Category Archives: Cancer Research

Cancer Research, Immunotherapy

Wheat Germ Extract Shows Potent Anti-Cancer Activity

Another Step in Stopping Cancer
Another Step in Stopping Cancer

For years, doctors have been advising that a nutritious diet low in fat and rich in antioxidants is beneficial in preventing cancer and helpful in boosting the health of cancer patients. Studies show that fermented wheat germ extract (FWGE), a popular staple in health food stores, can be a potent anti-cancer dietary supplement.

What Is Fermented Wheat Germ Extract?

Quite simply, wheat germ is extracted from the germ, or seed, of a wheat plant. FWGE is wheat germ fermented with baker’s yeast to create a concentration of an active substance called benzoquinones.

FWGE is sold under the trade name of Avemar in Hungary, where it’s registered as a special nutriment for cancer patients. (Avemar is marketed as AWGE in the U.S.) In the 1990s, the fermentation process was patented by a group of Hungarian scientists who also conducted in vitro and human clinical trials.

Anti-Cancer Properties of Avemar

Cancer cells use glucose as building blocks for rapid proliferation. As the tumor grows, it continues consuming more and more of the available glucose, causing the cancer patient to experience fatigue and weight loss.

In addition to interfering with a tumor’s glucose metabolism, Avemar has applications for immunotherapy for cancer as an NK cell activator. Both processes result in apoptosis, or “suicide” of cancer cells.

Immunotherapy for Cancer: A Non-Toxic, Integrative Approach

At Issels®, we evaluate your individual case along with factors such as lifestyle and environment to create a personalized course of treatment. Visit our website to learn more about innovative methods such as cancer vaccines and gene-targeted therapies.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, Living with Cancer

Hispanic and Black Males are Less Likely to Receive Prostate Cancer Treatment – Why?

Prostate Cancer
Prostate Cancer

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, black males are at greater risk of developing prostate cancer than any other race or ethnicity. Despite this, a recently published study shows that black and Hispanic males are least likely to receive treatment of all groups.

Does Race Impact Prostate Cancer Treatment?

The study was conducted jointly by researchers from Roswell Park Cancer Institute and Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Participants included 327,641 men diagnosed with localized prostate cancer between 2004 and 2011.

Data gathered by researchers included demographic data such as age, race and marital status along with two cancer-specific elements:

  • Gleason score, which indicates the relative aggressiveness of a tumor (a score of 7 to 10 is considered high-grade)
  • D’Amico risk classification, which determines the risk of post-treatment recurrence (low, intermediate or high)

Within all three D’Amico categories, data analysis revealed that black males had “significantly lower odds” of receiving treatment. The same held true for Hispanic males in the intermediate- and high-risk categories.

While some subjects may have followed a new approach called watchful waiting, wherein the patient continues to receive medical care but defers actual treatment, lead author Dr. Kelvin Moses of VUMC points to the “significant disparity” in treatment rates for African-American males. With Hispanic males not far behind, Dr. Moses hopes results of the study will prompt action within the medical community.

Immunotherapy for Cancer Addresses Your Specific Needs

At Issels®, our personally tailored immunotherapy for cancer programs have successfully treated patients with prostate cancer as well as other forms including breast, colon, lung, and melanoma. Contact us today for real-life testimonials from our patients.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Breast Cancer, Cancer Research, Immunotherapy

Off Label Drug Use Rises in Fight against Cancer

Repurpasing Cancer Drugs
Repurposing Cancer Drugs

In recent years, drug repositioning or repurposing has become a valuable strategy in immunotherapy for cancer as researchers find previously unknown uses for approved drugs.

“Multitasking” Drugs

A research team at the University of Bergen in Norway has been searching for chemical compounds that can shut down a tumor’s signaling system, preventing continued growth and spread. Over a five-year period, the researchers scanned thousands of compounds ranging from Chinese herbs to FDA-approved drugs.

While testing current drugs, the team discovered that axitinib, a drug used on kidney cancer, has properties that knock out communication paths between mutant cells. Since 90 percent of all cancers are caused by mutations, researchers are hopeful that the drug can be put to use on breast, prostate, colorectal and other forms of cancer.

A New Direction for Cancer Treatment

With the development of new pharmaceuticals taking up to 10 years, repurposing has become a popular cost- and time-effective strategy. The University of Bergen team has also identified a handful of other promising compounds for testing. Lead Professor Karl-Henning Kalland believes that axitinib holds strong potential for use in combination with immunotherapy for cancer.

Issels® Is on the Cutting Edge of Immunotherapy for Cancer

Whether it’s repurposing drugs, cancer vaccines or NK cells, you can be sure that Issels® will be a leader in the use of personally developed, non-toxic immunotherapy treatments. Contact us to read and hear real-life testimonials from patients with all forms of cancer, including lung, melanoma and leukemia, which have been successfully treated at Issels®.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, Immunotherapy

Expert States Traditional Cancer Treatments are Out of Step with Modern Advances

Classic Cancer Treatment is Dated
Classic Cancer Treatment is Dated

As the spotlight continues to shine on developing immunotherapy for cancer, the medical community is taking a hard look at traditional cancer treatments. During a recent press conference in Dubai, one of America’s top oncology experts explained why he believes cancer treatment is “out of step” with modern medical advances.

A “Rock Star” of Molecular Medicine Weighs In

Dr. Samuel Bernal, a Harvard-trained professor at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine, is himself a cancer survivor. In addition, Dr. Bernal was the leader of a multi-disciplinary team of molecular cancer researchers for 20 years and has written several books about oncology and the drug resistance of cancer cells.

During last month’s press conference, Dr. Bernal stated that traditional cancer treatments don’t cure the disease, but merely prolong a patient’s life at best. He cites strict FDA requirements for standardized treatments as being counter-productive because no two cases of cancer are the same.

Giving the Immune System a Helping Hand

Based on years of studies and his own personal experience, Dr. Bernal believes that stem-cell therapy is the most effective cancer treatment. He explains that our immune systems usually do a good job of killing cancer cells, but when they slip through and gain a foothold, a patient’s own stem cells provide the greatest boost in fighting the cancer.

Issels®: The Leader in Personally Tailored Immunotherapy for Cancer

At Issels®, all of our personalized immunotherapy protocols are developed to address each patient’s specific case. We also take into account factors such as lifestyle, environment and genetic predisposition. Contact us today for more information about our non-toxic, individualized immunotherapy for cancer programs.

Cancer Research, Immuno-Oncology, Immunotherapy for Cancer

Genetic Advances Made in Prostate Cancer Identification

Prostate cancer affects approximately 15 percent of males in their lifetime, and is second only to skin cancer. Recent identification of an overactive gene that accelerates prostate cancer could lead to development of a more effective treatment.

Prostate Cancer Evolves Beyond Drugs

Most prostate tumors are caused by a form of cancer called adenocarcinoma. In advanced stages, adenocarcinoma is treated with drugs that block androgens, the male hormones that fuel the tumor. Unfortunately, the tumors have evolved into a more aggressive, androgen-resistant form called neuroendocrine prostate cancer.

Prostate Cancer Identification
Prostate Cancer Identification

A cross-disciplinary team supported by the Prostate Cancer Foundation discovered a gene known as N-Myc that appears to be the driver behind the change to the more aggressive form. While N-Myc is not usually found in prostate cancer, it has been known to occur in other forms such as neuroblastoma, a rare cancer of the nervous system found in children.

A Pathway to New Treatment Methods

When N-Myc goes into overdrive, it teams up with a protein called EZH2 to block the tumor’s androgen signaling and “flips the switch” on the molecular program that leads to the more aggressive neuroendocrine form. Dr. Jonathan W. Simons, president and CEO of the Prostate Cancer Foundation, calls this a “game-changing” discovery that can enable development of more successful treatments.

Personalized, Non-Toxic Treatments for Prostate Cancer

Issels® offers a wide range of Immunotherapy for Cancer protocols, including vaccines and NK cells that have been used to treat patients with prostate cancer, melanoma, leukemia and all other forms. Contact us today to find out how Immunotherapy for Cancer at Issels® can help you or your loved one.

Cancer Research, News

University Researchers Show How Wearable Technology Can Fight Cancer

Can Wearable Technology Change How Cancer is Fought?
Can Wearable Technology Change How Cancer is Fought?

Wearables like smartwatches and fitness trackers have been at the forefront of the latest wave of technology. Thanks to researchers at the University of Southern California, wearable technology could be the next step in more effective cancer treatment.

Cancer Moonshot Launches ATOM-HP

“South by South Lawn” (SXSL) is a White House-based festival patterned after the ground-breaking SXSW annual event in Austin, TX. SXSL gathers and celebrates innovators and visionaries who are creating ways to improve lives, both domestically and globally.

The USC project, called Analytical Technologies to Objectively Measure Human Performance (ATOM-HP), is part of the Cancer Moonshot initiative started by Vice President Joe Biden. ATOM-HP uses wearable devices to provide doctors with real-time data that was previously unavailable.

The ATOM-HP Difference

Even during cancer treatment, doctors and patients have only sporadic contact. Decisions are based on the doctor’s observations and self-reporting by the patient, which can result in an incomplete picture of the illness. ATOM-HP lets the doctor “see” effects of treatment and its impact on the patient’s everyday life.

As explained by Jorge Nieva, co-lead on ATOM-HP, the process humanizes treatment by allowing doctors to observe patients beyond the controlled confines of the hospital or clinic. Nieva refers to it as a “safety net for patients” who may be struggling with cancer treatments.

Co-lead Peter Kuhn stressed the importance of ATOM-HP for cancer research. Instead of relying on previously collected data, researchers will have the benefit of real-time information.

Personalized, Non-Toxic Immunotherapy for Cancer

At Issels®, we incorporate the most up-to-date technology and methods in our immunotherapy for cancer. Contact us today for more information.