Category Archives: Cancer Research

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research

Can a New Trial Crack Open the Secret Weak Spot of Cancer Tumors?

Finding The Weak Spot
Finding The Weak Spot

At Issels® we are always looking for ways to improve outcomes for patients whose cancer has resisted standard therapies. One recent development to watch is tumor profiling. These specialized tests analyze the genetic makeup of a tumor and may be the key for doctors to determine if another, less obvious treatment option might help.

A few recent trials have studied the results of alternative drugs that were assigned based on the results of tumor profile tests. So far, the results are very encouraging for people whose cancer has resisted initial chemotherapy or other standard treatment.

Here’s how tumor profiling can unveil the mystery of why a cancer medicine has failed:

  • The genetic testing looks for mutations present in the tumor cells.
  • Mutations are often found that have more in common with an unrelated form of cancer; for example, a colon cancer tumor could have a mutation common in breast cancer.
  • Doctors then provide treatment on a trial basis to see if the patient’s condition can be improved by a drug known to defeat the other form of cancer.

The trials have examined results in patients who had already tried other treatment options. In many cases, the metastatic cancer stopped growing or even shrunk.

One trial saw positive results in 40% of its 25 patient test group. Another trial found improvement in all 6 patients who received alternative therapies based on tumor profiling.

Seen as part of a trend toward individualized cancer treatments, these new advances place a focus on treating the patient’s disease at the genetic and cellular levels after standard therapies have failed.

To find out more about gene-targeted therapies and cell therapies, please contact us at Issels® Integrative Immuno-Oncology.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research

Extra Oxygen May Hold the Key to Stop Cancer Growth

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Oxygen Is Key
Oxygen Is Key

That essential oxygen we breathe is delivered to our organs and body tissues via the blood pumped throughout our bodies. Scientists have known for quite some time that adequate oxygen is vital to healthy organs and proper brain function.

A recent cancer study using mice suggests extra oxygen could boost the immune system’s ability to fight cancer cells. Immunotherapy is the cornerstone of our non-toxic treatment protocols at Issels® Integrative Immuno-Oncology.

Tumor growth

Most of the time, the immune system identifies and destroys abnormal cells, preventing them from developing into cancer. Once a tumor begins to develop, it has its own defenses to block attacks from the immune system. Tumors grow at a faster rate than the blood supplied oxygen can combat. This creates an oxygen-deprived environment that is more conducive to tumor growth. The lack of oxygen is a catalyst to the tumor making adenosine. The adenosine molecule neutralizes the tumor fighting T cells of the immune system.

Supplement oxygen cancer therapy

The study led by Michail Sitkovsky, who is the director of the Tissue Protection Institute at Northeastern University, used mice with lung tumors to test how extra oxygen altered the tumor created environment and helped the immune system do its job.

The tumors of mice that were in the high-oxygen group shrank. The shrinking was more significant when the mice were injected with additional T cells. What makes the results even more exciting is that oxygen is so well tolerated by the human body, unlike many traditional cancer treatments.

For more information on the benefits of immunotherapy and all the latest cancer news, visit Issels.com and sign up for our free e-Newsletter.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research

What Are Probiotics? How Can They Help Me?

Get Your Probiotics
Get Your Probiotics

Living healthy. This is something we see, hear, and read about on a daily basis. For many, healthy living is a choice, for many others, it’s necessary due to health issues. Either way, living a healthy lifestyle is a positive goal to focus on. At Issels ®, we focus on providing you with the help and support you need to live healthy including nutritional tips for cancer patients.

Another word you might have heard in the world of health is “probiotics.” These friendly bacteria and yeasts are good for the digestive system. They’re found in the digestive system and in certain foods such as yogurt, honey, cheese, oats, and pickles. There are also over-the-counter supplements for these friendly bacteria.

Benefits of probiotics include:

  • When your body loses bacteria, probiotics serve as a replacement
  • Probiotics keep bad bacteria that can lead to infections at low levels
  • Probiotics work as a monitor to keep good bacteria and bad bacteria balanced

For patients who are going through cancer treatment as well those who have completed treatment, studies show certain probiotic strains help reduce issues of diarrhea due to radiation treatment.

According to an article by Vanessa Wada, MS, RD, studies indicate,”these organisms have demonstrated their potential in minimizing cancer treatment side effects and reducing cancer risk.” That is encouraging.

Her report also notes liver cancer may also be affected by probiotics as well as breast cancer and bladder cancer. As positive research continues into the healthy effects of the bacteria, Dr. Wada suggests adding probiotics to the diet.

If you have questions or need information, contact our staff at Issels in the USA, Canada or abroad by phone. Or use our convenient online form and we’ll respond to your email.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research

A Look Back at the Successes in Treating Ovarian Cancer

Prostate Cancer
Treating Ovarian Cancer

For the many drafted into the fight against ovarian cancer, its sub-40% cure rate can seem especially daunting. No matter where you’re at in your cancer journey, Issels® wants you to know you have an increased fighting chance thanks to these ovarian cancer treatment advancements which can stop aggressively growing tumors from endangering vital organs and gain time for immunotherapy to work.

Let’s celebrate our success in the hard-fought battle against ovarian cancer!

  • Changes to surgical principles
    Now that the role of surgery is more clearly understood, complete surgical staging (checking the spread of cancer) and debulking (the removal of cancerous tumors), is now recommended for nearly all patients suspected of harboring any residual disease in order to create better outcomes.
  • Intraperitoneal chemotherapy
    A major development in ovarian cancer treatment, this stage three cancer therapy delivers a concentrated dose of chemotherapy directly to the cancer site via a catheter inserted into the abdominal cavity. Strong evidence now associates its use with a major improvement in median ovarian cancer survival rates in women.
  • The addition of bevacizumab
    Bevacizumab, an angiogenesis inhibitor, has offered ovarian cancer victims a variety of bevacizumab-containing regimens which slow the growth of new blood vessels, offering a progression-free survival as opposed to overall survival when other methods have been exhausted.

Who do we have to thank for these treatments?
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®), a not-for-profit alliance of 25 of the world’s leading cancer centers devoted to patient care, research, and education, is dedicated to improving the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of cancer care so that patients can live better lives.

Do you have the right cancer battle strategy? Plot your course for a better life with Issels® today.

Cancer Research, Living with Cancer

Lung Cancer Grows in Women and May Surpass Breast Cancer

Lung Cancer On The Decline
Lung Cancer In Women

Breast cancer can rightly be considered the most significant disease facing women specifically. However, researchers have long warned that lung cancer rates could overtake breast cancer as the most fatal form of the disease in women. The Annals of Oncology have recently released a report confirming that 2015 may be the year that lung cancer kills more women than breast cancer across Europe.

Even while cancer death rates decline overall, lung cancer rates trend upward as the population ages. The statistics in Europe reflect a global truth: where smoking has been prevalent, both men and women face high rates of lung cancer.

The fact that this disease could affect more women than breast cancer serves as a reminder for necessity of awareness and prevention efforts.

There are several key issues to understand about the rise of lung cancer in women:

  • Many women began smoking after World War II. As the population ages, more women develop lung cancer. Smoking cessation can begin to reduce the rates.
  • Rates vary notably by country. Smoking has been more common in England and Poland than many other European countries. British women (21 per 100,000) and Polish women (17 per 100,000) exceed the EU average of 14 deaths per 100,000.
  • The trends represent a rise in lung cancer rates, more than a reduction in breast cancer rates.

At Issels® Integrative Immuno-Oncology, we study every case of cancer individually. Research into the overall trends provides another important facet of fighting cancer: if we understand why one form of the disease is becoming more common, we can better anticipate future patient needs. Contact Issels® to find out about holistic and individualized cancer therapies.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research

Google Files a New Patent For a Wearable Cancer Treatment

Advances In Genetics
Advanced Cancer Research

Cancer researchers have been working on coming up with better ways to detect and treat cancer for years. Now, thanks to the work of inventor and cell biologist Dr. Andrew Conrad, the combination of nanotechnology and Google technology has the potential to find and destroy cancer cells in the near future.

Biology Meets Technology

In the latest cancer news, tech giant Google announced a new patent for a wearable device that can detect cancer cells and potentially get rid of them. The device is designed to be worn on the wrist and works with a pill containing magnetic nanoparticles. The device projects a magnetic field that draws the nanoparticles and any cells that are targeted, such as cancerous cells. The nanoparticles are meant to latch onto the targeted cells and draw them toward the device, which then creates and sends energy to blood vessels. Theoretically, this process would result in the cancerous cells being changed into harmless ones or destroyed altogether.

Worth the Wait

Google’s wearable device is still pending approval by the FDA and isn’t expected to be out for five years or more, but it could eventually give hope to those who are either at risk of cancer or those who want an alternative, non-toxic way to treat cancer. The device would provide a convenient and non-invasive way to fight cancer. It could also end up being used to target harmful abnormal cells associated with several other diseases, including Parkinson’s disease and HIV.

If you would like more information on non-toxic forms of treatment for cancer, please contact Issels®. We offer a wide range of Integrative Immunotherapy Programs, as well as cancer vaccines.