Category Archives: Alternative Cancer Treatment

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Care Tips, Cancer Research, News

New Advance in Pancreatic Cancer Treatment Just in Time for Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month

New Understanding of Pancreatic Cancer
New Understanding of Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic cancer can be difficult to treat with conventional methods, such as chemotherapy. With this form of cancer on the rise, researchers have been working on developing other forms of treatment that might be more effective. Recent developments have led to a new type of treatment for pancreatic cancer that is showing promise as a highly successful way to boost survival rates.

Irreversible Electroporation

Researchers have come up with a treatment that delivers small yet strong electrical bursts that destroy pancreatic cancer cells, which is known as irreversible electroporation (IRE). These electrical bursts create holes in the cells, which leads them to die off. The use of this type of treatment has been associated with a survival rate that nearly doubles for those who also undergo a traditional form of treatment, such as chemo-radiotherapy. IRE is able to affect cancer cells while leaving noncancerous tissue around those cells unharmed, which can lower the risk of side effects and complications.

Researchers are planning on testing IRE in clinical trials to better determine its effectiveness for those with pancreatic cancer. The current study that was conducted involved 200 adults who were diagnosed with Stage III pancreatic cancer. While roughly half of those participants ended up with complications after undergoing IRE, these effects were considered minimal. Researchers found that the average survival rate for study participants was two years, although some lived for up to seven years.

If you would like more information on our non-toxic forms of treatment for pancreatic cancer, please contact the Issels® Center for Integrative Immuno-Oncology. We offer immunotherapy and other types of alternative cancer treatments.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research

Research on Polar Organisms May Shed New Light on Effective Cancer Treatment

New Research on Polar Organisms
New Research on Polar Organisms

Cryobiology is the study of how low temperatures affect living things. It has been around for thousands of years and lead to many life-saving procedures like cryopreservation of organs at low temperatures for transplant. Immunotherapy has been around for over one hundred years and is used by Issels® immuno-oncology to successfully treat many types of cancer. While transplant organs are stored at cool temperatures, blood, semen and many thin tissues can be maintained practically indefinitely via liquid nitrogen cryopreservation at sub-freezing temperatures. Many living organisms can survive long periods below freezing.

Understanding how some micro-organisms are thriving in the harsh Polar Regions may help researchers develop new cancer treatment techniques.

Arctic study of bacteria may provide new cancer treatments

Shiv Mohan Singh is a cryobiologist and senior researcher with Goa’s National Center for Antarctic and Ocean Research. As a member of India’s first expedition to the Arctic back in 2007, Singh has been studying how some organisms develop survival mechanisms to endure the harsh climate.

They have found that bacteria in Arctic glaciers survive by producing anti-freeze proteins, opening up possible applications in the cryopreservation of blood and organs. One substance that is of particular interest is thelebolan, a derivative from an Antarctic fungus, which has been shown to stall tumor cell growth and induce cell death in cancer lines.

When modern insights and innovations are applied to sciences that have been around for many years, incredible advancements are made in medical treatments. Issels® immuno-oncology uses highly personalized immunotherapy and other non-toxic alternative treatments for cancer. Visit our news blog for the latest advancements in cancer research and contact us to learn more about our integrative immunotherapy treatments.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, Uncategorized

What Are Tumor Markers and Why Are They Important?

Tumor Markers
Tumor Markers

Not all cancers behave the same way or produce identical markers. Some people with the same type of cancer will have higher levels of tumor markers while others with that cancer will not have the elevated levels. At the Issels® Immuno-Oncology Centers, we understand that highly personalized immunotherapy is often the best approach to achieve long-term remission.

What are tumor markers?

These markers are substances that are produced by the actual cancer itself or other healthy cells in the body when cancer is present. They may also occur in response to some noncancerous conditions. For example, a benign tumor may result in tumor markers.

While the most commonly recognized markers are proteins found in the stool, urine, blood, or other tissue sample from the person, changes to DNA and altered gene expression are starting to be used as tumor markers. Currently, there are over 20 unique tumor markers identified and used for the detection, research and treatment of cancer.

Why they are important?

In addition to helping doctors assess the effectiveness of treatment, tumor markers are measured after treatment has ceased to see if the cancer has returned. Tumor markers may one day be useful in detecting cancer while it is still in its early stages. Because there is not one “universal” tumor marker, they sometimes occur in noncancerous conditions, and may vary based on individual factors.

You can read about the latest cancer treatment breakthroughs by following the Issels news blog. Contact Issels® Center for Integrative Immuno-Oncology to learn more about our non-toxic, personalized immunotherapy cancer treatment protocols.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Care Tips, Cancer Research, Stage Four Cancer Treatment

What to Understand about Metastatic Cancer

Understanding Stage IV
Understanding Stage IV

Have you heard reference to the term “metastatic cancer” but you’re unsure what it means? It may sound like a technical term, but it’s a relatively straightforward concept. Here are some facts to help demystify the issue.

Metastatic cancer is also called “stage IV” or “advanced”

All three terms refer to cancer that has spread from its original location to other parts of the body. Metastasis is the process by which cancer cells migrate via the blood or lymph system.

Metastatic tumors are treated the same as the original tumors

The tumors are called by the same name and treated with the same protocols as the primary cancer. If the original location cannot be determined, it’s considered to be carcinoma of unknown primary origin, or CUP. The patient undergoes a series of diagnostic tests to help doctors zero in on possible locations of the main tumor as well as appropriate courses of treatment.

Different forms of cancer are more likely to travel to particular areas

For example, breast cancer most commonly metastasizes to the lungs or bones. In addition, stage IV cancer may spread to one or several additional locations.

Metastatic cancer can be successfully treated

While the spread of tumors is a serious development, medical advances have made significant improvements in life expectancy for stage IV patients. Ongoing tests and studies continue to make breakthroughs in effective protocols.

Our state-of-the-art, non-toxic immunotherapy protocols boost your body’s own ability to fight cancer at any stage. Contact us to learn more about our comprehensive, individualized treatment programs at Issels®.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Breast Cancer, Cancer Research, News

Leukemia Virus in Cattle and Potential Breast Cancer Connection Revealed

Hypothermia To Fight Cancer?
Breast Cancer

While breast cancer incidence rates in the United States have been dropping since 2000, it’s estimated that approximately 40,000 women will die from the disease this year. Researchers have recently discovered an unexpected risk factor that may surpass known ones such as obesity and postmenopausal hormone use.

Bovine leukemia virus (BLV) causes malignant lymphoma and lymphosarcoma in up to five percent of infected beef and dairy cattle. Until recently, the medical community believed that BLV could not be transmitted to humans.

That idea was shattered by a University of California-Berkeley team led by Professor Gertrude Buehring of its School of Public Health. In 2014, the group of researchers turned up the first-ever evidence of BLV in humans.

Prof. Buehring then had her team turn their attention to investigating a link between BLV and breast cancer. Samples were obtained from 239 women, some of whom were breast cancer patients. BLV was discovered in 59 percent of samples from the latter, compared to 29 percent in those who were cancer-free.

At this point it’s not known how BLV infects breast tissue, although Prof. Buehring speculates that possible causes are unpasteurized milk, unprocessed meat or human-to-human transmission. She also states that there is no proof at this point that BLV is a direct cause of breast cancer. Further studies will focus on determining whether BLV is present before tumors develop.

Breast cancer patients are among the thousands who have received treatment with the non-toxic personalized therapies at our Issels® immuno-oncology clinics. Visit our website to view testimonials and subscribe to our newsletters.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, Immuno-Oncology

Foundation Works to Create Pancreatic Cancer Awareness

Creating Awareness
Creating Awareness

Next week in November we celebrate Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month. Did you know that in the U.S. pancreatic cancer comprises just 3 percent of cancer cases, yet it accounts for 7 percent of fatalities? For those affected by the disease, information and support can be harder to find compared to more common forms of cancer.

When Herb Kosten passed away in 2003, his family decided to form an organization to provide support and awareness for pancreatic disease in the Memphis area. The foundation has also provided half a million dollars in research funding to a local university.

As the late Kosten’s brother Alan says, the family could find no information about pancreatic cancer besides what the doctor told them.

As proponents of individualized care and integrative immuno-oncology, we at Issels® support the idea that fighting cancer takes groundbreaking research as well as a holistic approach to patient care. In addition to funding research at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, the Herb Kosten Foundation hosts a support group for patients and family members. As the only pancreatic cancer support group within hundreds of miles, this provides a major source of comfort and empowerment to people who need it.

Treatment for pancreatic cancer often involves a difficult surgery that takes an entire day and often leads to complications. With a mortality rate around 90 percent, those affected by the disease seek to rally awareness and support for additional research in the quest for a cure.

At the Issels® Center for Integrative Immuno-Oncology, we continue to seek and improve personalized non-toxic treatments for pancreatic cancer and other aggressive forms of the disease. Contact us today to find out about our non-toxic treatments that combine immunotherapy and other alternative options available.