Category Archives: Cancer Research

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, Living with Cancer

WHO Says Bacon and Sausage is Dangerous Like Cigarettes for Causing Cancer

High Protein Diets Linked to Cancer
Who Says Sausage and Bacon is Bad

For years, a patient’s overall lifestyle has been one of the factors considered in developing our alternative cancer treatments at Issels®. The World Health Organization (WHO) recently provided additional evidence for this approach by placing popular breakfast meats on their list of cancer-causing substances.

Pork is #1 on the hit list

Last October, WHO issued their updated list of commonly-used substances that can cause cancer. Bacon, ham and sausage were added to the list, with processed meats joining asbestos and cigarettes as the highest-ranking carcinogenic substances.

Studies indicate that haem, a pigment that gives red meat its color, may irritate the linings of the intestines. Another possible cause comes from the preservatives used to keep meat for a longer time, which can ultimately form carcinogenic substances.

Should you give up red meat?

Some researchers remain unconvinced of the link between processed meats and bowel cancer. Neurobiology professor Robert Pickard of the University of Cardiff maintains that eliminating red meat from your diet is not as valuable a protection against cancer as reducing smoking, drinking alcohol and overeating.

Nevertheless, the World Cancer Research Fund International advises that you can reduce your risk of bowel cancer by limiting consumption of red meat to 500 grams cooked weight per week. Meat-eaters also tend to have a lower intake of fruits and vegetables, which are loaded with fiber along with antioxidants and other healthy nutrients, so upping produce consumption can also lower your risk.

Our Issels® alternative cancer treatments incorporate a healthy lifestyle as an element of our individually created protocols. Visit our website to learn more.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, News

Oxford University Shares Their View on the Future of Cancer Treatment

Oxfords Opinion on The Future of Cancer
Oxfords Opinion on The Future of Cancer

February 4, 2016 marked the annual observance of World Cancer Day, an event that originated in 2000 during the first World Summit against Cancer. Professor Colin Goding, a cancer researcher at Oxford University, took the opportunity to sit down for an interview about the current and future state of cancer treatment.

How researchers study cancer

According to Dr. Goding, the cellular events leading to the development of cancer are relatively complicated. Our bodies have systems to block mutated cells that lead to tumors, so those systems need to break down, allowing the mutations to take hold while accelerator cells push growth into overdrive.

Melanoma, or skin cancer, is one of the more common forms of the disease. It begins in the cells that manufacture melanin, which is a pigment controlling skin, eye and hair color. Dr. Goding cited melanoma as a good model for researchers to follow all stages of development, as opposed to forms like lung cancer that have already progressed by the time symptoms present.

Where does treatment go from here?

Dr. Goding sees the most promise for the future in two methods that are used in our immuno-oncology center. One is the ongoing development of drugs that reactivate the body’s immune system to attack cancer cells. The other is a focus on changing the micro-environment, which consists of the elements involved in the growth or regression of tumors.

Our Issels® immuno-oncology centers have been ahead of the curve in the use of non-toxic therapies that stimulate the immune system and target a tumor’s micro-environment. Visit our website to learn more about our personalized treatment protocols.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy Arises as the Closest Thing to Cure for Cancer Yet

The Cure is Coming
The Cure is Coming

For decades, the cure for cancer has been the holy grail of medical research. While there have been significant advances in treatment, an actual cure remains elusive. Thanks to its innovative approach, integrative immunotherapy has emerged as the closest thing to a cure for cancer.

What’s the difference between immunotherapy and conventional treatments?

Traditional chemotherapy can be effective, but it kills healthy cells along with cancer cells, leaving the door open for the disease to return. Immunotherapy is unique in that it trains the body’s own immune system to recognize and fight cancer cells, much as they do with a common cold.

James Larkin is a consultant at London’s Royal Marsden, the leading cancer hospital in the world. He explains that cancer can become resistant to conventional drugs, while immunotherapy works from the inside to boost the body’s natural resources. The idea is that the immune system is “programmed” to change in response to a tumor’s evolution.

A real-life success

Sandra Sayce is a living example of the benefits of integrative immunotherapy. The 52-year-old was originally treated for melanoma in 2001, when lesions were discovered on her lower leg. After the disease returned in 2005 and was diagnosed as stage four, she participated in a trial for an immunotherapy drug called ipilimumab. With no further treatment, the tumors disappeared and she has been cancer-free for nearly 10 years.

Issels® has long been at the forefront of the movement toward integrative immunotherapy. Our programs are individually designed to meet each patient’s specific needs. Visit our website for testimonials from the many people who have been successfully treated with our non-toxic protocols.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Care Tips, Cancer Research, Living with Cancer

Cancer Experts Find New Dietary Guidelines Lacking

Where Does Red Meat Fit In?
Where Does Red Meat Fit In?

Your 10-year-old may object to the omission of candy and pizza from the U.S. government’s eating guidelines. The revised version, issued this past January, has gained more influential critics who believe the guidelines don’t go far enough to discourage consumption of foods linked to cancer.

Is there a place for red meat in a healthy diet?

Katie McMahon of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network is one of the experts questioning the new guidelines, particularly the failure to recommend limiting red meats. Decades of research clearly indicates a link to development of cancer, which is one reason integrative immunotherapy considers lifestyle factors along with the disease itself.

Are industry lobbyists to blame?

The Health and Human Services Department and U.S. Department of Agriculture are the government agencies responsible for creating the guidelines. Lately they have come under fire from accusations of succumbing to pressure from meat industry lobbyists.

Dr. Walter Willett, head of the nutrition department at Harvard School of Public Health, is among those speaking out. He points out that consumption of red meat, even when it’s lean, has been shown to increase risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease as well as certain types of cancer.

Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell dismisses charges of catering to special interest groups. Alice Lichtenstein, a nutrition professor from Tufts University who was a member of the advisory committee, claims the guidelines were focused more on preventing chronic diseases such as diabetes than on cancer.

The integrative immunotherapy programs at Issels® address nutrition and other lifestyle factors. Visit our website for more information about our state-of-the-art non-toxic treatments.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, Living with Cancer

Strategies to Improve Nutrition during Cancer Treatment

Cancer Nutrition Tips
Cancer Nutrition Tips

If you have cancer, side effects from treatment, as well as from the disease itself, can keep you from obtaining proper nutrition at a time when you need it most. While non-toxic immunotherapy reduces side effects, you may still experience difficulties eating and drinking.

Here are some of the more common problems you may encounter along with strategies to keep them from interfering with a healthy diet.

Nausea

  • Instead of three regular meals, eat smaller meals throughout the day.
  • Avoid spicy or other strong-tasting foods.
  • Stick with low-fat foods, which are easier to digest. Dry or salty foods can also minimize nausea.

Difficulty swallowing

  • Avoid foods with rough or dense textures.
  • Choose soft foods that can be eaten cold or at room temperature.

Poor appetite

  • Drink liquids at mealtime only as necessary. Consume the majority between meals.
  • Try protein drinks and other nutrient-rich commercially prepared beverages. These can also help if you struggle to meet nutritional needs through food alone.
  • “Graze” on smaller, more frequent meals.

Fatigue

  • Keep a variety of ready-to-eat items on hand.
  • Consume juices and other beverages that are high in nutritional value.
  • Ask family and loved ones to assist with buying appropriate foods and preparing meals and snacks to be stored for quick access.

Our Issels® non-toxic immunotherapy reduces side effects by stimulating your body’s natural immune responses. All treatments are personalized for best results based on your individual lifestyle, environment and genetic predisposition. Visit our website for more information about our cancer vaccines and other integrative programs.

Cancer Research, News

The Link between Energy Sensing-Enzymes and Cancer

Worker in a lab
Cancer Vaccines

Part of the success of cancer vaccines lies in their ability to target the tumor microenvironment along with the tumor itself. A recent breakthrough shows similar promise as a way to cut off the energy molecules that fuel the growth of cancer cells.

A research team led by Dr. Atsuo Sasaki, an assistant professor at the University Of Cincinnati College Of Medicine, discovered that an enzyme called PI5PK4ß acts as a virtual “arrow on a fuel gauge” with regard to cancer growth. The enzyme functions by sensing available amounts of energy and communicating that information to cancer cells.

Until now, the identity of such a molecular sensor remained unknown. In fact, Dr. Sasaki and his associates initially met with skepticism regarding their study, which has since been published in Molecular Cell.

Cells are fueled by two types of energy molecules. Adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, provides most of the necessary energy. Guanosine triphosphate, referred to as GTP, is used to synthesize protein and also acts as a traffic cop directing various cellular processes.

PI5PK4ß acts as a GTP sensor by recognizing and binding itself to the molecules. Dr. Sasaki’s team was able to interrupt the process by designing mutant PI5PK4ß cells that lacked the ability to detect GTP. According to Dr. Sasaki, their hope is to use this discovery to develop a means of cutting off this energy source from cancer cells.

Cancer vaccines are only one of the tools available in our Issels® integrative immunotherapy programs. Visit our website for more details about our individualized treatment protocols as well as testimonials from our patients.