Category Archives: Cancer Survivors

Cancer Survivors, Living with Cancer, Uncategorized

New Research Shows Alcohol Use Increases Cancer Risks

Doctors have long cautioned against poor lifestyle choices, such as smoking, that increase the risk of cancer. In a study that may hold implications related to immunotherapy for cancer, scientists have discovered how alcohol use causes DNA damage in cells.

Harmful Effects of Alcohol on DNA

Cancer Research UK partially funded a study conducted by a research team at Cambridge. After mice were given diluted alcohol, also known as ethanol, they experienced genetic damage as a result of acetaldehyde that forms when the body processes alcohol.

Using chromosome analysis and DNA sequencing, the researchers found that acetaldehyde causes DNA within blood stem cells to break. Once the chromosomes rearrange, the DNA sequences are permanently changed.

According to Professor Ketan Patel, lead author of the study, DNA-damaged stem cells can lead to the development of cancer. This damage is sometimes random, but consumption of alcohol increases the risk.

Can Alcohol-Related DNA Damage Be Prevented?

The body uses enzymes called ALDH as well as DNA repair systems to protect against alcohol-related damage. In the study, mice who lacked essential ALDH suffered four times the amount of DNA damage as mice with the enzyme, indicating that faulty defense mechanisms increase the risk.

Professor Patel warned that even intact alcohol defenses are no guarantee against developing cancer. In addition, Professor Linda Bauld of Cancer Research UK pointed out that alcohol contributes to more than 12,000 cancer cases in the UK each year.

Non-Toxic Immunotherapy for Cancer at Issels®

Our integrative programs are individually created to include gene-targeted therapies and other treatments that address a patient’s specific needs. Contact us for more information.

After Cancer, Cancer Care Tips, Cancer Survivors, Uncategorized

Cancer Treatment: Food Safety Tips After Treatment

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Cancer Treatment: Food Safety Tips After Treatment
Cancer Treatment: Food Safety Tips After Treatment

Even after successful cancer treatment, your body is not at full strength. It may be more difficult for your immune system to fight foodborne illness than it was before treatment.

Use these tips to reduce the risk of food poisoning both during and after immunotherapy and other cancer treatment programs.

1. Practice “Safe Shopping”

– Don’t buy food products stored or displayed in areas that appear unsanitary.

– Don’t buy produce with bruises or other visible damage.

– Don’t buy cans that are dented or showing bulges.

2. Follow Careful Prep and Clean-Up Methods

– Rinse and dry all fresh fruits and vegetables.

– Wipe the tops of cans thoroughly before opening.

– Wash hands with soap and hot water for at least 20 seconds before and after prep. Use the same method to clean all dishes and utensils.

– Disinfect cutting boards and kitchen surfaces using a mixture of one teaspoon of unscented liquid bleach with a quart of water.

3. Watch Food Temperatures

– Always use a food thermometer with meat and poultry to make sure products are sufficiently cooked.

– Perishable foods should be refrigerated or frozen within two hours of buying or cooking, and even more quickly during periods of hot weather.

– Thaw frozen food in the refrigerator and cook immediately afterwards.

Nutritional Immunotherapy at Issels®

Scientists have found a link between poor nutrition and cancer development. Our individualized cancer treatment programs include methods to restore nutritional balance and promote optimum functioning of the immune system.

Contact us to learn more about nutritional immunotherapy and other integrative immunotherapy programs at Issels®.

 

Cancer Research, Cancer Survivors, Cancer Treatment, Immuno-Oncology, Immunotherapy, Immunotherapy for Cancer, Uncategorized

Focusing on a Cancer’s Host Tissue May Bring a Prognosis into Better Focus

State of the Art Treatment with Cancer Immunotherapy
State of the Art Treatment with Cancer Immunotherapy

Thanks to innovations in testing methods and proactive awareness campaigns, doctors are able to diagnose cancer earlier then ever, increasing the chances of successful cancer immunotherapy. The second part of the equation, predicting the degree of malignancy, is a puzzle that remains to be solved.

When Is a Patient Truly Free of Cancer?

After treatment, a patient who shows no signs of cancer cells is classified as “no evidence of disease.” While the patient may display no visible tumors, doctors have no way of knowing if the cells have metastasized to other areas of the body where they may later resurface.

Chemotherapy and other treatments are often prescribed to decrease the chance of metastasis. Doctors tend to err on the side of caution, assuming that all patients are vulnerable, so many endure grueling rounds of treatment that end up being unnecessary.

“Focus on the Soil, Not the Seed”

For the most part, researchers have concentrated on unraveling the mysteries of cancer cells themselves to understand how they grow and spread. In keeping with that approach, scientists believed that metastasis was caused by cells spreading outward from their original location.

Based on that theory, all cancer patients would be expected to have metastasis. Many researchers are now shifting to a view that the spread of cancer cells is caused by a pathological relationship between the diseased cells and the host environment.

State-of-the-Art Cancer Immunotherapy from Issels®

Cancer immunotherapy at Issels® is directed at the cancer cells along with the underlying causes for the development of tumors. Contact us to learn more about how Issels® has helped patients achieve long-term remission.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Survivors, Cancer Treatment, Living with Cancer, Uncategorized

Issels Out-Patient Apartments in Santa Barbara, California

There Truly is Nothing More Relaxing nor Refreshing than Focusing on Getting Better By the Beach.
There Truly is Nothing More Relaxing nor Refreshing than Focusing on Getting Better By the Beach.

Lifestyle and environment are two major factors that affect your health and well-being. When you receive out-patient immunotherapy for cancer at our Issels® Medical Center in Santa Barbara, relax and focus on healing with a stay at one of several charming apartments nearby.

Fully Furnished Ocean View Apartments

Issels® Medical Center is located in downtown Santa Barbara, with close proximity to shopping, restaurants and personal services. We’re pleased to offer our patients special rates on a number of exclusive, fully furnished one- and two-bedroom apartments in the area.

  • Enjoy ocean views and convenient direct access to the beach.
  • Upscale features include hardwood-style floors, ceiling fans, king-size beds and balconies and patios.
  • Each apartment has a generously sized, fully equipped gourmet kitchen.

The apartments are a perfect complement to our personally tailored immunotherapy for cancer programs. You’ll love returning from a treatment session to relax in luxurious and comfortable surroundings.

Additional Living Options

If you’re interested in other living arrangements, discounted rates are available at several suite-style hotels in the area that can accommodate any preferences. You can also choose from the variety of vacation rental apartments found throughout Santa Barbara.

Issels® Leads the Way in State-of-the-Art Immunotherapy for Cancer

At Issels®, you’re more than just a patient. Our caring and compassionate team is focused on every aspect of your healing and recovery.

Get first-hand accounts of why the Issels® difference makes us a leader in modern immunotherapy treatment. Visit our website to hear and read testimonials from patients of all ages and stages of cancer who have achieved long-term remission at Issels®.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, Cancer Survivors, Cancer Treatment, Cancer Vaccine, Immuno-Oncology, Immunotherapy for Cancer, Uncategorized

John McCain and Glioblastoma

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

Two years ago, then-Vice President Joe Biden was inspired by the death of his son to launch a “moonshot” campaign for cancer treatment research. Today, Sen. John McCain’s battle against brain cancer has once again turned a spotlight on the disease.

Vice-President Biden Joins the Fight Against Cancer

In May 2015, Biden’s eldest son Beau succumbed to glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. The same disease claimed the late Sen. Edward Kennedy in 2009.

Four months after his son’s death, Biden called off his expected run for the presidency in order to launch a campaign of a different sort. Biden and his advisors joined forces with the American Association for Cancer Research to ramp up the search for a cure.

Brain Cancer Remains in Public Awareness

Arizona Sen. John McCain, a one-time Presidential candidate himself, was diagnosed with glioblastoma this past July. The diagnosis added another layer of drama when McCain returned to Washington, D.C. a week later and cast the deciding vote against a proposed repeal of the Affordable Care Act.

Last month, McCain appeared on CNN’s State of the Union to discuss his illness. The senator told host Jake Tapper that he would be undergoing an MRI the following day, adding that advancements in cancer treatment gave hope for his prognosis.

State-of-the-Art Immunotherapy from Issels®

Researchers have been making astounding breakthroughs in cancer treatment. Issels® has long been a leader in the use of personally tailored immunotherapy programs to successfully treat patients with all forms of cancer.

Contact us for more information about our integrative, non-toxic treatments such as cancer vaccines and NK cells.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Survivors, Cancer Treatment, Uncategorized

Multiple Myeloma Patients React Positively to CAR T Cells Treatment

New Discoveries for Making Cancer Easier to Bear Are Sprouting Up!
New Discoveries for Making Cancer Easier to Bear Are Sprouting Up!

CAR T cells, engineered from a patient’s own immune cells, have proved to be a valuable weapon in immunotherapy cancer treatment. Now, recent trials demonstrate that CAR T cells may be effective against advanced multiple myeloma.

Global Testing of CAR T Cells

Earlier this year, two groups performed tests on CAR T cells designed to target B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA), a protein specific to myeloma.

  • Researchers in China conducted a study in which 33 of 35 patients went into complete remission within two months of treatment.
  • A team in Tennessee administered different doses of the CAR T cells to 21 patients. Beyond the first-level dose, patients experienced a 100 percent response rate, with 27 percent achieving a stringent complete response indicating no presence of the disease.

In another encouraging result, patients in both trials who experienced side effects were able to be successfully treated.

How CAR T Cells Fight Cancer

Unlike more traditional forms of cancer treatment, CAR T cells fall under the umbrella of immunotherapy. A patient’s individual immune cells are harvested from their blood, then engineered to target antigens, which are foreign bodies that trigger an immune response.

The CAR T cells are multiplied until they reach a quantity in the billions, then reintroduced into the patient. According to Dr. James Kochenderfer, lead author of the U.S. study, the key is targeting antigens that aren’t expressed in healthy tissues.

Immunotherapy at Issels®: State-of-the-Art Cancer Treatment

For decades, Issels® has been a leader in the healthcare community with our non-toxic, personally-tailored immunotherapy programs. Visit our website to hear success stories from patients with all forms of cancer.