Category Archives: Cancer Treatment

Cancer Research, Cancer Treatment, News

Prostate Screening Using PSA Tests Appears to Miss Many Aggressive Cancers

Prostate Screening Using PSA Tests Appears to Miss Many Aggressive Cancers
Prostate Screening Using PSA Tests Appears to Miss Many Aggressive Cancers

The healthcare community has long promoted early detection as one of the keys to successful cancer treatment. In the UK, where prostate cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death in men, experts are referring to the corresponding PSA test as a “blunt tool” that has no life-saving benefit.

The Merits and Drawbacks of PSA Testing

A PSA test measures a specific protein in the blood that increases when cancer cells are present. Any man over the age of 50 in the UK can currently request a PSA test from his general practitioner.

In response to a debate about whether or not the country’s National Health Service should institute a national prostate cancer screening program, Cancer Research UK funded a study to evaluate the effectiveness of PSA testing. Subjects included 400,000 men between the ages of 50 and 69.

Results showed that death rates among men in the group were identical, regardless of whether or not they received a PSA test. The screening failed to detect several cases of aggressive prostate cancer while causing unnecessary stress by flagging benign tumors.

Should Men Undergo Prostate Cancer Screening?

Dr. Emma Turner, a member of the research team, stated the need for more accurate testing that would facilitate early prostate cancer treatment. In the meantime, Heather Blake of Prostate Cancer UK suggests that men over 50 discuss the pros and cons with their GP before opting for a PSA test.

Immunotherapy for Prostate Cancer at Issels®

Men with prostate cancer are among the many patients who have achieved long-term remission after cancer treatment at Issels®. Contact us to learn more.

Cancer Research, Cancer Treatment, News

Consumer DNA Screening for Cancer by “23 and Me” Wins FDA Approval

Consumer DNA Screening for Cancer by "23 and Me" Wins FDA Approval
Consumer DNA Screening for Cancer by “23 and Me” Wins FDA Approval

What if you could check your cancer risk in the comfort of your own home? One popular DNA testing company recently won approval to offer the first consumer test for genetic mutations linked to breast cancer.

In-Home DNA Screening

At a cost of $199, 23andMe’s DNA test is considerably less expensive than testing in a medical office, which can run into thousands of dollars. Existing customers of 23andMe are expected to have access to the test within the next few weeks.

BRCA gene mutations have been linked to a higher risk of developing breast cancer. While there are more than one thousand known mutations, the DNA test from 23andMe screens for three specific mutations that are found primarily in people of Ashkenazi Jewish descent.

It’s estimated that one in 40 Ashkenazi Jews has one of the mutations, which results in a 45 to 85 percent chance of women developing breast cancer by the age of 70 as well as a higher risk of ovarian cancer. Men can also carry one of the mutations along with a risk of breast cancer.

How Effective Is Consumer Genetic Testing?

Geneticist Eric Topol of the Scripps Institute cautions that 23andMe’s test is a start, but testing needs to be more comprehensive. Topol adds that, since the test is limited to three mutations, people may get a false sense of security when they are actually carrying other mutations outside the scope of the test.

Cancer Immunotherapy for Advanced Breast Cancer

Patients with advanced forms of breast cancer and other tumors have achieved long-term remission with cancer immunotherapy treatments at Issels®. Contact us for more information.

Breast Cancer, Cancer Research, Cancer Treatment, News, Uncategorized

New Imaging System Identifies If a Breast Cancer Will Respond Favorably to Chemotherapy

New Imaging System Identifies If a Breast Cancer Will Respond Favorably to Chemotherapy
New Imaging System Identifies If a Breast Cancer Will Respond Favorably to Chemotherapy

When it comes to fighting tumors, effective cancer treatment is only part of the equation. Researchers are also seeking ways to determine which patients will be more receptive to a particular course of treatment. A recent study offers encouraging results for a method of predicting breast cancer response to chemotherapy.

Predicting Chemotherapy Response in Breast Cancer Patients

Women newly diagnosed with breast cancer that is invasive but operable frequently undergo neoadjuvant chemotherapy beginning five to six months before surgery. Chances of recurrence are reduced in patients whose cancer cells are completely eliminated by the chemotherapy.

According to Dr. Dawn Hershman, co-leader of the study conducted at Columbia University in NYC, determining which patients are likely to achieve a favorable response makes a significant difference in cancer treatment. If their chances of positive response are low, adjustments can be made for a more effective treatment.

Reading the Clues in 3D Imaging

Based on the idea that chemotherapy affects a tumor’s vascular network, the research team set out to determine if imaging could be used to detect these changes. Blood absorbs light, so the scientists used a system incorporating red and near-infrared lighting.

Armed with 3D images of both breasts, researchers studied the ways in which blood interacted with the tumors. In a group of 34 patients, blood outflow accurately identified 92.3 percent of responders, while increase in blood concentration identified non-responders in 90.5 percent.

Advanced Stage Cancer Treatment at Issels®

Patients with advanced and therapy-resistant tumors have turned to Issels® for non-toxic, personalized treatment programs. Visit our website to read and hear testimonials from our patients who have achieved long-term remission.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, Cancer Treatment, Immunotherapy, Immunotherapy for Cancer, Uncategorized

Immunotherapy is Changing Cancer Treatment Again in Exciting New Ways

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Immunotherapy is Changing Cancer Treatment Again in Exciting New Ways
Immunotherapy is Changing Cancer Treatment Again in Exciting New Ways

If you think you’ve been hearing the term “immunotherapy” a lot lately, it’s not your imagination. Scientists consider this growing form of cancer treatment to be a game-changer on a par with the polio vaccine and organ transplants.

Researchers Commit to Immunotherapy

The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, one of the top-rated health enterprises in the U.S., recently demonstrated their major commitment to immunotherapy research. Earlier this year, they announced plans for a $200 million Immune and Transplant Therapy facility to open in 2020.

UPMC’s newest center will focus on researching treatments to disrupt cancer growth as well as reduce the need for immune-suppressing drugs with transplant patients. Dr. Robert Ferris, director of UPMC’s Hillman Cancer Center, referred to the facility as “swinging for the fences.”

How Immunotherapy Works

Immunotherapy cancer treatments fall into one of two categories:

– Checkpoint modulator drugs trigger the body’s own immune cells to attack and destroy cancer cells.

– Cell therapies, such as the recently approved CAR-T therapy, involve harvesting a patient’s T-cells and programming them to fight cancer cells, at which point they are reinfused back into the patient’s system.

Dr. Sandip Patel of the University of California San Diego called immunotherapy a “paradigm shift” in cancer treatment. According to Patel, when immunotherapy is effective, it can lead to a patient’s cancer going into remission for years.

Issels®: A Pioneer in Immunotherapy Cancer Treatments

Our founder, Dr. Josef M. Issels, predicted the rise of immunotherapy more than 20 years ago. Visit our website to learn more about Issels® and our innovative approach to non-toxic, individually created cancer treatment programs.

Cancer Research, Cancer Treatment, Cancer Vaccine, Immuno-Oncology, Immunotherapy, Immunotherapy for Cancer, News, Uncategorized

Huntington’s Disease Produced Molecules Are Fatal to Cancer Cells

Huntington's Disease Produced Molecules Are Fatal to Cancer Cells
Huntington’s Disease Produced Molecules Are Fatal to Cancer Cells

Could a clue to more effective cancer treatment be found in the biochemistry of another illness? Scientists are hopeful that the gene behind Huntington’s disease could be fatal to cancer cells without harming healthy ones.

What Is Huntington’s Disease?

Huntington’s disease is a genetically inherited condition that destroys nerve cells in the brain. There is currently treatment but no cure for the disorder, which causes a slowly progressive decline in both cognitive and physical abilities.

The faulty gene that triggers Huntington’s disease contains an excessive number of repeats of a certain sequence of nucleotides, which form the building blocks of DNA and RNA. These sequences create small interfering RNAs, which are molecules that attack specific genes crucial for cell survival.

“Assassin Molecules”

Brain cells in particular are vulnerable to the cell death caused by small interfering RNAs. Cancer cells are also highly susceptible, which is thought to be the reason why Huntington’s disease patients have such a low incidence of cancer.

A research team at Northwestern University tested these so-called “assassin molecules” on human and mouse cancer cells, including brain, breast, colon and ovarian, that were grown in a laboratory. The small interfering RNAs killed all cancer cells from both humans and mice.

Researchers were encouraged that the treatment also showed no toxicity to healthy cells. Further testing is underway to find a more targeted form of delivery.

Targeted Cancer Treatment at Issels®

Our individually developed, non-toxic immunotherapy programs focus on destroying cancer cells and their environment while sparing healthy tissues. Contact us for more information about cancer vaccines and other targeted cancer treatment protocols at Issels®.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Treatment, Uncategorized

New Research: Light Activated Cancer Medications with Minimal Side Effects

Exploration of New Cancer Therapy Techniques Is on the Horizon.
Exploration of New Cancer Therapy Techniques Is on the Horizon.

A new light may literally be shining on the search for more effective cancer treatment. Scientists are making progress on the creation of cancer drugs that are light-activated and have fewer debilitating side effects.

Fighting the Toxic Side Effects of Chemotherapy

Most of today’s cancer patients who are undergoing chemotherapy receive cisplatin or another platinum-based compound. These treatments date back more than 50 years, and they attack both healthy and diseased cells, which results in toxic side effects.

A team from the Warwick Monash Alliance, which is an intercontinental collaboration between two universities in the UK and Australia, tested a potential platinum-based chemotherapy drug that is activated by direct light. The inorganic-metal compound has the ability to specifically target and attack cancer cells.

The treatment is completely inert in darkness. Once it’s inserted into a cancerous area, direct light triggers a reaction that causes the compound to degrade into active platinum and release ligand molecules on the diseased cells.

Harnessing the Power of Photoactivation

Peter Sadler, professor of chemistry at the University of Warwick, stated that this discovery has great potential for the development of targeted cancer treatment. Since the light can be focused directly on the tumor, the drug spares healthy tissue and kills only cancer cells.

Turn to Issels® for Effective and Non-Toxic Cancer Treatment

For decades, Issels® has specialized in specific, non-toxic immunotherapy treatments that minimize the harmful side effects of traditional treatment forms. We use cancer vaccines and other individually developed treatment programs to help patients with advanced and therapy-resistant forms of cancer.

Contact us today for more information.