Tag Archives: Advanced Cancer Treatment

Cancer Research, Cancer Treatment, News, Stage Four Cancer Treatment

New Research: Blood Flow Determines Secondary Tumor Locations

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New Research: Blood Flow Determines Secondary Tumor Locations
New Research: Blood Flow Determines Secondary Tumor Locations

One of the goals of immunotherapy for cancer is control of metastasis, which is a leading cause of cancer deaths. Results of a recent study concerning metastasis and blood flow could shed some needed light on ways to disrupt the process.

Investigating the “Metastatic Cascade”

In metastasis, tumor cells migrate from the original site via the lymph system or bloodstream to establish secondary tumors. The process involves a series of six steps known as the metastatic cascade.

A team from Frances’s National Institute of Health and Medical Research conducted tests focused on the fourth step, when tumor cells build up in tiny capillaries and pass through the walls into surrounding tissue. During the first phase, they tracked tumor cells in zebrafish embryos.

The Relationship Between Blood Flow and Metastasis

The scientists discovered there was a specific velocity range of blood flow connected with capillaries where the tumor cells stopped traveling. Blood flow was also found to be an essential factor in allowing the capillary lining, or endothelium, to “remodel” around the tumor cells.

Researchers came to the same conclusions in the next phase, involving mice with brain metastases. For the final step, the team observed brain metastases in 100 human patients.

When the scientists compared the brain metastases map to one showing the blood flow of a healthy human, it confirmed the results of the zebrafish tests. Secondary tumors tended to grow in areas with specific blood flow velocity.

Immunotherapy for Cancer: Treating Tumors and Their Environment

At Issels®, we have achieved a great deal of success in helping patients with metastatic and therapy-resistant cancers. Contact us to learn more.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, Cancer Treatment, Immunotherapy, Immunotherapy for Cancer, News

“Superblood” Engineered to Carry Cancer Fighting Proteins

"Superblood" Engineered to Carry Cancer Fighting Proteins
“Superblood” Engineered to Carry Cancer Fighting Proteins

Super powers are usually the stuff of comic books and movies, but a biotech startup may be turning fiction into reality with the development of “superblood” as a revolutionary new cancer treatment.

“Supercharging” Red Blood Cells

Rubius Therapeutics is working on a program called Red-Cell Therapeutics (RCT), which involves red blood cells that are genetically engineered to fight cancer. Once introduced into a patient’s system, these proteins can replace missing enzymes and help the immune system attack and destroy cancer cells.

RCT has two major advantages that make it a promising breakthrough in cancer treatment:

– The nuclei have been removed from these cells so they can’t be recognized by the immune system, leaving them free from interference so they can do their job.

– Red blood cells travel throughout the entire body, so RCT is able to easily reach any affected organs or tissues.

Thanks to these two features, RCT has the potential to treat patients without the need for an individually developed solution.

What’s Next?

Initially, Rubius Therapeutics generated $120 million from investors. The company recently raised an additional $100 million for a total of nearly a quarter of a billion dollars in less than one year. According to Rubius president Torben Straight Nissen, this funding will help accelerate RCT development for quicker delivery to the end users.

Issels®: The Leader in Immunotherapy Cancer Treatments

Much like RCT, cancer treatment at Issels® is designed to boost the immune system’s ability to attack and kill cancer cells. Contact us to learn more about cancer vaccines and other programs we have used to help patients achieve long-term remission.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, Uncategorized

Will CRISPR Gene Editing Play a New Role in Cancer Treatment?

New Research Is Unlocking the Mystery of Cancer
New Research Is Unlocking the Mystery of Cancer

As science makes connections between DNA mutations and cancer, gene-targeted therapies have become a valuable way to make cancer treatment more effective. Now researchers are pondering how advanced genome editing technology might impact the future of cancer research and treatment.

Solving the Puzzle of DNA

All biological lifeforms are composed of three primary substances. DNA, the building block of genes, uses RNA as a messenger to control proteins, which are the cellular “worker bees.” RNA and proteins can be targeted with drugs, medicines and other treatments, but DNA is more complicated.

CRISPR is a process that lets scientists actually manipulate and make changes to genetic material in cells. In theory, CRISPR could be used to “edit” diseases such as cancer right out of patients.

Can Genetic Editing Improve Cancer Treatment?

Finding the precise genes that drive cancer development can be like looking for a needle in a haystack. With the help of CRISPR, researchers can replace normal genes with cancer-causing ones to get a better picture of how the mutations work and thereby create more effective treatment solutions.

According to Dr. Irene Chong, a clinical scientist at the Institute of Cancer Research in London, the precision of CRISPR holds possible ramifications for future cancer treatment. Doctors may eventually be able to target and correct genetic mutations that cause a predisposition to cancer.

Gene-Targeted Therapies at Issels®

Issels® has long been a leader in the use of gene-targeted therapies that reduce the risk to healthy cells often found in traditional cancer treatments such as chemotherapy. Contact us for more information about cancer vaccines, NK cells and other state-of-the-art treatments at Issels®.

Cancer Treatment, Cancer Vaccine, Immuno-Oncology, Immunotherapy, Immunotherapy for Cancer, Uncategorized

Immunotherapy and Its Use in Stage 2 and 3 Cancers

There is New Hope for Cancer Patients. Don't Give up!
There is New Hope for Cancer Patients. Don’t Give up!

Immunotherapy drugs have become a valuable weapon in the fight against metastatic cancer, also known as Stage 4. Researchers are discovering that immunotherapy for cancer treatment can also have positive results when used during earlier stages of the disease.

Immunotherapy and Early-Stage Cancer

At the recent European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) congress in Madrid, AstraZeneca presented successful trial results for its immuno-oncology drug Imfinzi in treating mid-stage lung cancer. AstraZeneca is considered a latecomer to the I-O field as compared to established companies such as Merck and Bristol-Meyers Squibb.

For their part, Bristol-Meyers produced evidence regarding Opdivo, the company’s widely used late-stage I-O drug. Opdivo has been shown to prevent relapses in melanoma patients when administered immediately post-surgery.

Supplementing Surgery with Immunotherapy

This method of following surgery with cancer treatment is referred to as adjuvant therapy. With the success of Opdivo, a number of trials are being conducted on adjuvant therapy using I-O drugs with a range of cancer types. Some trials are even focusing on neoadjuvant, or pre-surgery, treatment for breast, neck and head cancers.

What’s Next?

If the trend of early-stage immunotherapy treatment continues, early detection becomes even more important than ever. According to Pascal Soriot, CEO of AstraZeneca, effective early treatment is a powerful incentive for increased use of screening methods.

Non-Toxic Immunotherapy Programs from Issels®

Our cancer vaccines and other non-toxic, personally tailored immunotherapy treatment programs have resulted in long-term remission for patients with all types of therapy-resistant cancers. Contact us for more information about Issels®, the leader in immunotherapy for cancer treatment.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, Cancer Treatment, Immunotherapy, Uncategorized

NCI Studies Disparities in Cancer Treatment in Rural Communities

If You and Your Family Does Choose to Live Out in the Country, Make Sure You Live Close to a Location with Good Healthcare Providers.
If You and Your Family Does Choose to Live Out in the Country, Make Sure You Live Close to a Location with Good Healthcare Providers.

Does where you live affect your chances of surviving cancer? Recent studies are putting a focus on the disparities of cancer treatment between rural and urban communities.

Equal Access to Health Care?

Overall, cancer death rates in the United States have declined over the last 40 years. Unfortunately, two studies from the National Cancer Institute and Centers for Disease Control have revealed that cancer death rates are higher in rural areas and declining at a much slower pace.

NCI has a history of promoting cancer control in Appalachia, with efforts directed at prevention and early detection. Issues surrounding last year’s presidential election have further raised the visibility of questions about access to quality health care.

As research methods and tools become more sophisticated, scientists have the advantage of more granular data. This allows for more detailed plotting of disease patterns and trends as they apply to specific geographic regions.

Healthcare Organizations Rise to the Challenge

Growing acknowledgement of the problem is also raising the sense of urgency. Researchers at the University of Washington found that differences in life expectancy by county are large and growing even larger.

NCI, along with federal agencies such as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, are joining forces to collaborate on research and implementation. The next big step is a May 2018 meeting that NCI is convening among major organizations in the cancer community.

Issels®: Accessible and High-Quality Cancer Treatment

Our integrative immunotherapy programs incorporate multiple elements to create the best possible treatment for your particular diagnosis. Contact us for more information about cancer vaccines, NK cells and other non-toxic treatment methods.

Cancer Treatment, Cancer Vaccine, Immuno-Oncology, Uncategorized

New Guidance on Lymph Node Removal for Melanoma Patients

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New Guidance on Lymph Node Surgery
New Guidance on Lymph Node Surgery

Aggressive surgery has often been the preferred approach for patients in whom melanoma has spread to the lymph nodes. Results of a recent trial suggest that a conservative treatment of watchful waiting may actually be more beneficial.

Is Completion Surgery Necessary?

Once a patient is diagnosed with melanoma, the traditional procedure has been to conduct a sentinel lymph node biopsy. If cancer cells are detected, the next step is usually immediate removal of the remaining regional lymph nodes in the surrounding area.

Surgery vs. Watchful Waiting

MSLT-II involved 1,934 participants who had been diagnosed with skin melanoma of medium thickness that had spread to sentinel lymph nodes but nowhere else in the body. Half underwent immediate lymph node removal surgery while the other half were monitored for signs of cancer in the regional lymph nodes.

After three years, 86 percent of patients in each group had not succumbed to melanoma. In addition, 68 percent of the surgery group and 63 percent of the monitored group had not experienced any recurrence of cancer.

Greater Risk of Complications

While difference in recurrence rate was negligible, the surgery group was found to be far more susceptible to complications. Those patients were approximately four times more likely to experience lymphedema, which is a buildup of excess lymph fluid that causes swelling.

Immunotherapy for Cancer: State-of-the-Art Treatment

We have successfully treated patients with melanoma and other forms of cancer in both early and late stages. Contact us to learn more about Issels® and our individually developed, non-toxic immunotherapy for cancer programs.