunotherapy or more conventional treatment, education and knowledge makes you better equipped to give meaningful support.

  1. Encourage your loved one to follow an everyday routine.

Cancer patients can easily feel isolated, so engaging in regular activities as much as possible gives them a degree of comfort and stability.

  1. Enlist help from friends and family.

No matter how strong you are, you can’t do it alone. Talk to others about help with specific tasks or even taking over for a day to give you a break.

  1. Make time for yourself.

Plan regular outlets for stress such as exercise, yoga and meditation, or dinner with friends. Caregiver support groups can also be immensely helpful.

As you help your loved one to seek out cancer treatment options consider that our Issels® non-toxic immunotherapy protocols have fewer side effects, allowing patients to have a greater quality of life during treatment. Contact us to learn more about our individualized immune-oncology programs.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, Living with Cancer

Considerations on Genetic Testing of Family Members for Cancer

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Genetic Disposition
Genetic Disposition

In 2013, Oscar-winning actress Angelina Jolie raised public awareness of genetic testing for cancer. Her mother died at the age of 56 after a lengthy battle with cancer, and Ms. Jolie subsequently discovered she carries a gene mutation that is a marker for increased risk of breast and ovarian cancer.

Our non-toxic immunotherapy program takes genetic predisposition toward cancer into account as part of our personalized treatments. Do you have a family history of cancer? Here is what you should know about genetic testing for cancer.

Family history review

Your doctor will begin by constructing a family tree and noting any incidence of cancer to determine possible pattern. In addition to breast, uterine and ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer is another form that is often linked to a single mutation.

Assessment and testing

Once the family tree is complete, a determination will be made as to your personal risk of developing cancer. It’s estimated that between five and 15 percent of cancers are hereditary, but an increased risk is not a guarantee that cancer will develop. Based on the results of the assessment, your doctor may recommend genetic testing.

Emotional impact

Any consideration of a serious illness such as cancer will bring up a number of emotions. The genetic testing process includes counseling to help patients deal with the anxiety, guilt and other feelings that may arise.

Your family history, lifestyle and environment are some of the personal factors used to develop our individualized non-toxic immunotherapy program. Visit our website for more information about Issels® and our comprehensive integrative cancer treatment therapies.