Cancer Research, Immuno-Oncology, Immunotherapy for Cancer

Genetic Advances Made in Prostate Cancer Identification

Prostate cancer affects approximately 15 percent of males in their lifetime, and is second only to skin cancer. Recent identification of an overactive gene that accelerates prostate cancer could lead to development of a more effective treatment.

Prostate Cancer Evolves Beyond Drugs

Most prostate tumors are caused by a form of cancer called adenocarcinoma. In advanced stages, adenocarcinoma is treated with drugs that block androgens, the male hormones that fuel the tumor. Unfortunately, the tumors have evolved into a more aggressive, androgen-resistant form called neuroendocrine prostate cancer.

Prostate Cancer Identification
Prostate Cancer Identification

A cross-disciplinary team supported by the Prostate Cancer Foundation discovered a gene known as N-Myc that appears to be the driver behind the change to the more aggressive form. While N-Myc is not usually found in prostate cancer, it has been known to occur in other forms such as neuroblastoma, a rare cancer of the nervous system found in children.

A Pathway to New Treatment Methods

When N-Myc goes into overdrive, it teams up with a protein called EZH2 to block the tumor’s androgen signaling and “flips the switch” on the molecular program that leads to the more aggressive neuroendocrine form. Dr. Jonathan W. Simons, president and CEO of the Prostate Cancer Foundation, calls this a “game-changing” discovery that can enable development of more successful treatments.

Personalized, Non-Toxic Treatments for Prostate Cancer

Issels® offers a wide range of Immunotherapy for Cancer protocols, including vaccines and NK cells that have been used to treat patients with prostate cancer, melanoma, leukemia and all other forms. Contact us today to find out how Immunotherapy for Cancer at Issels® can help you or your loved one.

Cancer Research, News

University Researchers Show How Wearable Technology Can Fight Cancer

Can Wearable Technology Change How Cancer is Fought?
Can Wearable Technology Change How Cancer is Fought?

Wearables like smartwatches and fitness trackers have been at the forefront of the latest wave of technology. Thanks to researchers at the University of Southern California, wearable technology could be the next step in more effective cancer treatment.

Cancer Moonshot Launches ATOM-HP

“South by South Lawn” (SXSL) is a White House-based festival patterned after the ground-breaking SXSW annual event in Austin, TX. SXSL gathers and celebrates innovators and visionaries who are creating ways to improve lives, both domestically and globally.

The USC project, called Analytical Technologies to Objectively Measure Human Performance (ATOM-HP), is part of the Cancer Moonshot initiative started by Vice President Joe Biden. ATOM-HP uses wearable devices to provide doctors with real-time data that was previously unavailable.

The ATOM-HP Difference

Even during cancer treatment, doctors and patients have only sporadic contact. Decisions are based on the doctor’s observations and self-reporting by the patient, which can result in an incomplete picture of the illness. ATOM-HP lets the doctor “see” effects of treatment and its impact on the patient’s everyday life.

As explained by Jorge Nieva, co-lead on ATOM-HP, the process humanizes treatment by allowing doctors to observe patients beyond the controlled confines of the hospital or clinic. Nieva refers to it as a “safety net for patients” who may be struggling with cancer treatments.

Co-lead Peter Kuhn stressed the importance of ATOM-HP for cancer research. Instead of relying on previously collected data, researchers will have the benefit of real-time information.

Personalized, Non-Toxic Immunotherapy for Cancer

At Issels®, we incorporate the most up-to-date technology and methods in our immunotherapy for cancer. Contact us today for more information.

Cancer Care Tips, Cancer Research, Immunotherapy, Immunotherapy for Cancer

Does Treatment Cause Cancer to Spread?

Can Cancer Treatment Causer The Spread of Cancer
Can Cancer Treatment Causer The Spread of Cancer

One of the obstacles to immunotherapy for cancer and other traditional treatments is that the disease can reoccur. While it was believed this was due to cancer cells developing resistance to drugs, recent evidence suggests that the problem may be the treatments themselves.

“A Double-Edged Sword”

Penicillin and other antibiotics were once hailed as “wonder drugs,” but overuse resulted in many forms of bacteria adapting and becoming immune to the toxic effects. The medical community felt the same process was behind the tendency of cancer to reoccur and spread to other areas.

A recent discovery by a team of Israeli scientists has shed new light on the problem. Their study involved mice with multiple myeloma, which is produced in bone marrow and spreads throughout the body. They received treatment with bortezomib, an anti-cancer drug with the brand name of Velcade.

The researchers were surprised to find that Velcade caused inflammatory cells in the bone marrow to accelerate the cancer, arming the cells with resistant properties. While they emphasize that “treatment with Velcade is essential and necessary,” the team is working on methods to inhibit the body’s response so treatments are more effective.

Immunotherapy for Cancer: A Personalized Approach

Our Issels® immunotherapy treatments are developed to meet each patient’s individual needs. These integrative programs attack cancer cells directly and treat the underlying causes to reduce the risk of tumor growth and reoccurrence.

Contact us to learn more about cancer vaccines, NK cells and the other non-toxic immunotherapy for cancer treatments offered at Issels®.

Cancer Care Tips, Living with Cancer

Eating Tips for While You’re In Cancer Treatment

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Be The Healthiest You Can Be With These Eating Tips!
Be The Healthiest You Can Be With These Eating Tips!

Cancer treatment can be very hard on your body, especially if you’re undergoing intensive chemotherapy or taking medicine with extreme side effects. Many times, cancer patients will go through a dramatic loss of appetite, which can make keeping your body healthy even more difficult if you don’t have the strength to eat, or keep down, a minimal amount of food.

Cancer Treatment Tips for Meals

Many of these tips work well for anyone who is ill, not just cancer patients, but it’s especially important for you to stay strong during your treatment.

  • Eat smaller meals – Smaller meals are more likely to stay down and it doesn’t take as much strength to eat them.
  • Eat what you like – If you’re going to be eating less, stick to foods you like since it can make it worse if you force yourself to eat foods you don’t enjoy.
  • Salty foods are healthy – The extra salt content of some foods, especially saltine crackers, tend to improve water retention, which can be an issue if you have other side effects such as diarrhea.
  • Avoid spicy foods – These types of foods are harder to digest, especially when you’re undergoing cancer treatment. A little bit of chili powder may be OK, but you may want to cut the jalapenos out of your diet.

Our team at Issels® is committed to giving you the best possible outlook for your cancer diagnosis. We customize non-toxic treatment plans to best fit every individual. Give us a call at 1-888-447-7357, or visit us at Issels.com, to find out more about how we can help you fight your cancer with advanced immunotherapy techniques.

Cancer Care Tips, Cancer Caregivers, Living with Cancer

Tips for Long Distance Cancer Caregiving

Long Distance Caregiving
Long Distance Caregiving

If a loved one receives a diagnosis of cancer, you want to be at their side offering care and assistance. Unfortunately, in many cases the realities of life may prevent that. You can still be a source of support when you follow these long-distance cancer caregiver tips.

Providing Effective Long-Distance Cancer Care

  • Contact the hospital discharge planner to coordinate the patient’s return to home.
  • Arrange for a home health aide to assist the patient until permanent plans are settled. An aide is also a good option to fill in the gaps or provide other caregivers with a break.
  • Create a network of friends and family members who can help, and set up a phone tree for quick and efficient communication.
  • Keep a bag at the ready packed with toiletries and clothes so you’re ready to travel at short notice.
  • Consider the distance to be traveled and whether ground or air is your better option.
  • If you have children or pets, have a contingency plan in place regarding their care in your absence.
  • Talk to your boss and co-workers about your situation. You may be able to continue your work offsite, but review your workload and deadlines in case someone else needs to step in for you.

What is the Issels® Difference?

At Issels®, our immunotherapy for cancer treatments are personally designed to meet each patient’s individual needs. Visit our blog for more cancer caregiver tips and information about our cutting-edge non-toxic therapies, including cancer vaccines and LAK cells.

Cancer Research, Immunotherapy, Immunotherapy for Cancer, News

Immunotherapy is the Hot Buzz in the World of Cancer Research Publications

Could Immunotherapy Be Your Miracle Treatment?
Cancer Immunothereapy in the News

Thanks to rapid and effective developments, immunotherapy for cancer continues to be a hot topic in the medical community. A recent analysis shows the explosive growth of this subject in academic and industrial publications.

Immunotherapy for Cancer in the News

Results of the analysis conducted by Drs. Enal Razvi and Gary Oosta were published in Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News. Data was based on publications in the broad space of cancer immunology, which have seen exponential growth from zero in the early ’70s to more than 600 in the past year.

While there has been a clear increase in quantity, what about qualitative measures? A word cloud corresponding to titles and abstracts shows that the major areas of focus are “cancer,” “immunotherapy,” “cells,” “immune” and “tumor.”

Drilling down to find the key components of these publications, the most commonly mentioned one is “dendritic cells,” which play a vital role in initiating the immune response. “Cell death” (apoptosis) has generated 33 percent annual growth.

What Does the Future Hold?

Drs. Razvi and Oosta drew the following conclusions:

  • Understanding in vivo mechanisms and pathways driving immunological cascades is crucial for continued progress.
  • Companies will continue clinical trials, both individually and in collaboration with others.
  • Immunotherapy for cancer will eventually use biomarkers to identify which populations and sub-populations are the optimum candidates for specific treatments.

Individualized Blueprints for Immunotherapy

At Issels®, our integrative therapies are personalized based on each patient’s lifestyle and genetic makeup as well as the tumor microenvironment. Contact us today to hear success stories from patients of all ages who have dealt with leukemia, melanoma and other forms of cancer.

Individualized Cancer Treatment