Category Archives: Immunotherapy

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

Immunotherapy: A “Fundamental Change” in Cancer Treatment

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Medical Research Has Validated that Immunotherapy Works to Fight Cancer
Medical Research Has Validated that Immunotherapy Works to Fight Cancer

As medical researchers have waged a decades-long battle to find a cure for cancer, the possibility of using a patient’s own immune system to fight tumors has been an exciting but unattainable dream. Today that dream is becoming reality with immunotherapy for cancer treatment.

“The Medical Equivalent of Splitting the Atom”

Traditional cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation are designed to attack tumors directly. In contrast, immunotherapy aims to boost the power of a patient’s own immune system to battle cancer.

Dr. Jedd Wolchok, chief of melanoma and immunotherapeutics services at Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York City, refers to immunotherapy as a “fundamental change” in the approach to cancer treatment. Billions of dollars are being invested to fund hundreds of trials in which cancer patients anxiously plead to participate.

How Does Immunotherapy Work?

Your immune system is a complex network of cells, tissues and biochemicals that protect your body against illnesses caused by viruses, bacteria and other foreign substances. Cancer is particularly stubborn because it often evades detection by the immune system, allowing tumors to grew unchecked.

Immunotherapy comes in two basic forms:

  • Immune cells are removed from a patient, reprogrammed to fight cancer cells, and returned back into the patient’s bloodstream.
  • Checkpoint inhibitors are drugs that block the mechanisms used by cancer cells to shut down the immune system.

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

Our founder, Dr. Josef Issels, was a pioneer in the development of immunotherapy, and we’re proud to continue his legacy of helping patients successfully fight cancer. Contact us to learn more about our innovative programs of individually tailored cancer treatments.

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

Identification of Specific T Cell Presence May Boost Lung Cancer Immunotherapy Treatment Success

New Cancer Research on T Cells
New Cancer Research on T-Cells for Lung Cancer

While immunotherapy for cancer has been a breakthrough for more effective treatment, the challenge is determining which patients will receive the most benefit. A joint US-UK study recently made a discovery that could help solve the problem for lung cancer patients.

Fighting Lung Cancer with T-Cells

The study was conducted by researchers from the University of Southampton and La Jolla (CA) Institute for Allergy and Immunology. The team focused on lung cancer, which is the most common cause of cancer deaths in both countries.

Findings showed that lung cancer patients with larger quantities of tissue-resident memory T-cells in their tumors had a 34 percent greater chance of survival. In addition to serving as protection for the patient, these T-cells produce molecules that attack and destroy cancer cells.

This process corresponds nicely with immunotherapy for cancer, which works by boosting the body’s own natural defense mechanisms against disease. Testing lung cancer patients for levels of tissue-resident memory T-cells can provide an indication of the likelihood that they will benefit from immunotherapy.

Understanding the Role of the Immune System and Immunotherapy

Dr. Justine Alford of Cancer Research UK spoke about the importance of such studies to gain insight into the interaction between cancer cells, the immune system and immunotherapy. She adds that research could lead to more personalized treatments for patients with lung cancer and other forms that are difficult to treat.

Personalized Immunotherapy for Cancer at Issels®

For decades, Issels® has been creating personalized immunotherapy programs for patients based on their own unique needs. Contact us to learn more about our testing and treatment methods.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Care Tips, Cancer Research, Cancer Treatment, Immunotherapy, Uncategorized

American Cancer Society Guidelines for Nutrition and Exercise for Cancer Prevention

Excercise and Healthy Eating for Cancer Prevention
Exercise and Healthy Eating for Cancer Prevention

Have you made it a priority to watch your weight? According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), a healthy diet and physical activity are the most important cancer risk prevention factors after avoiding tobacco.

How much of a difference can nutrition and exercise make? The World Cancer Research Fund estimates that approximately 20 percent of all cancers diagnosed in the United States are related to excess weight and poor eating habits.

Reduce Cancer Risk with Healthy Habits

You may not be able to control your genetic makeup, but you can take steps to stay active and maintain a proper weight. Follow these guidelines offered by the ACS:

• Stay as lean as possible. If you’re overweight, even a modest weight loss can improve your health.

• Get a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate physical activity at least five times a week.

• Limit “screen time” with TVs, computers, video games and other sedentary activities.

• Practice portion control during mealtimes.

• Minimize consumption of red meat and processed meat. Eat at least five half-cup servings of fruits and vegetables each day.

• Avoid refined grain food items, such as white bread and white rice, that have little nutritional value. Opt for barley, brown rice, oatmeal and other whole-grain products.

• Daily alcohol intake should be limited to one drink for women and two drinks for men.

Issels®: Incorporating Good Nutrition in Immunotherapy for Cancer

Our non-toxic, integrative programs include nutritional immunotherapy for cancer treatments to restore balance of vitamins and minerals that promote healthy functioning of the immune system. Contact us for more information about our specialized testing and treatment programs to meet your specific needs.

Breast Cancer, Cancer Treatment, Immunotherapy, News, Stage Four Cancer Treatment, Uncategorized

Olivia Newton John Shares News of Her Breast Cancer Metastasis

Olivia Newton John Shares News of Her Breast Cancer Metastasis
Olivia Newton John Shares News of Her Breast Cancer Metastasis

Actress and singer Olivia Newton-John has campaigned to raise awareness of cancer research since she began fighting the disease in 1992. In May she made the sad announcement that her breast cancer had returned and spread to her lower spine.

The Prognosis for Metastatic Breast Cancer

Newton-John’s breast cancer is metastatic, also known as Stage IV, which refers to cancer that begins in one area of the body and spreads to other organs or tissues. It was discovered when the singer postponed a concert tour due to lower back pain that was originally thought to be sciatica.

Family and friends remain positive, and Newton-John herself plans to resume touring in August. While metastatic breast cancer is a serious issue, doctors say that Newton-John and other women with this diagnosis have reason for optimism.

Five-Year Survival by the Numbers

A recent study published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention discovered that the five-year survival rate for women with metastatic breast cancer had reached 36 percent during the last 10 years. That number is double the five-year survival rate for women diagnosed in the early 1990s.

According to Dr. Sagar Sardesai of the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, the healthcare community has begun thinking of metastatic breast cancer as a chronic disease. Physicians are working with patients cancer treatment programs that relieve symptoms and improve their quality of life.

Stage IV Cancer Treatment at Issels®

If you have been diagnosed with metastatic cancer, there is hope. Visit our website to read and hear testimonials from patients with Stage IV cancer in all forms who have been successfully treated with our immunotherapy programs.

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

One in five US Cancer Patients Are Diagnosed with a Rare Cancer

1 in 5 US Cancer Patients Are Diagnosed with a Rare Cancer
1 in 5 US Cancer Patients Are Diagnosed with a Rare Cancer

Rare cancers are more common than you think. As a group, they make up about 20% of all cancer diagnoses. However, each specific type of rare cancer is still very dangerous because the symptoms are often misdiagnosed. At Issels®, we often see patients whose rare cancer went undiagnosed despite several rounds of doctor visits and tests.

The American Cancer Society recently shed light on the frequency of rare cancer diagnoses:

  • Rare cancer is defined by annual diagnoses in less than 6 out of 100,000 people
  • 71% of all cases in people under 20 years old are rare types
  • 39% of all cases in people 20 to 39 years old are rare types
  • Younger people have better survival rates for rare cancer than older people

Together, Learning More About Rare Cancers

In some cases, standard cancer treatment fails to work as well as it does for common types of cancer. On the other hand, the ACS notes that innovations in rare cancer treatment often help scientists develop better treatment for all types of cancers.

After a rare cancer diagnosis, it can be difficult to find information if your physicians are not very familiar with the disease. We specialize in advanced stage cancer treatment at Issels®, including rare types of the disease that are not responding well enough to standard therapies.

At Issels®, we offer individualized treatments including cancer vaccines developed using the patient’s own autoimmune cells. Such treatments, known as immunotherapy, are helping patients with standard therapy–resistant and advanced stages of cancer.

Learn more about our integrative immunotherapy approach to cancer treatment on our website or contact us for more info.

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

Family’s 1,200 Mile Bike Ride to Fund Cancer Research

Family Raises Money for Pediatric Cancer
Family Raises Money for Pediatric Cancer

Getting creative can always help with a cancer awareness campaign. For one family in Michigan, that meant climbing on a bicycle built for three and setting out on a six-week fundraising bike trek from a Detroit suburb to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

Karl and Eva Helminen have participated in many cancer fundraising efforts over the years, and they are also avid cyclists. As part of the Great Cycle Challenge USA program, they spent May 25 to July 5 on a bike with their 10-year-old son pedaling along, too. Their bulldog, Duchess, lent moral support and enjoyed restaurant leftovers along the way.

For the Helminens, the trip represented a special opportunity to help fundraise for childhood cancer treatment. As many families can relate, the Helminens have numerous family members and friends whose lives have been affected by cancer.

How Fundraising Events Help Cancer Treatment

Cancer awareness events can take many forms besides the typical walk or 5k run. Getting people talking and learning about cancer treatment and research projects is always the real goal.

The proceeds from cancer research events often get used to fund research to address difficult-to-treat types of cancer, including advanced stages, rare types, and cases that resist standard cancer therapeutic approaches.

At Issels® Integrative Immuno-Oncology, we see firsthand how innovative treatments can lead to cancer remission. Our therapies include targeted protocols to destroy cancer cells as well as immune enhancement that boosts the body’s existing cancer-killing capabilities.

The fight against cancer still has a long path ahead, but awareness and research are making inroads. Contact Issels® to learn more about our non-toxic immunotherapy cancer treatment.