Category Archives: Cancer Research

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research

New Lymphoma Treatment Appears Promising

Lymphoma Treatment
Lymphoma Treatment

Medical researchers continue to make strides in the battle to control cancer. A Seattle-based biotech company has developed a drug that is showing promise for treatment of lymphoma, a form of cancer that attacks the body’s immune system.

Gilead Sciences has been testing an oral drug called idelalisib. It works to inhibit development of P13K deltas, a group of enzymes commonly found in B-cell malignancies, which make up the majority of non-Hodgkin lymphoma cases. A recent study was conducted through the Clinical Research Division of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, also located in Seattle.

The focus group was comprised of 125 patients between the ages of 33 and 87 who were diagnosed with indolent non-Hodgkin lymphoma. This particular form, also known as slow-growing, is difficult to treat as the disease often becomes resistant to therapy. After receiving twice-daily doses of idelalisib, 57 percent of the patients saw their tumors shrink by at least half while six percent showed no measurable evidence of cancer.

According to Ajay Gopal, M.D., lead researcher in the study, the patients had exhausted all current means of therapy and several had relapsed. One of the more encouraging results was the relative lack of side effects, unlike chemotherapy treatments. The most common side effects were diarrhea and colitis, which were successfully managed by adjusting the dosage. While it doesn’t appear that idelalisib is a cure, researchers are hopeful that it will be a valuable treatment for controlling lymphoma for extended periods.

Our alternative cancer treatment center uses programs of non-toxic immunotherapy tailored to your individual needs. Many of our patients have achieved long-term remission of lymphoma and other forms. Please visit our website for more information.

Cancer Research

Are You “Dying” to Get Your Nails Done?

The Nails
The Nails

Are you risking cancer every time you get your nails done? The ultraviolet drying lamps used by nail salons are the heated subject of a long-running cancer debate that may finally have been put to rest.

Dangers of UV Light

At the heart of the controversy is the UVA light emitted by nail drying lamps. Ultraviolet light from the sun is composed of two kinds of light. UVB light generally affects the surface of the skin, causing sunburn; but it also suppresses the immune system which can leave sun worshippers more vulnerable to skin cancer. Considered more dangerous and a potent carcinogen is UVA light which penetrates more deeply into the skin, aging skin cells and damaging their DNA. The result is premature aging, the development of wrinkles and increased risk of skin cancer.

The proven link between prolonged exposure to UVA rays and increased risk of skin cancer and melanoma is behind the Food and Drug Administration’s recent campaign to warn consumers, particularly teens and young adults, about the potential dangers of using tanning beds and sunlamps.

Are Nail Salons a Cancer Risk?

While nail salon drying lamps do emit the UVA light associated with skin cancer, a definitive new study found little skin cancer risk from the brief exposure experienced during the average nail salon visit. However, researchers do recommend reducing risk by treating hands with sunscreen before going under the drying lamp. To further protect consumers, researchers also recommend federal standardization of salon drying lamp UVA output.

Our advice: Next time you visit the nail salon take along a tube of sunscreen to apply before sticking you hands under the drying light!

Cancer Care Tips, Cancer Research, Cancer Survivors

Vitamin D and the Cancer Connection

Vitamin D To Reduce Risks of Cancer
Vitamin D To Reduce Risks of Cancer

Does Vitamin D offer hope for alternative cancer therapy? A new study in the journal Clinical Cancer Research suggests low blood levels of this vitamin may be linked to more aggressive, advanced cases of prostate cancer in men.

What we do know…
Vitamin D effects how cells develop and grow, regulating the differentiation of cells as they change from stem to adult cells, and regulating the growth rate of normal and cancer cells. The skin makes it when exposed to sunlight, however Vitamin D levels are known to decline with age, in certain seasons and climates, and in individuals with darker skin, which naturally blocks sunlight.

What we don’t know…
Researches haven’t yet proved a cause-and-effect relationship, and don’t yet understand how Vitamin D comes into play. They are also unsure if taking extra might reduce prostate cancer risks and offer natural cancer treatment and prevention.

What the study shows:
Among the 667 Chicago men ages 40-79 studied with abnormal prostate screenings, the majority were found to be Vitamin D deficient. In addition, among those testing positive for cancer, those with very low levels were at greater risk of advanced, aggressive varieties. In addition, black men were more likely to be diagnosed.

What about Vitamin D’s relationship to cancer?
At this point, scientists only know that the rate of prostate cell growth (in a petri dish) slows when Vitamin D is added to the mix. They are now theorizing that too little of this vitamin may cause cell growth to go awry, leading to cancer.

Researchers admit larger, more extensive studies are necessary to examine the possible connection and address the many unanswered questions prompted by the research.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research

Advances in Genetics Boost Success of New Immunotherapy for Cancer

Advances In Genetics
Advances In Genetics

Thanks to the advancement of gene sequencing techniques such as high-throughput genome sequencing, capable of breaking down an entire genome in a single day, a new cancer cell therapy treatment may become available to patients.

Successfully used to treat Melinda Bachini, a 45 year old Montana woman suffering from a rare bile-duct cancer after standard chemotherapy failed and resulted in hair loss and nerve damage, Bachini researched and decided to try the new experimental cancer therapy.

Reported in the journal Science, Dr. Steven Rosenberg’s team at the National Cancer Institute used a combination of cutting-edge genomics and recent insights into the human immune system. They identified specific CD4 T-cells  attacking the cancer in Bachini’s body, then literally pulled them off the tumor they were attacking and grew them in lab to later re-infuse into Bachini.

Treating Bachini first with strong chemotherapy to kill competing immune cells, she then underwent 2 rounds of this new treatment. The first reduced symptoms immediately and proceeded to shrink the tumors over 6 months. A second became necessary when the tumors began to grow back. All the mutations present in the cancer – and their associated T-Cells – had to be isolated, grown, and re-infused in order to eradicate the tumors.

This new immunotherapy for cancer is hoped to be used as a blueprint for attacking other types of cancers. Bachini’s case was the first to be treated with this personalized approach and also the first time doctors have been able to target a specific mutation in the immune system. It is anticipated further research into this alternative cancer therapy will provide additional treatment options for a wide array of cancers in the not-too-distant future.

Cancer Research, Living with Cancer

More Breast Cancer Myths and Facts

Breast Cancer Myths BustedAwareness Month
Breast Cancer Myths Busted

Twenty-five years ago breast cancer was considered a fatal diagnosis. But medical advancements and aggressive screening programs have resulted in a dramatic 34% drop in fatality rates and an astounding 98% increase in five-year survival rates. There are now more than 2.9 million breast cancer survivors enjoying life in America today!

Despite the amount of publicity breast cancer generates, many myths remain. Today, we continue our previous post separating fact from myth:

Truth About Mastectomy

Myth: Preventive mastectomy is the best way to prevent breast cancer if you carry the BRCA gene mutation.

Fact: Many cancer treatment experts feel that actress Angelina Jolie’s highly publicized decision to have both breasts removed after discovering that she carries the BRCA mutation did women a disservice. In the wake of her decision, fear of BRCA soared along with demand for preventive mastectomies.

Each breast cancer case is as unique as the woman it affects and demands a personalized approach to treatment. Treatment decisions should not based on the celebrity decisions but should be made in consultation with your cancer specialist. Mastectomy is only one breast cancer treatment option and is not warranted in many cases, even for women who carry the BRCA genetic mutation.

Better Treatment Options

Myth: Surgery, chemotherapy and radiation are the only ways to treat breast cancer.

Fact: The debilitating side effects of traditional cancer treatments have more breast cancer patients turning to integrated immunotherapy, either as a primary or complementary treatment. In combination with traditional treatments, many immunotherapy patients experience fewer and less severe side effects, faster recovery and better health after treatment.

Visit our website to find out more about immunotherapy treatments for cancer.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research

Novel Treatment May Be Successful Treating Lung Cancer

Lung Cancer Treatment
Lung Cancer Treatment

Under pressure to develop treatments for recurrent cancers with a high rate of fatality, cancer researchers are revisiting old treatment strategies to see if the application of new medical techniques and improved medical technology might make these strategies viable cancer treatment options again. Repeat radiation is one of these old treatments undergoing new life.

High Risk of Injury is a Problem

Significant improvement in the precision of radiation targeting has led a small number of cancer centers to experiment with repeat radiation on Stage 4 lung cancer patients who are out of options. Re-irradiation uses high-level doses of radiation but employs new techniques to tightly target the tumor and minimize damage to surrounding tissues. Despite precautions, repeat radiation does carry a high risk of serious injury to the patent which seems to be the reason few cancer centers are experimenting with the procedure.

No Risk Alternatives for Continued Lung Cancer Treatment

Using another treatment on the comeback trail, lung cancer patients undergoing non-toxic autologous cancer treatments are achieving positive results without re-irradiation’s considerable risks. Autologous cancer vaccines that use the patient’s own blood to boost immune system function have been used with success at Issels alternative cancer treatment centers for decades. Although the use of autologous vaccines has been in use for decades, it is back in the spotlight in the wake of new discoveries revealing the complicated cellular interactions between cancer tumors and immune system cells.

Stage 4 Lung Cancer Remission Success

Despite its effectiveness among various cancers and stages, individualized integrative immunotherapy is another cancer treatment strategy that has been gaining traction in mainstream cancer medicine. Find out more about how integrative immunotherapy is being used to successfully combat Stage 4 lung cancer.