Category Archives: Cancer Research

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research

Popular Men’s Supplements Tied to Testicular Cancer

Illustration depicting a screen shot of an internet search bar containing a cancer treatment concept.
Popular Men’s Supplements Tied to Testicular Cancer

Men who try to improve their bodies using muscle-building supplements may ultimately cause the opposite effect. Research shows that the consumption of popular supplements like creatine and androstenedione can increase the risk of testicular cancer.

A team of scientists at Yale University conducted a series of interviews with more than 900 men regarding their workout programs and history of supplement use. They were also asked to give details of smoking and drinking habits, family history of testicular cancer and their own incidents of groin injury. More than 350 of the respondents had been previously diagnosed with testicular germ cell cancer.

Data indicated that weekly supplement use for a minimum of four consecutive weeks resulted in a 65 percent greater likelihood of having received a diagnosis of testicular cancer. Use of more than one supplement raised the risk of developing testicular cancer by 177 percent, while use for three or more years resulted in a 156 percent increase.

According to study leader Tongzhang Zheng, risks were increased by factors such as use at a younger age, use over a longer time period, and use of multiple supplements. While the study confirms the correlation between supplement use and testicular cancer, it will take more research to determine if there is an actual cause-and-effect relationship and if so, what drives it.

At Issels®, we also conduct a careful analysis of your personal lifestyle, environment and genetic background in order to develop a cancer treatment program that addresses your specific needs. Visit our website to learn more about our non-toxic integrative immuno-oncology protocols. 

 

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research

Technion Lab Finds Protein That Suppresses Cancer

Researchers Find New Cancer Suppressing Protein
Researchers Find New Cancer Suppressing Protein

Researchers at Israel’s oldest university, the Technion, have found two proteins that are able to suppress the spreading and growth of cancer cells. In the published paper on their findings, researchers show that these proteins can repress cancer. They also mention that high levels of the protein called KPC1 and another called p50 are able to protect tissue from tumors.

The research

This study took place in Professor Aaron Ciechanover’s laboratory. He is a recipient of the Nobel Prize for chemistry for discovering the ubiquitin process. This process is a cell system that breaks down damaged proteins that can potentially damage otherwise healthy cells and tissue. Scientists used human tumors for the study that were then grown inside of mice. They also used samples taken from human tumors themselves.

The ubiquitin system

These previously unknown proteins were discovered while studying the ubiquitin process. The process is an essential part of the life of cells. It handles the destruction of defective proteins that will damage cells if not eliminated. The ubiquitin system will typically tag the unhealthy proteins, along with nonessential healthy proteins, for destruction.

The proteins

When KPC1 is a key component of the ubiquitin system, it generates p50. Researchers found higher levels of KPC1 and/or p50 in healthy tissue can defend the tissue from cancerous tumors. Developing drugs or cancer treatments based on the findings is possible, but years in the future.

At Issels® Integrative Immuno-Oncology, we utilize the patient’s own immune system to defend against and eliminate cancer cells. To read more about the latest cancer treatment breakthroughs or learn more about our own non-toxic individualized cancer treatments, visit the Issels®  website and sign up for our free e-Newsletter.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research

Precision Cancer Treatments Use Genomics for Tumor Targeting

Genetic Profiling
Genetic Profiling

While cancer treatments continue to become more effective, physicians are still, all too often, faced with cases where a tumor fails to respond to any methods. Researchers are now optimistic about the possibility of genetic profiling as a way to pinpoint vulnerable treatment options in an otherwise stubborn tumor.

Oncologist Michael Pishvaian of Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center compares locating the source of a tumor’s growth to “looking for a needle in a haystack.” The problem is that a cancer cell may hold hundreds of abnormally behaving genes, but it’s likely that only a few of them are actually fueling the tumor.

Dr. Pishvaian has first-hand experience with tumor profiling. In June 2013, he was treating a patient named Jen Morey for colon cancer using a conventional chemotherapy protocol. Unfortunately, after a couple of months the tumor was still growing at a rapid rate.

Faced with this roadblock, Dr. Pishvaian ordered a tumor profile test in an attempt to discover why treatment wasn’t working. He was astonished when the results indicated a genetic mutation found almost exclusively in breast cancer. 

Morey began undergoing treatment with a drug commonly used to target breast cancer gene mutations. Her condition quickly stabilized, and the new protocol was easier to tolerate because it attacks only cancer cells. A CT scan in December showed that the tumor has remained stable, and Morey was able to return to her critical-care nursing job in late January.

Our natural immuno-oncology treatments also use a personalized approach, including genomic testing, to create the most effective non-toxic protocols. Visit our website to learn more about our innovative cancer treatments. 

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Care Tips, Cancer Research, News

Could It Be True that Pot Kills Cancer Cells?

Marijuana Tests Positive For Fighting Cancer Cells
Marijuana Tests Positive For Fighting Cancer Cells

Information about pot and its medicinal powers regarding cancer is a hot topic, especially with some states easing up on the sale of medical marijuana. If you or a family member has been diagnosed with cancer and you have questions about options, at Issels®, you can learn everything you need to know from specialists providing cancer treatment programs.

Does Cannabis really help treat cancer?

According to a publication by The National Institute on Drug Abuse, the answer is yes. The publication states “Recent animal studies have shown that marijuana extracts may help kill certain cancer cells and reduce the size of others.”

The  publication goes on to say, “Research from one animal study suggests that extracts from whole-plant marijuana can slow the growth of cancer cells from one of the most serious types of brain tumors.”

Marijuana does not have the approval of being a true medicine by the US Food And Drug Administration. Further studies indicate particular cannabinoids (chemicals) found in the plant are medically inclined. Based on this information, the FDA has however, approved two medications containing the two chemicals – THC and CBD.

THC is the cannabinoid that impacts patients positively. The chemical helps decrease pain and inflammation, help with muscle control, and alleviate the aggravation and stress of an upset stomach. It also increases the appetite which aids patients who don’t feel like eating.

Studies are also underway to determine the effect of marijuana on:

  • Mental disorders
  • Seizures
  • Pain and inflammation
  • Disorders from substance use
  • HIV, Alzheimer’s disease, AIDS and multiple sclerosis

Please contact us in the US, Canada, or abroad at the numbers listed on our website or fill out the convenient form for more information on alternative cancer treatment.

Cancer Research, News

Living Healthy: Peanuts May Help Increase Longevity

Fighting Cancer With Peanuts
Fighting Cancer With Peanuts

An apple a day is said to keep the doctor away, and now it turns out adding a handful of peanuts to your daily diet could keep your funeral away to boot. How? A recent study has determined consuming peanuts and tree nuts daily is associated with a lower risk of dying over a 5-6 year period versus those who ate few or none. How “nuts” should you go? Issels® has the the 4-1-1 for helping you live a long, healthy life.

The nutty news…
The study, published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, linked consuming peanuts and tree nuts such as walnuts, pecans, and almonds with fewer deaths from heart-related issues, as well as fewer deaths overall. And you don’t need to munch predominately on costly kernels such as tree nuts either. Peanuts, a far more affordable option to tree nuts, offers similar cardiovascular benefits for far less cost.

Go nuts. Peanuts that is.
As long as you’re not allergic, consuming these lucky legumes can increase your longevity by 21 percent over nut naysayers. These benefits were seen with the consumption of about 2/3 of one ounce, or 17-18 grams. Even better? The findings held true regardless of smoking, drinking, body mass, and metabolic condition.

What’s in a nut?
Peanuts are nutrient rich, packed with unsaturated fats, fiber, antioxidants, and vitamins. It’s theorized the goodies packed in plant-based peanuts could help maintain the heart’s endothelial function, and consequently cell-lining blood vessels. This in addition to the nut’s heart-healthy antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.

Is your health making you nutty? Issels® can help. Contact us today to learn more about our proven immunotherapy cancer treatment options today.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, Cancer Survivors, Immunotherapy

Dr. Josef Issels: Highlighting Our History

Issels
Ilse Marie Issels, wife of Dr. Josef M. Issels

When you visit an Issels® Integrative Immuno-Oncology clinic for cancer treatment, you receive the benefit of our long history of remission success using immunotherapy protocols. Our founder, Dr. Josef M. Issels, was a pioneer in the field of non-toxic cancer immunotherapy and Mrs. Ilse Marie Issels and their sons are proud to carry on his legacy.

Dr. Issels began the first hospital in the world dedicated to integrative immunotherapy now more commonly known as Immuno-Oncology – in his homeland of Germany. The 120-bed facility focused on patients with advanced cancers, many of whom had failed to improve their prognosis with conventional treatments.

Vaccines from the patient’s own blood and other Innovative methods developed by Dr. Issels treated the tumor, and with the same importance, its microenvironment, which includes the extracellular matrix, the blood vessels, immune cells and signaling molecules. This concept created controversy in some medical circles at the time, but research today has confirmed the importance of the microenvironment in the progression or regression of tumors.

In 1981, thanks to his extensive knowledge and outstanding success, Dr. Issels was asked to serve as a member of the German Federal Government Commission in the Fight Against Cancer. He remained on the commission until his retirement in 1987, when he brought his integrative immuno-oncology practice to the United States.

After Dr. Issels passed away in 1998, his work was continued by Ilse Marie Issels, his wife and collaborator of 40 years. She was joined by their sons, Dr. Christian N. Issels and Hellmut J. Issels. Today the Issels team, of 8 doctors at the inpatient and outpatient facilities, collaborates under the leadership of Dr. Christian N. Issels and maintains the same high standards and tireless commitment of their late founder.

We continue to treat our patients with the latest non-toxic immunobiologic cancer therapies at the Issels clinics in North America. Visit our website to learn more about what makes Issels® a leader in personalized integrative Immuno-Oncology methods.