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News

Does Low Dose Aspirin Therapy Work to Prevent Colon Cancer?

Aspirin Therapy Can Reduce the Risk of Colorectal Cancer
Aspirin Therapy Can Reduce the Risk of Colorectal Cancer

Aspirin use has been recommended for those who have higher risks of cardiovascular disease, but can it help prevent colon cancer as well? A panel of medical experts at the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recently issued guidelines that do recommend aspirin therapy for cancer in those with a higher risk of developing colorectal cancer.

Taking low-dose aspirin on a daily basis has been shown to decrease the risk of developing colorectal cancer in those who are over 50 years old. Medical experts at USPSTF carefully considered the risks of daily aspirin use along with these health benefits in order to determine whether or not to recommend it for those with a higher risk of colorectal cancer.

The recently issued guidelines state that adults who are 50 years old or older should take aspirin daily if they have higher risks of getting this type of cancer and higher risks of stroke and heart disease. However, experts caution that taking aspirin on a regular basis is not considered safe for those with certain health issues, such as risk factors for stomach bleeding. Aspirin can increase the risk of stomach bleeding, so it’s important for those who take it to only have low doses of it each day.

Those who are considering taking low-dose aspirin therapy for cancer should talk to their doctor first to make sure it’s safe for them to do so. This helps lower the risk of side effects or adverse reactions.

Issels® offers immunotherapy for those who want advanced non-toxic forms of treatment for cancer. Contact us to learn more about these treatments.

 

Cancer Research, Immuno-Oncology, Immunotherapy, News

Could Big Data Solve Breast Cancer Research Roadblocks?

Genomic Database Going Public will Aid Cancer Research
Genomic Database Going Public will Aid Cancer Research

Could information technology be part of the solution to curing breast cancer? Researchers and healthcare specialists are about to find out as genetic profiles of thousands of cancer patients have been released to the public.

Big data meets cancer research

Results of genomic testing are normally kept confidential and stored within a patient’s file. Early this past March, Ambry Genetics made the contents of their AmbryShare database publicly available at no charge.

The database contains anonymous data obtained from testing of the company’s thousands of breast and ovarian cancer patients. Doctors, researchers and other patients can now access this information in search of genetic patterns.

“Delaying medical progress”

Amber Genetics CEO and founder Charles Dunlop, himself a stage four cancer survivor, issued a statement in conjunction with the data release. In it, he expressed shock that public and private laboratories would withhold such information at the cost of “delaying medical progress” that could end the suffering of other cancer patients.

Not everyone is optimistic about this development. Genetics professor David B. Goldstein of Columbia University told the New York Times he was unsure that this database is enough to make a difference. But one important believer is President Barack Obama, whose administration’s “Precision Medicine Initiative” is working on establishing a database containing genetic and long-term health information for one million Americans.

Genomic testing at Issels®

Genomic testing is just one of the methods we use to develop our non-toxic integrative treatments. Visit our website to view testimonials from patients with breast cancer, leukemia, melanoma and other forms of cancer which have been successfully treated at our immuno-oncology centers.

 

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Care Tips, Cancer Research, News

US Takes “Moonshot” Approach to a Cure for Cancer – Can It Work?

The Moonshot Approach
The Moonshot Approach

Last year, Vice President Joe Biden made news promising a “moonshot” approach toward facilitating cancer research. His announcement was inspired by his son Beau’s untimely death from brain cancer. While experts appreciate Biden’s dedication to the cause, some are warning against unrealistic expectations for a cure in the near future.

In an editorial that appeared last January in the Washington Post, cancer researcher Vinay Prasad of Oregon Health and Science University compared Biden’s vision to previous lofty promises that ultimately fizzled. Prasad went on to examine the various proposals, considering the likelihood of each to succeed.

  1. Speedier approval of cancer drugs

Prasad compares the impact of this factor to “thinking you can run a faster mile by buying a new stopwatch.” Although the FDA has already demonstrated a willingness to approve most cancer drugs, their actions have no affect whatsoever on the effectiveness of these drugs.

  1. Analysis and application of past successes

Some have suggested working backwards to study individuals with a positive response to treatment and extrapolating those findings to other patients. The problem lies in proving a direct correlation between their improvement and the drugs that were used as opposed to other unrelated factors.

  1. Immunotherapy

Therapies that boost a patient’s own immune response to cancer, such as those used at our immuno-oncology center, were cited by Biden as a promising answer. But several immunotherapy drugs have already been developed, with many more studies in progress, so that’s hardly a novel suggestion.

You can count on receiving state-of-the-art treatments at our Issels® immuno-oncology center. Visit our website for more information about our non-toxic individualized protocols.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Care Tips, News

March is National Kidney Cancer Awareness Month

Kidney Cancer Awareness
Kidney Cancer Awareness

Have you recently noticed people sporting orange pins, t-shirts or bracelets? These colorful accessories demonstrate support of National Kidney Cancer Awareness Month, which occurs each March. While more than 50,000 new cases of kidney cancer were diagnosed last year, cutting-edge treatments such as cancer immunotherapy have made valuable inroads in defeating the disease.

Causes and symptoms of kidney cancer

Research has found that certain genetic factors, such as the hereditary disorders von-Hippel-Lindau disease and Birt Hogg Dube Syndrome, can increase the risk of kidney cancer. Scientists have managed to isolate the gene that carries VHL disease, which could lead to advancements in diagnosis and treatment.

Symptoms of kidney cancer often don’t present in the early stages of the disease, so it’s frequently discovered during testing for other conditions. Painless urination of blood is the most common symptom, occurring in more than 50 percent of patients.

Other symptoms include back pain, the appearance of an abdominal mass, or unexplained weight loss. Unfortunately, many of the symptoms are also characteristic of unrelated health conditions, complicating the matter of diagnosis.

What does the future hold?

Improvements in diagnosis and treatment have resulted in more than 200,000 kidney cancer survivors living in the U.S. today. Researchers continue to develop more sophisticated drugs for treatment, while specialized testing like PET scans are being evaluated as more effective means of diagnosis.

State-of-the-art cancer immunotherapy treatments at Issels® are tailored to meet each patient’s individual case. Visit our website for testimonials from survivors of kidney cancer, leukemia, melanoma and other forms of the disease.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, News

Oxford University Shares Their View on the Future of Cancer Treatment

Oxfords Opinion on The Future of Cancer
Oxfords Opinion on The Future of Cancer

February 4, 2016 marked the annual observance of World Cancer Day, an event that originated in 2000 during the first World Summit against Cancer. Professor Colin Goding, a cancer researcher at Oxford University, took the opportunity to sit down for an interview about the current and future state of cancer treatment.

How researchers study cancer

According to Dr. Goding, the cellular events leading to the development of cancer are relatively complicated. Our bodies have systems to block mutated cells that lead to tumors, so those systems need to break down, allowing the mutations to take hold while accelerator cells push growth into overdrive.

Melanoma, or skin cancer, is one of the more common forms of the disease. It begins in the cells that manufacture melanin, which is a pigment controlling skin, eye and hair color. Dr. Goding cited melanoma as a good model for researchers to follow all stages of development, as opposed to forms like lung cancer that have already progressed by the time symptoms present.

Where does treatment go from here?

Dr. Goding sees the most promise for the future in two methods that are used in our immuno-oncology center. One is the ongoing development of drugs that reactivate the body’s immune system to attack cancer cells. The other is a focus on changing the micro-environment, which consists of the elements involved in the growth or regression of tumors.

Our Issels® immuno-oncology centers have been ahead of the curve in the use of non-toxic therapies that stimulate the immune system and target a tumor’s micro-environment. Visit our website to learn more about our personalized treatment protocols.

Cancer Research, News

The Link between Energy Sensing-Enzymes and Cancer

Worker in a lab
Cancer Vaccines

Part of the success of cancer vaccines lies in their ability to target the tumor microenvironment along with the tumor itself. A recent breakthrough shows similar promise as a way to cut off the energy molecules that fuel the growth of cancer cells.

A research team led by Dr. Atsuo Sasaki, an assistant professor at the University Of Cincinnati College Of Medicine, discovered that an enzyme called PI5PK4ß acts as a virtual “arrow on a fuel gauge” with regard to cancer growth. The enzyme functions by sensing available amounts of energy and communicating that information to cancer cells.

Until now, the identity of such a molecular sensor remained unknown. In fact, Dr. Sasaki and his associates initially met with skepticism regarding their study, which has since been published in Molecular Cell.

Cells are fueled by two types of energy molecules. Adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, provides most of the necessary energy. Guanosine triphosphate, referred to as GTP, is used to synthesize protein and also acts as a traffic cop directing various cellular processes.

PI5PK4ß acts as a GTP sensor by recognizing and binding itself to the molecules. Dr. Sasaki’s team was able to interrupt the process by designing mutant PI5PK4ß cells that lacked the ability to detect GTP. According to Dr. Sasaki, their hope is to use this discovery to develop a means of cutting off this energy source from cancer cells.

Cancer vaccines are only one of the tools available in our Issels® integrative immunotherapy programs. Visit our website for more details about our individualized treatment protocols as well as testimonials from our patients.