Category Archives: News

Google’s Nano-Pill to Detect Cancer

Nano Pills To Detect Cancer
Nano Pills To Detect Cancer

It might seem like it’s too good to be true, but what Google is doing is far from science fiction. They’re working on developing a nano-pill that can detect cancer, as well as other diseases and illnesses. The nano-pill is still being worked on, but the folks at Google are confident that they have the knowledge and capability they need to make their newest idea a reality. 

How does it work?

The nano-pill works by releasing nano particles into the body that are drawn to cancer cells like a magnet. The particles latch on and any information that’s gathered about the cancer cells is sent to a sensor. The best part is that people can begin to get treatments before they would normally have them under traditional detection methods. 

According to a recent article on Wired.com, it’s relatively easy for academic researchers to pinpoint what might work best for such a project, but it takes a team of qualified engineers, scientists and technicians to design the hardware for such a product. That’s where Google comes in, and they’ve brought their best team members to the table. 

Of course, the challenge is going to be in the clinical trials. Some trials have begun on artificial human limbs, but there is still much research to be done before the nano pill is ready to take the next step. It might be a few years before it hits the market. 

Non-traditional cancer treatments are what we specialize in, here at Issels®. If you’ve been looking for alternative cancer treatments for yourself or a loved one, please contact us. We would love to talk with you about our options.

Super-Charged Cells Take the Cancer Fight to the Tumor Level

Super Charged Cells
Super Charged Cells

The growing number of immunotherapy success stories has given new hope to cancer patients, and their families.

Our Issels®treatment centers have comprehensive immunotherapy programs that have remarkable results.

According to an article on WebMD, this non-toxic cancer treatment could be a pathway to a cure. It worked for Milton Wright III, who according to the article, had leukemia since he was 8 years-old. After years of treatment his doctors thought the cancer was gone.

Unfortunately, it came back for a third time when he was twenty years-old. He ended up taking part in CAR T-cell therapy trail, which is a type of immunotherapy. This type of treatment super-charged the immune system via genetically modified cells that both recognized, and attacked the cancer cells. In less than a month, CAR T-cell therapy got rid of Wright’s cancer.

That is just one of many immunotherapy success stories. Our own Issels® treatment program has many success stories that will bring new hope to any cancer patient.

About CAR T-cell therapy:

Over 100 trial patients have tried this treatment since 2009. Over 70 of those patients went into complete remission. This type of cancer treatment was used with patients who have certain blood cancers such as myeloma, and leukemia. Early research is showing that one day it could be used for more common tumors.

CAR T-cell therapy, like all types of immunotherapy, offers an improved quality of life during, and after the cancer treatment.

For more information about immunotherapy, please contact us at Issels® via our website. We have experienced, qualified, and compassionate doctors who specialize in immunotherapy cancer treatment.

Researchers Harness the HIV Virus to Fight Leukemia

New Cancer Research Is In the News
New Cancer Research Is In the News

The initials “HIV” are rarely associated with positive health news. In an amazing breakthrough, researchers at Penn Medicine have had success using the HIV virus to treat patients with incurable leukemia.

Dr. Carl June and his team at the University of Pennsylvania Health System have been working on the therapy for 20 years. The key to this treatment is the characteristic of the HIV virus to insert new genes into cells.

The procedure begins with billions of T-cells being removed from a patient’s body. A disabled form of HIV is then used to reprogram the T-cells, rendering them capable of recognizing, targeting and killing the cancer. At this point they are returned to the patient’s body to perform their mission.

According to Dr. June, once the cancer has been treated these “killer cells” become dormant, returning to action only if the cancer recurs. Out of 12 patients who have received the treatment, nine are in full or partial remission.

One of the successful cases is that of Marshall Jensen, a newlywed and young parent from Utah who was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. So far, Dr. June’s treatment has accomplished what nearly three years of traveling the country for various surgeries and procedures could not.

What’s next for Dr. June and his team? They hope to be able to adapt this therapy to treat other forms of cancer. Trials on patients with pancreatic cancer are scheduled to begin in the summer of 2015.

Progress continues to be made in the fight against cancer nearly every day. Subscribe to our e-newsletter to get the latest information, including health and nutrition tips, delivered right to your inbox.   

 

Could Your Breast Implants Cause Cancer?

Find Out More About Breast Cancer Treatment
Find Out More About Breast Cancer Treatment

Women everywhere are turning to breast implants to improve body image, however a new study suggests there may be an unthinkable risk – a rare type of lymph cancer known as Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (ALCL). How are victims of this phenomena treating their cancer?

ALCL treatment options ALCL cancer victims have been successfully treated with chemotherapy and radiation therapy. The lymphomas were also discovered to disappear on their own following removal of the implants and the surrounding tissue. Subtypes and outcomes include:

• Subtype 1 In this subtype, women with protein positive ALCL, where tumor cells produce an abnormal protein, were said to have better outcomes.

• Subtype 2 In this subtype, protein anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) is not produced by cancer cells.

• Subtype 3 Discovered during the study and requiring further research, the tumors cells in this subtype also do not produce ALK.

How many women have been effected? ALCL has been documented in 71 women who have undergone breast augmentation. The cancer develops several years after surgery, in the scar tissue surrounding the implant.

Why are the implants causing lymphoma? Unfortunately, researchers have been unable to pinpoint the particular reason(s) for the breast implants resulting in cancer. It is theorized, however, that perhaps an abnormal immune response from the body is resulting in the emergence of this cancer.

Digging a little deeper The team that conducted the study, a research team of experts from the Medical University in Vienna, the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna and the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Cancer Research, are expected to perform further studies to determine the impact of implants and dentures in other parts of the body.

Concerned about the impact implants may be having on your body? If you have developed this type of breast cancer please consider checking with Issels Integrative Oncology today.

New Breast Cancer Medication Causes an Exceptional Response in Test Patients

New Innovative Treatments Are In The News
New Innovative Treatments Are In The News

‘Hope springs eternal’ is a good old-fashioned saying that fits perfectly when discussing a new breast cancer medication that is sparking positive results.

The drug in the news is called, everolimus – brand name Afinitor. It has been approved for two years and used to fight against certain breast cancers and also  treat tumors in the pancreas and kidneys. It is known for creating “exceptional responses” to treatment due to a recent turn of events for patient, Grace Silva, whose story was recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

After taking the drug for approximately two months, the 58-year-old experienced her “exceptional response” when tumors in her lungs virtually disappeared. According Dr. Jochen Lorch, Silva’s oncologist, this type of result from drugs is nearly non-existent.

Research studies to understand why exceptional responses occur are on-going. One reason is due to a technology known as next generation sequencing. The once very expensive test to decode DNA genetics in cancer patients is now much more affordable due next-generation technology.

With this genetic technology available, doctors have additional information at hand that helps them determine mutations in tumors, such as Grace Silvas. Mutations can have several effects including increasing the size of a tumor, enabling cancer cells to resist drugs, or working toward shrinking tumors.

Another piece of good new is from the National Cancer Institute that has initiated a new program called the Exceptional Responders Initiative focused on cataloging and identifying mutation patterns. This new initiative along with upgrades by cancer researchers to the way they work with new drugs is jump-starting additional studies. With new visions on the horizon, the future for cancer patients is brighter.

If you are seeking new innovative treatments for your cancer, we invite you to evaluate the Issels Treatment programs.

2014 Breast Cancer Findings of Special Note

Newspaper
Cancer Findings of Note in the News

Cancer can strike any of us at any age and leave us feeling helpless and uncertain of what to do in response. Issels Integrative Immuno-Oncology has been successfully treating cancer patients with individualized therapy since 1951. The Issels Foundation researches holistic treatment and educates people about their options for combating cancer. This has been a significant year for breast cancer research. New information published can help every woman.

Diabetes is linked to breast tumor size

The Huffington Post reports that high levels of insulin in the blood stream may stimulate growth of tumor cells. This is according to Dr. Caterina Fontanella, MD, who says, “We therefore believe that strict control of blood sugar levels is essential to the successful treatment of breast cancer.”

One skirt size increases breast cancer risk

We know obesity increases everyone’s risk of developing cardiovascular disease. A recent study published in the British Medical Journal finds a person who increases one skirt size every 10 years has a 33 percent higher risk of developing breast cancer.

Some birth control pills likely increase risk

Women taking pills containing high levels of estrogen may have a 50 percent higher risk of developing breast cancer than women who have never taken oral contraceptives, according to a recent study. The increased risk declines when they stop taking these birth control pills.

Lifestyle changes reduce breast cancer risk for all

According to two studies by the Yale Cancer Center, breast cancer survivors who eat a healthy diet and get regular exercise reduce the chance of cancer coming back and increase their likelihood of survival.

Visit our website for the latest developments in cancer research.