Category Archives: Immuno-Oncology

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, Immuno-Oncology

Foundation Works to Create Pancreatic Cancer Awareness

Creating Awareness
Creating Awareness

Next week in November we celebrate Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month. Did you know that in the U.S. pancreatic cancer comprises just 3 percent of cancer cases, yet it accounts for 7 percent of fatalities? For those affected by the disease, information and support can be harder to find compared to more common forms of cancer.

When Herb Kosten passed away in 2003, his family decided to form an organization to provide support and awareness for pancreatic disease in the Memphis area. The foundation has also provided half a million dollars in research funding to a local university.

As the late Kosten’s brother Alan says, the family could find no information about pancreatic cancer besides what the doctor told them.

As proponents of individualized care and integrative immuno-oncology, we at Issels® support the idea that fighting cancer takes groundbreaking research as well as a holistic approach to patient care. In addition to funding research at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, the Herb Kosten Foundation hosts a support group for patients and family members. As the only pancreatic cancer support group within hundreds of miles, this provides a major source of comfort and empowerment to people who need it.

Treatment for pancreatic cancer often involves a difficult surgery that takes an entire day and often leads to complications. With a mortality rate around 90 percent, those affected by the disease seek to rally awareness and support for additional research in the quest for a cure.

At the Issels® Center for Integrative Immuno-Oncology, we continue to seek and improve personalized non-toxic treatments for pancreatic cancer and other aggressive forms of the disease. Contact us today to find out about our non-toxic treatments that combine immunotherapy and other alternative options available.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Care Tips, Cancer Research, Immuno-Oncology

Flavonoids Found in Fruits and Vegetables May Cut Breast Cancer Risk in Older Women

Eat Fruit To Reduce Breast Cancer?
Eat Fruit To Reduce Breast Cancer?

Here’s another reason to start eating right: a new group of scientists are looking more closely into specific molecules within fruits and vegetables called flavonoids, which show promise in reducing the risk of breast cancer. Flavonoids are molecules within fruits and vegetables found to have health and antioxidant benefits. One type of flavonoid in particular, called luteolin, is being studied for its significant benefit during hormone replacement therapy in women.

Luteolin is a plant compound that has many biological benefits such as anti-inflammation, anti-allergy and anticancer. It’s used in Chinese traditional medicine for treating multiple illnesses such as hypertension, inflammatory disorders, as well as cancer. Luteolin acts by suppressing cancer cell survival pathways, and inducing other pathways that promote cancer cell suppression.

The researchers sought to uncover luteolin’s effect on breast cancer cells and animal test subjects. They observed a reduction in tumor growth and regression in the cancer cells as luteolin blocked the cells from progressing, similar to another flavonoid called apigenin. According to the researchers, luteolin is more effective, because it has a low probability of metabolizing into a toxic compound.

The researchers stated that luteolin can be effective if it’s injected directly into the blood stream, and may one day in the future be able to be used as an IV compound.

There is still much to be learned about the many valuable components that can be derived from fruits and vegetables, such as flavonoids, which could one day lead to the discovery of new medicines. That’s a future worth looking forward to. For more information on cancer care and non-toxic treatment, contact Issels®, your Integrative Immuno-Oncology experts.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Care Tips, Immuno-Oncology

Issels Guide: When Should You Get Cancer Screenings?

Worker in a lab
Cancer Prevention Screening News

One of the biggest weapons against cancer is early detection. Being proactive about cancer screening tests can dramatically improve your chances of beating the disease. That is why the American Cancer Society has worked to develop cancer screening guidelines for the most common types of cancer. Simply by referring to their guidelines, you can know when and how often you should be screened. 

Age is one important factor in determining when you should start scheduling regular screenings. The older we get, the more susceptible we are to cancer. For example, women in their 20s should do a self-breast examine to detect any abnormalities, but experts recommend that women over 40 get a yearly mammogram.

The frequency of screenings also depends on your risk factors. If you have a history of certain types of cancer in your family, then you may want to consult with your doctor about a personalized approach to screening. Lifestyle choices can also increase your risk factors and make more frequent testing advisable. Typically, lung cancer screenings are only performed on those patients with clear symptoms, smokers and high risk patients.

The good news is that most screening tests are not painful or invasive. In most cases a blood test or some form of x-ray will be enough to alert doctors to any abnormalities that should be further investigated. 

At Issels®, a premier center for immuno-oncology, we take a comprehensive approach to cancer treatment, which includes early detection. If you still aren’t sure when you should begin screening or you have more questions about certain risk factors, ask your personal physician for help.

 

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, Immuno-Oncology, Immunotherapy, Uncategorized

Recent Gene Mutation Discovery Linked to Prostate Cancer Offers New Testing and Treatment Hopes

Cancer Support.
Reducing The Chance of Prostate Cancer

We believe at Issels® Immuno-Oncology that integrative immunotherapy treatment plans are critical for successful patient outcomes; which is why we are so excited about the following prostate cancer risk detection and screening news:

The National Cancer Institute estimates that approximately 27,540 American men will die from prostate cancer this year. Yet, as reported in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers have finally found their first link between inherited genes and prostate cancer — a HOXB13 gene mutation.

The Details

Researchers took samples from 5,100 prostate cancer patients who were 55 years old or younger (94 families represented) and 1,400 healthy men. After sequencing more than 200 genes, they found the following:

  • 72 men in four families carried the same HOXB13 gene mutation.
  • Only one man in the control group had it.

Although these results aren’t definitive proof that the mutation causes prostate cancer, it does appear to be a factor. The researchers also found two more mutations among African men, but they need a larger sampling to confirm if these mutations also play a role.

The Big Picture

Doctors trace the risk of inherited breast cancer in women through tests that look for mutations of BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes that can contribute to cancer growth. The HOXB13 mutation offers hope that doctors might one day be able to test men for genetic links in a similar fashion.

Since men with the HOXB13 gene mutation carry 10-20 times more risk of getting prostate cancer before they reach 55 years old, the discovery of this gene is a scientific breakthrough. At Issels®, we search for breakthroughs like these every single day. Contact us today for more information!

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, Immuno-Oncology, Immunotherapy, Uncategorized

Kidney Cancer Beaten by Innovative Immuno-Oncology Treatments

Preventing Kidney Cancer
Preventing Kidney Cancer

Philip Prichard sought out oncologist Nizar M. Tannir at Houston’s MD Anderson Cancer Center in February 2013 with a massive 8-inch, 3.5 pound tumor and just months to live. Despite a previous surgery and other therapies, Prichard’s renal cell cancer had spread to his liver and lungs.

The last hope?
A clinical trial run by Tannir utilizing immunotherapy – the body’s own immune system – to fight cancer cells. The immune-oncology drugs were hoped to enable Prichard’s immune system, specifically his T-cells, recognize and destroy cancer cells that would have previously escaped detection.

The results?
Two weeks after the first treatment, Prichard’s fever, pain, night sweats, weight loss and anemia were relieved. After eight weeks and four infusions, the tumor shrunk approximately 50-60%. After two years, Prichard is so healthy Tannir must now decide if it’s time to stop Prichard’s treatments.

The immuno-oncology breakthrough?
Highly expensive, but effective drugs including ipilimumab, nivolumab and pembrolizumab that have been approved by the FDA for immuno-oncology. Though they are not a one-size-fits all option, talk at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual conference in Chicago is expected to be dominated by these immuno­therapies.

The trickle-down effect?
Dozens of studies are now underway seeking to expand on recent successes, and widen the scope of treatable cancers to include bladder, breast, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, head and neck tumors, and more. The immunotherapy drugs are also being tested in varying combinations with each other and other therapies. Early results look promising.

Today, immuno-oncology is being hailed as the fourth pillar of cancer treatment. Are you taking advantage of its miraculous results? Get your hope and your life back – contact Issels® the experienced cancer immunotherapy expert today!

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, Immuno-Oncology, Immunotherapy, Uncategorized

Chemotherapy Takes a Back Seat to Immunotherapy for One Patient

Fighting Cancer
Fighting Cancer

Who could testify to the benefits of immunotherapy with more credibility than an actual patient? Philip Pritchard of Memphis was diagnosed with renal cell cancer. Thanks to treatment with immunotherapy drug nivolumab, Pritchard has seen all traces of the disease virtually disappear.

Pritchard’s battle with cancer

Even after undergoing surgery and other treatments, Pritchard’s cancer had metastasized to his liver and lungs. An eight-inch, three-and-a-half pound tumor had been removed from his kidney. Pritchard had only months to live when he came under the care of oncologist Nizar M. Tannir at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.

Implementation of immunotherapy

Pritchard became one of the patients in Tannir’s clinical trial of nivolumab. The first signs came within two weeks, when Pritchard stopped suffering from  the cancer’s side effects like pain, night sweats and anemia. Four infusions over eight weeks led to a 50-60 percent reduction in the size of the main tumor.

That was in early 2013. Today, two years later, 50-year-old Pritchard has regained his health to such an extent that Tannir is considering the end of medication.

How do these immunotherapy drugs work?

Cancer cells have an innate ability to avoid the body’s T-cells, which are sent out by the immune system to attack foreign elements. Nivolumab and the other immunotherapy drugs are “checkpoint inhibitors” that remove the “brakes” keeping T-cells from doing their job.

Our Center for Immuno-Oncology creates a personalized therapy protocol using information about your genetics, lifestyle and environment. We work with patients diagnosed with all types and stages of cancer. Contact us today to learn more about our comprehensive treatment programs.