Category Archives: Cancer Research

Cancer Research, Immuno-Oncology, Immunotherapy, News

Could this be an Accidental Miracle for the Treatment of Breast Cancer?

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Breast Cancer Myths BustedAwareness Month
Promising Immunotherapy Treatment Protocol for Breast Cancer

Researchers in the United Kingdom recently made an exciting breakthrough in breast cancer immunotherapy treatment. Ironically, the discovery they made was neither sought after nor expected.

An accidental miracle?

A group of surgeons at the University of Manchester set out to test the use of a two-drug combo on tumors between the times of diagnosis and surgical excision. The drugs in question, traztusumab (Herceptin) and lapatinib (Tyverb) had previously been used individually in treatment.

While the intent was to study the effects of the drugs on tumor biology, the surgeons were stunned at the dramatic but unanticipated results. After only 11 days, 87 percent of the 257 participants experienced a significant reduction in cancer cells, while 11 percent showed no cancer cells at all.

Implications for future breast cancer treatments

Each of the women participating in the study had a form of breast cancer known as human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, also referred to as HER2 positive breast cancer. Herceptin works by blocking growth signals to HER2 receptors on the surface of the cancer cells, while Tyverb does the same from within the cells.

According to lead researcher Nigel Bundred, the results are a promising sign for tailoring individual treatments with breast cancer patients. The team is “cautiously optimistic” about indications that taking the drugs immediately after diagnosis may eliminate the need for chemotherapy.

At our Issels® center, we consider factors such as lifestyle and environment to create personalized breast cancer immunotherapy treatment. Visit our website to learn more about our cancer vaccines, cell therapies and other non-toxic immuno-oncology protocols.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Care Tips, Cancer Research, Immuno-Oncology, Immunotherapy

What is Biotherapy Treatment for Cancer?

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

You may sometimes hear immunotherapy for cancer referred to as biological therapy, or biotherapy for short. The prefix “bio” relates to living organisms, as opposed to “chemo,” which indicates chemicals. Biotherapy makes use of natural, living substances that assist your body’s own immune system in fighting cancer.

Biotherapy vs. chemotherapy

Traditional chemotherapy uses drugs to directly attack cancer cells. The main drawback is that chemo drugs can’t differentiate between cancer cells and healthy cells. As a result, damage to normal cells can result in nausea, fatigue, hair loss and other side effects associated with this type of treatment.

While your immune system does a good job at fighting bacteria and other foreign bodies, it has a hard time identifying and eliminating cancer cells. Biotherapy uses protocols developed from elements of the immune system, such as T-cells, cytokines and NK or natural killer cells, to harness and increase its cancer-fighting power.

How biotherapy affects the immune system

Biotherapy treatments can aid your immune system either directly or indirectly.

  • Direct assistance boosts the immune system’s ability to fight cancer cells by enhancing its power or making diseased cells easier to recognize.
  • Indirect assistance results from stopping or suppressing the process whereby healthy cells are transformed into cancer cells, as well as preventing cancer cells from spreading to other parts of the body.

Issels® is in the forefront of biotherapy cancer treatments

Personalized immunotherapy for cancer used at our Issels® center is based on special testing methods to determine each patient’s specific needs. Visit our website for more information about our individualized non-toxic therapies.

Cancer Research, Immuno-Oncology, Immunotherapy, News

Hard to Fight Pancreatic Cancer Responds to Immunotherapy

New Cancer Treatment For Pancreatic Cancer
Pancreatic Cancer Treatment News: Chemotherapy Plus Immunotherapy

Pancreatic cancer is one of the more difficult forms to diagnose, resulting in a low survival rate. A recent study found that immunotherapy for cancer holds great promise for more effective treatment.

Current treatments for pancreatic cancer

Surgery is the best option for pancreatic cancer. Unfortunately, the tumors are often discovered too late for surgery to be feasible. Doctors are left to use chemotherapy and other methods to control the cancer.

Medical breakthrough with immunotherapy

Researchers at University of Rochester Medical Center in New York set out to find a treatment that could make pancreatic cancer more receptive to surgery. The test involved use of PF-0416309, an immunotherapy drug that targets immune cells in pancreatic tumors.

Subjects included 47 patients whose pancreatic cancer had begun to spread. Eight received chemotherapy alone, while the others received a combination of chemotherapy and the immunotherapy drug.

Most of those who received the combination experienced a halt in the tumor’s growth, which was double the rate projected by the research team. Some saw their tumors shrink, while in one patient the cancer disappeared.

What’s next?

Side effects forced three patients to drop out, but otherwise no one had side effects more serious than those with chemotherapy alone. The researchers now plan to extend the scope of the test with phase 2 trials.

Issels® is the leader in immunotherapy for cancer

For years, our Issels® center has been ahead of the curve on immunotherapy for cancer. Our treatment programs are created individually,

based on each patient’s specific needs. Visit our website to learn more about cancer vaccines and other non-toxic immunotherapy treatments.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, Immunotherapy

Learn More about Immunotherapy a Type of Biotherapy

Harnessing The Body to Fight Cancer
Harnessing The Body to Fight Cancer

Thanks to cutting-edge advances and high-profile recipients like Jimmy Carter, immunotherapy for cancer has been in the spotlight over the last few years. Have you wondered what makes it different from other cancer treatments?

Harnessing your body’s natural resources

Immunotherapy is a form of biotherapy, which means that the treatments use living organisms to fight cancer. It works by giving your body’s immune system a helping hand in targeting and fighting cancer cells.

Cancer cells can trick your immune system by appearing similar enough to healthy cells that they aren’t recognized as a threat. The mutant cells then multiply so rapidly that the immune system can’t react and catch up.

Some immunotherapies work by making cancer cells more visible to your immune system so they can take action. Others work directly with your immune system to boost its response to cancer cells.

Different types of immunotherapy

  • Monoclonal antibodies are used for treatment called targeted therapy. They mark cancer cells to make them more easily recognizable to your immune system.
  • Cytokines are naturally created proteins that have a significant role in normal immune responses and the immune system’s ability to seek out and fight cancer.
  • Vaccines are normally thought of as preventive treatments, but cancer vaccines play an active role in strengthening the immune response.

Using state-of-the-art immunotherapy treatments

Our Issels® center uses these forms and other types of immunotherapy for cancer based on your own individual needs. Contact us for more information about our non-toxic treatment protocols.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Care Tips, Cancer Research, Immunotherapy

What Every Person Should Know About Melanoma

Fighting Melanoma
Fighting Melanoma

The word “cancer” is something everyone dreads hearing, but in the case of a type of cancer known as melanoma, it can feel like a death sentence. Here at Issels®, we have had great success in treating our patients with immunotherapy; even those who have received late diagnoses and feel like they’ve lost hope. Even so, there are some things you should be aware of about melanoma and how it can progress.

Melanoma is a type of skin cancer, and most of the time, patients are the first ones to detect that there is something abnormal about their skin. As you can probably guess, there are different types of melanomas, but the most serious is called melanoma IQ. This type of cancer can metastasize and spread to various parts of the body, including to internal organs.

In order to identify a case of melanoma, doctors use the ABCDE method prior to doing a biopsy. They check for:

A – Asymmetry

B – Border irregularity

C – Colors that change throughout a mole

D – Diameter that’s larger than 6mm

E – Evolving over time

These indicators are enough to cause most physicians to seek out a biopsy.

Prevention is always the answer when it comes to any type of cancer. Immunotherapy for cancer offers us much hope, but it’s important to know your risk factors so that you can detect it early on. For example, if you are Caucasian, and you have light skin, hair and eyes, you are at an increased risk. You’re also at risk if you spend a lot of time in the sun. Issels® can help you with immunotherapy for cancer.

Find out more about the Issels cancer treatment programs using cutting-edge immunotherapy programs today.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, Cancer Survivors, Living with Cancer

What Office Managers Need to Know About Staff with Cancer

Information For Managers Dealing With Cancer Patients
Information For Managers Dealing With Cancer Patients

As treatments such as immunotherapy for cancer become more effective, the number of survivors continues to increase. If you are an office manager, chances are you will have an employee dealing with a cancer diagnosis at least once during your tenure.

Maintaining a professional but supportive workplace environment can be a fine line to walk. Some elements are covered in company policies, but many are less defined. Here are some tips to help you strike a balance between business and personal needs.

Focus on the employee

When you sit down for the initial conversation with your employee, concentrate on their needs first.

  • Find a private location without distractions.
  • Let your employee do most of the talking while you listen carefully. This approach preserves their privacy and allows them to establish a comfort level.
  • Provide encouragement, but avoid agreeing or disagreeing with anything they say.
  • Finish with a summary of the main points to make sure you are both on the same page.

Respect their privacy

Some people are open about their health status while others prefer to limit how much they make public. Find out where your employee stands and respect their wishes either way.

Help them understand their options

Information about medical leave, health insurance and other human resource issues can be difficult to navigate. Help your employee understand the options or recruit someone who can.

At Issels®, our immunotherapy for cancer is aimed at allowing patients to resume and maintain their normal activities with as little interruption as possible. Visit our website for more information about our innovative treatments, including cancer vaccines and gene-targeted therapies.