Category Archives: Uncategorized

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, Cancer Treatment, Cancer Vaccine, Uncategorized

UV Exposure and the Skin Cancer Connection

Sun Exposure and Cancer
Sun Exposure and Cancer

Exposure to ultra-violet (UV) rays can have more serious consequences than a painful sunburn. UV rays from both natural and man-made sources can increase risk of developing skin cancer.

How UV Rays Damage Skin

While UV rays come primarily from the sun, they contain more energy than visible light. Man-made sources of UV rays include tanning beds and welding torches.

UV rays are powerful enough to ionize atoms by removing an electron, which is how they cause damage to DNA in body cells. But they don’t have enough energy to penetrate to organs and other internal tissues, which is why their effect is seen mostly on skin.

UV Ray Wavelengths

The three types of UV rays are:

  • UVA rays, which are the weakest of the three and linked more to cosmetic damage such as wrinkles than to skin cancer.
  • UVB rays, which are slightly stronger and the main cause of sunburns and skin cancer.
  • UVC rays, which have the most energy but are prevented from reaching the ground by the ozone layer.

Preventing UV Ray Exposure

A certain amount of sunshine is necessary for good health, but protect yourself by applying sunscreen to exposed parts of your body when you’re outside for extended periods. Avoid peak hours of 11 AM until 4 PM and stay in the shade when possible.

Immunotherapy for Cancer: Restoring the Body’s Natural Defenses

At Issels®, our integrative immunotherapy treatments boost your own immune system’s ability to fight cancer. Contact us for more information to learn how immunotherapy for cancer has helped patients diagnosed with skin cancer, melanoma and other types of tumors.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, Cancer Survivors, Cancer Treatment, Uncategorized

Coaches vs. Cancer Has Raised $100 Million for Cancer Research

Coaches and Teams Have Raised Millions for Research
Coaches and Teams Have Raised Millions for Research

Actors, athletes and other high-profile people often use their celebrity to help promote awareness of cancer research. One such program is Coaches vs. Cancer, which has raised more than $100 million to support the American Cancer Society (ACS).

Leading the Charge Against Cancer

As with most Americans, basketball coaches across the country have been affected by cancer, either personally or through a loved one. The National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) has partnered with the ACS to form Coaches vs. Cancer, a program designed to empower the coaches to participate in the fight against cancer.

Coaches vs. Cancer: The “Battles”

Thanks to their personal and professional experiences and positions of leadership, basketball coaches are in a great position to raise awareness of cancer research among their teams and communities. Some of their creative initiatives have included:

  • In February 2017, their 3-Point Challenge let fans pledge an amount for every successful three-point shot made by their favorite team that month.
  • During Suits and Sneakers Week, coaches across the country wear sneakers on game day to symbolize the role of nutrition and physical activity in reducing cancer risk.
  • Hardwood Heroes is part of March Madness, the NCAA’s popular basketball championship tournament. 2017 marked the second year of this event in which a basketball team made up of cancer survivors took on a team of survivors from last year’s game.

Issels®: The Leader in Immunotherapy for Cancer Treatment

For decades, Issels® has raised the bar on cancer treatment with our non-toxic and integrative immunotherapy programs. Visit our website to read and hear testimonials from patients who have achieved long-term remission.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Care Tips, Uncategorized

American Society of Clinical Oncology Releases Their State of Cancer Care in America Report for 2017

Stop Cancer
Stop Cancer

Advances in immunotherapy for cancer treatment have given patients more options than ever before. This is one of the encouraging findings included in the recently-issued State of Cancer Care in America, 2017 report.

Analyzing the Current State of Cancer Care

The annual report has been issued by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) since March 2014. It offers an in-depth look at current demographic, economic and oncology practice factors impacting cancer care.

Increasingly effective immunotherapy is just one of the significant improvements in cancer care noted in this year’s report. Other highlights include:

  • Emphasis on preventive measures such as quitting smoking appears to be paying off as overall cancer incidence has declined over the last decade at a rate of 0.9 percent each year.
  • Former Vice President Joe Biden’s Cancer Moonshot Initiative, launched in 2016, paved the way for dozens of research initiatives and cross-disciplinary partnerships focused on research for prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
  • Use of big data from sources such as electronic health records (EHR) has resulted in more informed research studies and decision-making.
  • The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) and other payment programs have begun a shift away from fee-for-service in favor of high-quality, high-value cancer care. This process is expected to accelerate during 2017.

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

Issels® has long been ahead of the curve with our innovative and personally tailored cancer treatment programs. Contact us to learn more about why immunotherapy at Issels® may be the option for you, regardless of age or type of cancer.

Cancer Care Tips, Cancer Caregivers, Living with Cancer, Uncategorized

Cancer Caregiver Tips: Talking About Cancer with Your Loved One

Cancer Caregiver Tips: Talking About Cancer with Your Loved One
Cancer Caregiver Tips: Talking About Cancer with Your Loved One

Are you a cancer caregiver who’s tiptoeing around your loved one because you’re afraid of saying the wrong thing? Use these tips to guide your conversations in positive and helpful directions.

Tips for Talking to a Cancer Patient

  • Don’t stress about coming up with the perfect words. This is a new situation for both of you. If you don’t know what to say, be honest about it. Your loved one will let you know what he or she needs.
  • Keep the focus on the patient. You’re there to help them, not the other way around. Talk to another friend or family member if you need a sounding board.
  • Avoid clichés or dismissive comments like “You’ll be fine” or “At least you got the ‘good’ cancer.” Of course you don’t want to be a source of doom and gloom, but minimizing the situation doesn’t make the patient feel any better.
  • Every case of cancer is different. Don’t bring up friends, family members or acquaintances and compare their situations.
  • Don’t ask for details about their cancer treatment such as blood test results or possible side effects. Let them share information if they like, but respect their personal boundaries.
  • Sometimes no words are necessary. Your loved one might want you to provide a sympathetic ear, or may prefer a period of silence. Be willing to graciously accommodate their wishes.

Personalized Cancer Treatment from Issels®

Your experience with cancer is unique, so your treatment should be also. Visit our website to learn more about cancer vaccines and other individually tailored and integrative immunotherapy for cancer treatments.

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.