Category Archives: News

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

Vitamin C is Now Called Non-Toxic Chemo

Healthy Living With Cancer
Non Toxic Chemo

Late in his career, Nobel Prize-winning scientist Linus Pauling became an advocate for the use of vitamin C in treatment and prevention of colds, heart disease and cancer. At the time, his theories were largely debunked by the medical community. Today, Pauling’s ideas are gaining new life as recent cancer research suggests that vitamin C may indeed be effective against cancer cells.

Vitamin C vs. cancer-causing cells

A study published in Science magazine examined the effects of high doses of vitamin C in tumor-afflicted mice. Researchers discovered that the vitamin selectively killed certain mutant cells that are known to cause cancer. The specific mutations, KRAS and BRAF, are found in more than half of human colorectal cancers.

Why did the results of this study vary from the earlier cancer research? According to the authors, vitamin C must be administered intravenously to reach the levels required to kill the mutant cells, while earlier studies focused exclusively on oral ingestion.

“Non-toxic chemo”

The Vitamin C Foundation, which has carried on with Pauling’s advocacy, has dubbed the nutrient the “non-toxic chemo.” Among their publications is a study from 2012 suggesting that long-term use of vitamin C supplements may help prevent breast cancer.

According to Science, the newer study provides evidence for further cancer research involving vitamin C as a treatment for colorectal cancer.

For decades, Issels® has been a leader in the use of integrative, non-toxic immuno-oncology treatments tailored to a patient’s specific needs. If you or a loved one is dealing with a cancer diagnosis, contact us to learn more about our innovative programs.

After Cancer, Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Survivors, News, Testimonials

There is “Life” After Cancer

Life After Cancer
Life After Cancer

While it was once unlikely at best, surviving cancer has become reality for a steadily growing number of patients. According to the American Cancer Society, survivorship is defined from the point of diagnosis and extends through the balance of life.

The ACS teamed up with the National Cancer Institute for extensive reports on current cancer survivorship and treatment statistics. Here is a look at some numbers that reflect the positive results of integrative immunotherapy and other effective treatment methods.

Cancer rates are down while survivorship is up

While there has been a reduction in cancer incidence rates, the number of survivors has grown sharply over the last 40 years. The 3.3 million total in 1974 has become 14.5 million in 2014, with the number expected to reach 18.9 million by 2024.

Gender differences are minor

Female survivors outnumber male survivors by slightly more than 700,000, but percentages by age, type of cancer and post-diagnosis years are remarkably similar. More than 40 percent of survivors in both groups are aged 70 and older, due to the aging of the Baby Boomer generation.

Early detection makes a major difference

Statistics continue to show the importance of early diagnosis and treatment. The five-year survival rates for breast, prostate, colon and skin cancers range from 90-100 percent when diagnosed at the early localized stage.

Issels® has been successfully treating patients for years using non-toxic integrative immunotherapy. Visit our website to learn more about how our protocols are based on a patient’s individual needs, boosting the body’s own natural defense mechanisms.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, News

NK Cells and Their Action to Fight Cancer

image of cells
Attacking Cancer

In most cases, the term “natural killer” does not carry a positive connotation. However, when it comes to immuno-oncology, Natural Killer (NK) Cells are front-line warriors in the body’s fight against cancer.

How do NK Cells help defeat cancer?

Your body’s immune system generates a natural response against foreign elements known as antigens. NK Cells target tumor-specific antigens to destroy the actual tumors as well as metastatic cells that transport cancer to other parts of the body via the bloodstream.

Once the NK Cell receptors lock in on a target, the cells’ cytotoxic properties begin acting on the tumor. NK Cells also produce cytokines, which are signaling molecules that act as traffic cops by directing immune cells toward areas of trauma.

Immuno-oncology boosts levels of NK Cells

An NK Cells analysis was conducted with 129 cancer patients receiving treatment at Issels®. The non-toxic protocols included various combinations of therapies such as immuno-stimulants, intravenous delivery of high-dose nutritional, phytotherapy with herb- and plant-based medicines, and lifestyle and dietary modifications. Each patient’s program is personalized to meet individual needs.

After only three weeks of treatment, patients will typically show an average increase of about 48 percent in absolute NK Cell levels. This significant improvement demonstrates the value of non-toxic immunotherapy for fighting and surviving cancer while maintaining a high quality of life.

Chemotherapy, radiation and other aggressive treatments often have debilitating side effects. At Issels®, we have been using non-toxic immuno-oncology therapies for years and have been helping patients to realize dramatic benefits in their health through our treatment protocol. Visit our website to learn more and read testimonials from many of our patients who have are successfully surviving cancer.

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

New Advance in Pancreatic Cancer Treatment Just in Time for Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month

New Understanding of Pancreatic Cancer
New Understanding of Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic cancer can be difficult to treat with conventional methods, such as chemotherapy. With this form of cancer on the rise, researchers have been working on developing other forms of treatment that might be more effective. Recent developments have led to a new type of treatment for pancreatic cancer that is showing promise as a highly successful way to boost survival rates.

Irreversible Electroporation

Researchers have come up with a treatment that delivers small yet strong electrical bursts that destroy pancreatic cancer cells, which is known as irreversible electroporation (IRE). These electrical bursts create holes in the cells, which leads them to die off. The use of this type of treatment has been associated with a survival rate that nearly doubles for those who also undergo a traditional form of treatment, such as chemo-radiotherapy. IRE is able to affect cancer cells while leaving noncancerous tissue around those cells unharmed, which can lower the risk of side effects and complications.

Researchers are planning on testing IRE in clinical trials to better determine its effectiveness for those with pancreatic cancer. The current study that was conducted involved 200 adults who were diagnosed with Stage III pancreatic cancer. While roughly half of those participants ended up with complications after undergoing IRE, these effects were considered minimal. Researchers found that the average survival rate for study participants was two years, although some lived for up to seven years.

If you would like more information on our non-toxic forms of treatment for pancreatic cancer, please contact the Issels® Center for Integrative Immuno-Oncology. We offer immunotherapy and other types of alternative cancer treatments.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Breast Cancer, Cancer Research, News

Leukemia Virus in Cattle and Potential Breast Cancer Connection Revealed

Hypothermia To Fight Cancer?
Breast Cancer

While breast cancer incidence rates in the United States have been dropping since 2000, it’s estimated that approximately 40,000 women will die from the disease this year. Researchers have recently discovered an unexpected risk factor that may surpass known ones such as obesity and postmenopausal hormone use.

Bovine leukemia virus (BLV) causes malignant lymphoma and lymphosarcoma in up to five percent of infected beef and dairy cattle. Until recently, the medical community believed that BLV could not be transmitted to humans.

That idea was shattered by a University of California-Berkeley team led by Professor Gertrude Buehring of its School of Public Health. In 2014, the group of researchers turned up the first-ever evidence of BLV in humans.

Prof. Buehring then had her team turn their attention to investigating a link between BLV and breast cancer. Samples were obtained from 239 women, some of whom were breast cancer patients. BLV was discovered in 59 percent of samples from the latter, compared to 29 percent in those who were cancer-free.

At this point it’s not known how BLV infects breast tissue, although Prof. Buehring speculates that possible causes are unpasteurized milk, unprocessed meat or human-to-human transmission. She also states that there is no proof at this point that BLV is a direct cause of breast cancer. Further studies will focus on determining whether BLV is present before tumors develop.

Breast cancer patients are among the thousands who have received treatment with the non-toxic personalized therapies at our Issels® immuno-oncology clinics. Visit our website to view testimonials and subscribe to our newsletters.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, News

New Liquid Biopsy Finds Cancer Markers Even Before Illness for Early Action

Test tubes in a laboratory
Liquid Testing

The detection of cancer has just taken a step forward. Historically, a cancer diagnosis came right out of the blue, sometimes without warning or symptoms. Issels® Center for Immuno-Oncology, reports that a new liquid biopsy test is changing that history, proving the ability to diagnose if a person is at risk through study of their genes.

Pathway Genomics, a global health and research company, has developed a liquid biopsy test which can detect cancerous mutant DNA in completely healthy people. A liquid biopsy is an examination of fluid or blood drawn from the individual to find cancer cells within the blood. The test utilizes gene sequencing to compare genetic markers within the person’s blood sample. Those markers are then contrasted with genetic markers found in common cancers such as ovarian, breast, lung, and colon cancers. If there are genetic markers that match, then the test has found evidence that the patient is at risk of contracting said cancer in the future.

One downside to the liquid biopsy is it can only detect up to a certain point. That limit is determined by how much we already know about cancers. Until we understand more, this test is limited, as the patient might have a rare cancer. Experts have also warned that ill-informed patients could learn of a genetic anomaly and panic, potentially taking drastic steps in reaction to something that was simply natural.

With that said, this new non-invasive liquid biopsy is a life saver to those unaware that they’re at risk. It’s worth keeping track of this new diagnostic test. For more information about cancer and its treatment, contact Issels®.