Category Archives: Living with Cancer

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

Cancer Treatment and the Impact on Cognitive Ability

Immunotherapy is Changing Cancer Treatment Again in Exciting New Ways
Cancer Treatment and the Impact on Cognitive Ability

Effective cancer treatment sometimes involves dealing with side effects and secondary symptoms. Here are some things you need to know about the possible effects of cancer and its treatment on cognitive abilities.

What Is Cognition?

Simply put, cognition is “the mental process of learning and understanding.” Cognitive thinking is what allows you to focus, process new information, solve problems, perceive spatial relationships and communicate via speaking and writing.

Cognitive Problems Related to Cancer

Problems involving learning and memory are common signs of cognitive impairment due to cancer. Specific problems can include:

– Inability to complete tasks

– Failure to recognize familiar objects

– Loss of focus and concentration

– Difficulty with money management, such as paying bills

– Lack of motivation

– Disorganized behavior and/or thinking

Other Factors Contributing to Cognitive Problems

States of mental and physical well-being are deeply intertwined. Cancer patients and survivors may find that the following issues also impact cognitive abilities:

– Age

– Overall weakness or frailty

– Drug and alcohol use

– Chemotherapy and other cancer treatment

– Other diseases or illnesses

– Being postmenopausal

Restoring Cognitive Abilities

Researchers are studying the use of certain drugs in treating cognitive problems, but a pharmaceutical solution is still in the future. Many patients have found these natural methods to be helpful:

– Movement therapy, such as tai chi or yoga, that emphasizes the mind-body connection

– Learning new ways to absorb information

– Using calendars, tech devices or other tools to stay organized

– Activities such as gardening or caring for pets that establish focus

Integrative Non-Toxic Cancer Treatment at Issels®

Our personalized cancer treatment methods avoid the common side effects that can affect your overall wellness. Contact us for more information.

Cancer Care Tips, Cancer Caregivers, Cancer Survivors, Living with Cancer, News

Living with Cancer – the New Normal for Some Patients

Living with Cancer - the New Normal for Some Patients
Living with Cancer – the New Normal for Some Patients

Not so long ago, a diagnosis of cancer was the worst news a patient could hear. Flash forward to today when, thanks to remarkable improvements in cancer treatment, patients are learning to live with the disease as their “new normal.”

Liz Burke: One Woman’s Story

In TheJournal.ie, an Irish news website, a woman named Liz Burke shared her experiences in honor of Daffodil Day, a fundraiser for the Irish Cancer Society. Liz was originally diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007.

After a lumpectomy, Liz underwent a course of chemotherapy followed by another of radiotherapy. She demonstrated her sense of humor by relating a story about purchasing a wig to cover her baldness and finding it one day in the mouth of her Jack Russell terrier.

Two years later, Liz’s doctor discovered that breast cancer cells had metastasized to her liver. This triggered another nine months of chemotherapy followed by two years of maintenance, but the good news is that the tumors became inactive.

Finally, one more blow. After five years, the breast cancer metastasized again, this time resulting in a brain tumor. Liz had surgery to remove the tumor and radiotherapy treatment afterwards.

“People Survive Cancer”

These days Liz follows a regular schedule of MRIs, CT scans and weekly infusions. Her message? “People can live quite happily alongside cancer.” Liz believes we’re lucky to live in a time when so much progress is being made with new and effective cancer treatment.

Issels®: There IS Life After Cancer

Many of our patients at Issels® have similar stories of hope and recovery. Visit our website to read and hear their testimonials.

Cancer Care Tips, Living with Cancer, News

Nutrition Tips for Multiple Myeloma Patients

Nutrition Tips for Multiple Myeloma Patients
Nutrition Tips for Multiple Myeloma Patients

When plasma cells in the blood become cancerous and form several tumors, the result is known as multiple myeloma. Nutritional diet choices, in conjunction with cancer immunotherapy, can help relieve symptoms and prevent recurrence of this form of tumors.

Rebuilding the Blood Supply

Plasma cells are one of the body’s primary weapons against bacteria and other invaders. When they become cancerous, it can trigger anemia, leaving the body vulnerable to infections.

Best Dietary Choices for Multiple Myeloma

Anemia generally goes hand-in-hand with iron, folate and vitamin B-12 deficiencies, causing fatigue and weakness when the body’s energy stores are already depleted.

– Heme iron, from animal-based foods, is more readily absorbed by the body. Liver and other red meats are rich sources of heme iron, while non-heme iron can be found in beans, nuts and leafy greens such as spinach.

– Folate is a form of vitamin B that’s involved in production of red and white blood cells. Increase folate intake with asparagus, beef liver, broccoli, spinach and beans cooked from their dried forms.

– Vitamin B-12 teams up with folate to make red blood cells. Good sources of B-12 include fish, beef, poultry (including eggs) and dairy. Several brands of breakfast cereals and non-dairy milks are fortified with B-12.

Some multiple myeloma patients end up with a vitamin D deficiency after cancer immunotherapy. Sunlight is a great source of natural vitamin D, while food sources include tuna, egg yolks and fortified dairy products.

Cancer Immunotherapy: A Comprehensive Form of Treatment

Our individually developed, non-toxic cancer treatment programs include a nutritional component to correct imbalances and reduce metabolic stress. Contact Issels® for more information.

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.

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

Cancer Treatment: Considerations for the Aged

Consider Treatment when Dealing with the Lives of Senior Citizens.
Consider Treatment when Dealing with the Lives of Senior Citizens.

When you’re diagnosed with cancer at a later age, there are certain factors to take into consideration when you weigh your treatment options. Find out more about how being in your 60s or older can have an effect on cancer treatment.

Underlying Medical Conditions

Having another medical condition, such as diabetes, heart disease or arthritis, might affect the kinds of medication you can take during cancer treatment. It might also have an impact on the type of treatment you can safely undergo. Your oncologist should talk to your regular doctor about any other health conditions you have in order to provide you with safe and effective treatment options.

Nutritional Concerns

If you undergo chemotherapy for cancer, it can end up causing nausea and fatigue, which makes it more difficult to eat nutritious meals and maintain a healthy weight. Since nutrition is an important part of treatment for cancer, you might need to make arrangements to have someone help with meal preparations. You can also look into treatment options with fewer side effects, such as Issels® immunotherapy.

Daily Tasks and Activities

Some forms of treatment, such as radiation, can leave you with low energy levels and other side effects that make it hard to handle daily tasks and activities. Whether you need help around the house or reliable transportation to and from treatment appointments, make plans to have someone assist you with these errands rather than trying to do them on your own.

If you need more information on cancer treatment for the aged, please contact Issels®. We offer nontoxic immunotherapy for many different types and stages of cancer.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Care Tips, Cancer Treatment, Immuno-Oncology, Living with Cancer, News, Uncategorized

Some Types of Immunotherapy Can Cause Serious Side Effects

Some Types of Immunotherapy Can Cause Serious Side Effects
Some Types of Immunotherapy Can Cause Serious Side Effects

In 2017, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved two new forms of cancer immunotherapy for use with certain types of blood cancer. While these treatments show great promise, scientists are also working to control their potential side effects.

Cancer Immunotherapy and CAR T-cells

Kymriah from Novartis is designed to treat a form of leukemia known as ALL, which is the most common cancer that affects children. The other new treatment, Kite Pharma’s Yescarta, is for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Both treatments incorporate CAR T-cell therapy, which uses the power of the body’s immune system. Specialized white blood cells known as T-cells are removed from a patient’s body and engineered to include a receptor designed to identify and attack cancer cells. The “new” cells are replicated and reintroduced to the patient’s system.

Dealing with Side Effects

Kymriah and Yescarta are one-time-only procedures that don’t have the common side effects normally associated with chemotherapy and radiation. But scientists have discovered that the treatments have some potential side effects of their own.

CAR T-cell therapy essentially supercharges the immune system, which can result in cytokine-release syndrome. The cells under attack release proteins called cytokines, setting off a massive inflammatory response including extreme fevers and seriously low blood pressure.

Fortunately, the side effects can be managed in a hospital or clinical setting. Researchers are seeking a way to make the therapies useable in a variety of settings.

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

Our non-toxic, personalized cancer immunotherapy programs have helped numbers of patients achieve and maintain long-term remission. Contact us to learn more about Issels® and our record of successful cancer treatment.