Category Archives: Breast Cancer

Breast Cancer, Cancer Care Tips, Cancer Caregivers, Cancer Survivors, Uncategorized

“Feed” Your Battle Against Breast Cancer with These Food Tips

Diet Tips for Breast Cancer Patients
Diet Tips for Breast Cancer Patients

Is there an ideal diet to aid in breast cancer treatment? While there is no ‘best diet’ for those undergoing treatment, to reduce the risks of treatment and support your body, nutritional science conducted by the University of Hawaii Cancer Center points to ways that modifying diet may help.

Taking a ‘Bite’ Out of Risks

In terms of breast cancer treatment and prevention, research shows this hormonally-driven disease is strongly affected by obesity. However treatment time is NOT the time for weight loss. Instead, a shift to the development of healthful habits, including a balanced diet that promotes overall health, is ideal.

Foods that Feed the Battle

A diet of fresh veggies, plant-based proteins, and high-fiber foods – foods packed with phytochemicals, antioxidants, flavonoids, isoflavones, and other super-food, cancer-fighting properties – is ideal. Limiting alcohol intake is also advisable, as excessive intake is linked to cancer risk.

What’s on the Menu?

– Cruciferous veggies like broccoli, Brussel sprouts, and cauliflower.
– Plant-based proteins, including soy, beans, nuts and seeds.
– Other lean proteins that help boost immunity and retain muscle mass, such as poultry, fish, and eggs.
– High-fiber fruits, veggies, and grains like rice and quinoa that keep appetite (and cholesterol) in check.

Planning for Success

Planning shopping and meals on ‘good days’ can help make dietary changes and adequate nutrition easier. Form a monthly/weekly meal plan, ‘batch cooking’ large hearty stews or casseroles that can be easily packed into smaller portions for easy reheating when you’re under-the-weather. Aim for 5-6 smaller meals/day.

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Breast Cancer, Cancer Research, Cancer Treatment, News, Uncategorized

New Imaging System Identifies If a Breast Cancer Will Respond Favorably to Chemotherapy

New Imaging System Identifies If a Breast Cancer Will Respond Favorably to Chemotherapy
New Imaging System Identifies If a Breast Cancer Will Respond Favorably to Chemotherapy

When it comes to fighting tumors, effective cancer treatment is only part of the equation. Researchers are also seeking ways to determine which patients will be more receptive to a particular course of treatment. A recent study offers encouraging results for a method of predicting breast cancer response to chemotherapy.

Predicting Chemotherapy Response in Breast Cancer Patients

Women newly diagnosed with breast cancer that is invasive but operable frequently undergo neoadjuvant chemotherapy beginning five to six months before surgery. Chances of recurrence are reduced in patients whose cancer cells are completely eliminated by the chemotherapy.

According to Dr. Dawn Hershman, co-leader of the study conducted at Columbia University in NYC, determining which patients are likely to achieve a favorable response makes a significant difference in cancer treatment. If their chances of positive response are low, adjustments can be made for a more effective treatment.

Reading the Clues in 3D Imaging

Based on the idea that chemotherapy affects a tumor’s vascular network, the research team set out to determine if imaging could be used to detect these changes. Blood absorbs light, so the scientists used a system incorporating red and near-infrared lighting.

Armed with 3D images of both breasts, researchers studied the ways in which blood interacted with the tumors. In a group of 34 patients, blood outflow accurately identified 92.3 percent of responders, while increase in blood concentration identified non-responders in 90.5 percent.

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Breast Cancer, Cancer Research, News, Uncategorized

MSK1 Protein Research May Answer Why Some Breast Cancer Stays Dormant

MSK1 Protein Research May Answer Why Some Breast Cancer Stays Dormant
MSK1 Protein Research May Answer Why Some Breast Cancer Stays Dormant

Scientists have long been puzzled by the process of metastasis in breast cancer and what causes the cells to lie dormant. A recent study revealed valuable information that can pay off with more effective breast cancer treatment.

Understanding Latency in Breast Cancer Metastases

Researchers at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB) in Barcelona set out to study estrogen-positive (ER+) breast tumors that feature long periods of asymptomatic latency. This type accounts for 80 percent of breast cancer cases.

The Barcelona team identified a protein kinase called MSK1 as the primary regulator of dormant metastases. After examining clinical samples from patients, the researchers determined that ER+ breast cancer tumors that don’t express MSK1 tend to suffer earlier relapse, while those that do express MSK1 experience later metastases.

Breakthrough in Breast Cancer Treatment

Head researcher Roger Gormis explained that little was previously known about why breast cancer metastasis time varies from one patient to another. Study results also showed that suppressing MSK1 causes faster-growing cancer cells that have a greater chance of metastasizing.

Benefits of the study are two-fold:

– Doctors may be better able to identify patients who are more likely to relapse and adjust treatment protocol.

– Scientists may be able to develop a treatment that mimics the role of MSK1, thereby keeping metastasis dormant for as long as possible.

Effective Late-Stage Cancer Treatment at Issels®

Our non-toxic, personally tailored immunotherapy programs have effectively treated patients with late-stage and therapy resistant cancer of all forms, including breast, lung and colorectal. Contact us to learn more about why Issels® is the leader in state-of-the-art immunotherapy treatments.

Breast Cancer, Cancer Care Tips, Cancer Treatment, News, Uncategorized

Why Many Breast Cancer Patients Stop Treatment or Only Take Partial Treatment

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Why Many Breast Cancer Patients Stop Treatment or Only Take Partial Treatment
Why Many Breast Cancer Patients Stop Treatment or Only Take Partial Treatment

Many women do not trust the health care system and will often forgo radiation and drug therapy after breast cancer surgery. That is according to a survey of 2,700 breast cancer patients by researchers at Johns Hopkins University. Lead author of the survey, Lorraine Dean, said over 30 percent skip treatments that are intended to kill any cancer cells that remain after surgery.

Contact Issels® for information on how combining conventional treatments with immunotherapy cancer treatment reduces the likelihood of relapse.

Doctor-patient trust is crucial

Cancer is a devastating disease and it is understandable that patients experience feelings of helplessness. It’s not just women with breast cancer who are losing trust in doctors and the health care system, it’s the general public as well. People often feel that doctors put their own financial interest ahead of patient care. When patients feel their doctors don’t listen to them or take their concerns seriously, trust begins to erode.

For the best possible outcome, it is necessary that doctors and patients have a strong bond of trust. Patients should feel comfortable being fully honest with health care providers and the doctors should always remember that a patient’s trust in them is a vital and necessary component of proper medical care. Each person’s cancer is unique and treatment should be based on the specific needs of each patient.

Personalized cancer treatment

At Issels®, we have been practicing individualized treatment for more than 60 years. We want you to make informed decisions about your cancer treatment options. Contact us today for more information on our autologous (from the patient’s own blood) non-toxic cancer treatment protocols.

Breast Cancer, Cancer Research, Immunotherapy

Breast Cancer Patients Treated with Combination Drugs Suffer More Side Effects

New Research for Breast Cancer Studies Genes
New Research for Breast Cancer Studies Genes

One of the concerns with traditional cancer treatment is the range and severity of potential side effects that may occur. Based on the results of a recent study, patients with advanced breast cancer who are treated with a certain combination of drugs are at greater risk for serious side effects.

Fighting Cancer on Two Fronts

Some breast cancers are classified as “hormone receptor-positive.” Signals from hormones such as estrogen and progesterone reach receptors in the cancer cells, triggering further growth. Patients are commonly treated with a receptor blocker such as tamoxifen in conjunction with drugs that specifically target molecules involved in cancer cell development.

Previous research indicated that this combination therapy enabled patients to live longer without progression of the tumors. The missing piece of the puzzle was the extent to which treatment could cause side effects.

Evaluating Side Effects of Combination Therapies

A study conducted by an international research team found that patients with combination therapy were more susceptible to side effects such as fatigue, diarrhea and hyperglycemia. The degree of risk varied based on the particular drugs involved.

Scientists plan to use these results to design courses of treatment that are less likely to produce side effects. In the meantime, since these therapies do have benefits, doctors will have more information to use in prescribing and managing combination drug treatments.

Issels® Leads the Way with Non-Toxic Cancer Treatment

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Alternative Cancer Treatment, Breast Cancer, Cancer Research, Cancer Treatment, Uncategorized

New Treatment for Cancers Linked to BRCA Mutations

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New Research for Breast Cancer Studies Genes
New Research for Cancer Studies Genes

Identification of Breast Cancer genetic mutations was a breakthrough for scientists working on cancer testing and treatment. Recent findings show that a new form of cancer treatment can effectively extend progression-free survival in patients with BRCA-related tumors.

PARP Inhibitors and BRCA-Related Cancers

PARP inhibitors make up a new class of cancer drugs that have been used primarily in a narrow application for women with ovarian and related forms of cancer. As presented at the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) in Madrid last September, recent trial results open up possibilities of other uses.

The ARIEL-3 trial, sponsored by Clovis Oncology, involved 564 patients who received randomized doses of a placebo or Rubraca, a PARP inhibitor manufactured by Clovis. Rubraca was found to help women who had ovarian cancer both with and without BRCA mutations.

While Rubraca’s greatest effectiveness was in cases involving BRCA mutations, it also had a positive effect on some with other markers of impaired DNA repair. This condition is referred to as genomic scarring or BRCA-ness, related to a deficiency in homologous recombination repair (HRD).

Future Uses of PARP Inhibitors

Rubraca is currently approved in the U.S. for treatment of advanced BRCA-positive ovarian cancer. Based on the trial results, Clovis has applied for FDA approval of broader applications of Rubraca, including maintenance treatment. Researchers are hopeful that benefits will eventually extend to breast, pancreatic and prostate cancer.

Gene-Targeted Cancer Treatment Programs at Issels®

Gene-targeted therapies focus on blocking replication and growth of cancer cells, reducing risk to healthy cells. Contact us to learn more about cancer vaccines and other non-toxic cancer treatment programs at Issels®.