Category Archives: Cancer Research

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

John McCain and Glioblastoma

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It's Time to Stop Cancer
It’s Time to Stop Cancer

Two years ago, then-Vice President Joe Biden was inspired by the death of his son to launch a “moonshot” campaign for cancer treatment research. Today, Sen. John McCain’s battle against brain cancer has once again turned a spotlight on the disease.

Vice-President Biden Joins the Fight Against Cancer

In May 2015, Biden’s eldest son Beau succumbed to glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. The same disease claimed the late Sen. Edward Kennedy in 2009.

Four months after his son’s death, Biden called off his expected run for the presidency in order to launch a campaign of a different sort. Biden and his advisors joined forces with the American Association for Cancer Research to ramp up the search for a cure.

Brain Cancer Remains in Public Awareness

Arizona Sen. John McCain, a one-time Presidential candidate himself, was diagnosed with glioblastoma this past July. The diagnosis added another layer of drama when McCain returned to Washington, D.C. a week later and cast the deciding vote against a proposed repeal of the Affordable Care Act.

Last month, McCain appeared on CNN’s State of the Union to discuss his illness. The senator told host Jake Tapper that he would be undergoing an MRI the following day, adding that advancements in cancer treatment gave hope for his prognosis.

State-of-the-Art Immunotherapy from Issels®

Researchers have been making astounding breakthroughs in cancer treatment. Issels® has long been a leader in the use of personally tailored immunotherapy programs to successfully treat patients with all forms of cancer.

Contact us for more information about our integrative, non-toxic treatments such as cancer vaccines and NK cells.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, Cancer Treatment, Immunotherapy, Uncategorized

NCI Studies Disparities in Cancer Treatment in Rural Communities

If You and Your Family Does Choose to Live Out in the Country, Make Sure You Live Close to a Location with Good Healthcare Providers.
If You and Your Family Does Choose to Live Out in the Country, Make Sure You Live Close to a Location with Good Healthcare Providers.

Does where you live affect your chances of surviving cancer? Recent studies are putting a focus on the disparities of cancer treatment between rural and urban communities.

Equal Access to Health Care?

Overall, cancer death rates in the United States have declined over the last 40 years. Unfortunately, two studies from the National Cancer Institute and Centers for Disease Control have revealed that cancer death rates are higher in rural areas and declining at a much slower pace.

NCI has a history of promoting cancer control in Appalachia, with efforts directed at prevention and early detection. Issues surrounding last year’s presidential election have further raised the visibility of questions about access to quality health care.

As research methods and tools become more sophisticated, scientists have the advantage of more granular data. This allows for more detailed plotting of disease patterns and trends as they apply to specific geographic regions.

Healthcare Organizations Rise to the Challenge

Growing acknowledgement of the problem is also raising the sense of urgency. Researchers at the University of Washington found that differences in life expectancy by county are large and growing even larger.

NCI, along with federal agencies such as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, are joining forces to collaborate on research and implementation. The next big step is a May 2018 meeting that NCI is convening among major organizations in the cancer community.

Issels®: Accessible and High-Quality Cancer Treatment

Our integrative immunotherapy programs incorporate multiple elements to create the best possible treatment for your particular diagnosis. Contact us for more information about cancer vaccines, NK cells and other non-toxic treatment methods.

Cancer Research, Immuno-Oncology, Immunotherapy, Immunotherapy for Cancer, News

What’s Happening in Colorectal Cancer Research?

 

Cancer Research is Making Progress Every Day. Here is the Latest for Colorectal Cancer.
Cancer Research is Making Progress Every Day. Here is the Latest for Colorectal Cancer.

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosed in the United States, but there are currently more than one million survivors in the country. The National Foundation for Cancer Research has some information you should know about this preventable disease.

Rates and Risks of Colorectal Cancer

• Overall risks of developing colorectal cancer are marginally higher for men. Approximately one in 21 is diagnosed with the disease, while the numbers for women are one in 23.

• Health factors that increase the risk of colorectal cancer include inflammatory bowel disorders, family history and genetics, and personal history of polyps or another form of cancer.

• Poor lifestyle choices such as smoking, obesity and high-fat diets, heavy alcohol use and physical inactivity also contribute to colorectal cancer risk.

• Regular screenings can help prevent colorectal cancer.

Colorectal Cancer Research in the News

Genomics and immunotherapy for cancer are the main focus points of today’s colorectal cancer research.

• Dr. Wei Zhang and his NFCR-funded team are continuing their promising studies into biomarkers and their use in improving colorectal cancer prognosis and predicting responses to treatment.

• NFCR has also supported the work of Dr. Yung-Chi Cheng, who is on the cusp of producing one of the first FDA-approved oral herbal immunotherapies for cancer. When applied in combination with chemotherapy, PH906 has been found to ease gastrointestinal side effects that accompany treatment for colon and rectal cancers.

Personally Developed Immunotherapy for Cancer at Issels®

Our integrative, non-toxic cancer treatment programs are powerful and effective, but they avoid the often painful side effects of traditional treatments. Contact us for more information.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, Cancer Treatment

New Cancer Treatment Targets Protein Found in Tumors

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Links to Cancer are Being Identified Everyday! There is Hope.
Links to Cancer are Being Identified Everyday! There is Hope.

Immunotherapy continues to be a major focus in cancer treatment research. Scientists in the United Kingdom recently began early-phase clinical trials of an experimental drug that targets a protein found in many solid tumors.

Using the Immune System to Attack Cancer Cells

Cancer Research UK and Biotecnol Limited are collaborating on development of a first-in-class Fdrug known as Tb535H. Arising from Trisoma®, Biotecnol’s antibody development platform, the drug targets the 5T4/WAIF1 antigen that is believed to contribute to the spread of cancer cells.

As with most immunotherapy treatments, Tb535H works by harnessing the immune system’s T cells and directing them to attack and kill cancer cells. Biotecnol has been instrumental in partnering with top cancer institutions to develop promising immune-oncology therapies.

Targeted Cancer Treatment

The discovery of the WAIF1 antigen also occurred as a result of studies at Cancer Research UK’s Manchester Institute. While it may ultimately be a target for a number of cancer types, current testing will be limited to cancers with low survival rates, including mesothelioma and small-cell lung carcinoma.

Dr. Nigel Blackburn, director of drug development for Cancer Research UK, acknowledged that the partnership with Biotecnol will accelerate the path of bringing Tb535H to cancer patients. Blackburn also stressed the need for more effective treatment for lung cancer, the cause of 20 percent of cancer deaths in the UK.

Issels® Offers State-of-the-Art Immunotherapy Programs

While immunotherapy is a hot buzzword in cancer treatment today, we have been using non-toxic integrative programs for decades. Contact us to read and hear testimonials from patients with all forms of cancer who have received successful treatment at Issels®.

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

What to Know About Sarcomas – Soft Tissue and Bone

Being Aware of the Signs of Cancer Can be an Effective Way to Catch Cancer Before its Too Late.
Being Aware of the Signs of Cancer Can be an Effective Way to Catch Cancer Before its Too Late.

Sarcoma is a relatively rare form of cancer, so it doesn’t have the same public awareness as leukemia, breast cancer or other well-known types. Here’s what you should know about this “forgotten cancer.”

What Is Sarcoma?

Sarcomas can be found anywhere within the body. They fall into two general types: soft tissue sarcoma, which occurs in muscles, blood vessels and connective tissue, and bone sarcoma.

Approximately 15,000 new cases of sarcoma are projected to be diagnosed in the United States during 2017. While the five-year survival rate is around 50 percent, sarcomas are known to frequently recur and metastasize.

5 Important Facts About Sarcoma

• Sarcomas account for only about one percent of adult cancer diagnoses, but they make up roughly 15 percent of cancers diagnosed in youngsters under the age of 20.

• While sarcomas can be found anywhere in the body, 50 to 60 percent of soft tissue sarcomas occur in the arms and legs.

• Most sarcomas arise from unknown causes. Certain genetic conditions or exposure to toxins can increase risk.

• Due to its rareness and lack of symptoms in the early stages, sarcoma is difficult to detect and diagnose.

• Few doctors have much experience with cancer treatment for sarcoma, so it’s essential to follow up a diagnosis with a second opinion from a specialist.

Personalized Cancer Treatment at Issels®

Whether you’ve been diagnosed with a rare cancer like sarcoma or a more common form such as lung cancer, we will create a specific immunotherapy cancer treatment to address your individual needs. Contact us to learn more about the Issels® difference.

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

New Biomarker May Predict the Body’s Response to Chemotherapy and Radiation

There is New Hope for Cancer Patients. Don't Give up!
There is New Hope for Cancer Patients. Don’t Give up!

One of the difficulties doctors have in prescribing cancer treatment is knowing which methods will be most effective. That may change with the discovery of a biomarker that may help predict a tumor’s response to chemotherapy and radiation.

How Cell Division Affects Cancer Development

When cells divide, the duplicated chromosomes are pulled apart into the two new cells. A malfunction in this process can lead to chromosomal instability, which has the potential to drive development of cancer cells.

Researchers set out to study the expression of genes associated with normal chromosome division. Specifically, they wanted to find out how genetic changes contribute to chromosomal instability and whether these changes held clues regarding the behavior of tumors.

Genetic Markers of Chromosomal Instability

The team from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory examined 31 genes that had previously been identified as part of the chromosome division process. They discovered that these genes were over- or under-expressed in different types of cancer as opposed to corresponding normal tissue samples.

This led to the development of a 14-gene subset named the Centromere and kinetochore gene Expression Score, or CES. When measuring CES in tumor sample databases, the researchers found that a high score correlated with elevated levels of chromosomal instability.

Based on these encouraging results, researchers are hopeful that the biomarker can be used to predict response to cancer treatment as well as prognosis with or without treatment.

Immunotherapy: An Integrative Approach to Cancer Treatment

Immunotherapy at Issels® doesn’t carry the risk of debilitating side effects that accompanies traditional cancer treatments. Contact us for more information.