Tag Archives: Breast Cancer

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Breast Cancer, Cancer Research, Immunotherapy for Cancer

New Medication May Effectively Treat Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Cancer Survivors: A Unique Perspective on Hope
Breast Cancer Research

The term “breast cancer” encompasses several subtypes of the diseases, including triple-negative breast cancer, a more aggressive form that occurs frequently in younger women. Scientists in Ireland recently made a discovery that holds promise as an more effective treatment than chemotherapy, which is currently the only available option for this cancer subtype.

What Is Triple-Negative Breast Cancer?

Breast cancer is usually categorized by the presence or absence of three different receptors that fuel the growth of tumors. Triple-negative breast cancer lacks all three receptors, making it unresponsive to the targeted treatments often used with breast cancer.

BREAST-PREDICT is the Irish Cancer Society Collaborative Cancer Research Centre where the recent study was conducted. Researchers identified a drug called APR-246 that can prevent the growth of certain cancer cells.

APR-246 Can Mean New Hope for Breast Cancer Patients

Results of the study were published last year in the International Journal of Cancer. Naoise Synnott, the PhD student who performed the research, said she decided to focus her efforts on triple-negative breast cancer because of the lack of effective treatment for the disease.

Currently, chemotherapy is the only form of treatment available to patients with triple-negative breast cancer. Unfortunately, many of them don’t respond, leaving them to suffer the side effects of chemotherapy with no positive outcome.

Approximately one in six cases of breast cancer worldwide is diagnosed as triple-negative. The next step with APR-246 is conducting clinical trials to evaluate real-life results.

Is Immunotherapy for Cancer Right for You?

For decades, Issels® has been in the forefront of cutting-edge immunotherapy for cancer treatments. Contact us for testimonials from patients we have successfully treated for breast cancer, leukemia and other forms.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Breast Cancer, Cancer Care Tips, Cancer Research, Cancer Survivors, Immunotherapy, Immunotherapy for Cancer, News

Higher Vitamin D Levels May Boost Breast Cancer Survival

Higher Vitamin D Levels May Boost Breast Cancer Survival
Higher Vitamin D Levels May Boost Breast Cancer Survival

Vitamin D has long been known as an essential nutrient that aids your bones with calcium absorption. A recent study shows that there may also be a link between vitamin D levels and surviving breast cancer.

Examining the Link between Vitamin D and Breast Cancer Survival

The study, performed by a research team from the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, began in 2006 with a group of women from California who had been diagnosed with invasive breast cancer. Participants were divided into three sub-groups based on blood levels of a particular vitamin D marker.

Women with more advanced cancers tended to have low levels of the marker. Over an average of seven years of follow-up, 100 of these women died compared to 76 women with high levels. There were approximately 1,600 women total involved in the study.

In addition, women with the highest vitamin D levels were 28 percent less likely to die of any cause, once factors such as tumor characteristics were accounted for. This link was the strongest among pre-menopausal women.

What Does This Mean for the Future?

According to lead author Song Yao, overall results showed “30 percent reduction of all-cause mortality” linked to vitamin D levels at the time of diagnosis. While the study supports previous research linking vitamin D with breast cancer survival, Yao said a randomized controlled trial would be needed to determine a direct cause-and-effect.

Immunotherapy for Cancer: Going Beyond Traditional Treatments

Immunotherapy for cancer has been gaining a lot of attention recently, but at Issels® we have a decades-long history of using these state-of-the-art methods successfully. Contact us for more information.

Cancer Research, Immuno-Oncology, Immunotherapy, News

Could this be an Accidental Miracle for the Treatment of Breast Cancer?

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Breast Cancer Myths BustedAwareness Month
Promising Immunotherapy Treatment Protocol for Breast Cancer

Researchers in the United Kingdom recently made an exciting breakthrough in breast cancer immunotherapy treatment. Ironically, the discovery they made was neither sought after nor expected.

An accidental miracle?

A group of surgeons at the University of Manchester set out to test the use of a two-drug combo on tumors between the times of diagnosis and surgical excision. The drugs in question, traztusumab (Herceptin) and lapatinib (Tyverb) had previously been used individually in treatment.

While the intent was to study the effects of the drugs on tumor biology, the surgeons were stunned at the dramatic but unanticipated results. After only 11 days, 87 percent of the 257 participants experienced a significant reduction in cancer cells, while 11 percent showed no cancer cells at all.

Implications for future breast cancer treatments

Each of the women participating in the study had a form of breast cancer known as human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, also referred to as HER2 positive breast cancer. Herceptin works by blocking growth signals to HER2 receptors on the surface of the cancer cells, while Tyverb does the same from within the cells.

According to lead researcher Nigel Bundred, the results are a promising sign for tailoring individual treatments with breast cancer patients. The team is “cautiously optimistic” about indications that taking the drugs immediately after diagnosis may eliminate the need for chemotherapy.

At our Issels® center, we consider factors such as lifestyle and environment to create personalized breast cancer immunotherapy treatment. Visit our website to learn more about our cancer vaccines, cell therapies and other non-toxic immuno-oncology protocols.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, Living with Cancer

Considerations on Genetic Testing of Family Members for Cancer

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Genetic Disposition
Genetic Disposition

In 2013, Oscar-winning actress Angelina Jolie raised public awareness of genetic testing for cancer. Her mother died at the age of 56 after a lengthy battle with cancer, and Ms. Jolie subsequently discovered she carries a gene mutation that is a marker for increased risk of breast and ovarian cancer.

Our non-toxic immunotherapy program takes genetic predisposition toward cancer into account as part of our personalized treatments. Do you have a family history of cancer? Here is what you should know about genetic testing for cancer.

Family history review

Your doctor will begin by constructing a family tree and noting any incidence of cancer to determine possible pattern. In addition to breast, uterine and ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer is another form that is often linked to a single mutation.

Assessment and testing

Once the family tree is complete, a determination will be made as to your personal risk of developing cancer. It’s estimated that between five and 15 percent of cancers are hereditary, but an increased risk is not a guarantee that cancer will develop. Based on the results of the assessment, your doctor may recommend genetic testing.

Emotional impact

Any consideration of a serious illness such as cancer will bring up a number of emotions. The genetic testing process includes counseling to help patients deal with the anxiety, guilt and other feelings that may arise.

Your family history, lifestyle and environment are some of the personal factors used to develop our individualized non-toxic immunotherapy program. Visit our website for more information about Issels® and our comprehensive integrative cancer treatment therapies.

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.

Breast Cancer, Cancer Care Tips, Living with Cancer

Men Can Get Breast Cancer Too

Men can get breast cancer too!
Men can get breast cancer too!

Although rare, breast cancer does affect men. Roughly 1 percent of all cases occur in men, meaning a few thousand U.S. males are diagnosed with breast cancer every year. As with female breast cancer, the male form typically begins with lumps and progresses if untreated.

The way men seek diagnosis and treatment has evolved over the years. As awareness campaigns and media spotlight increased the visibility of the disease, a larger number of men are getting screened and treated for breast cancer risk factors.

The Hamilton (Ontario) Spectator recently reported a trend of men electing to undergo a double mastectomy as treatment — and as a preventive measure upon discovering genetic risk factors. A recent JAMA Surgery study found that contralateral prophylactic mastectomy surgery had risen from 3 percent to 5.6 percent among male patients with one tumor.

“A Culture of Awareness”

The increase in male patients receiving mastectomies comes on the heels of other recent reports about changes in the way breast cancer is diagnosed and treated. Some research has suggested that frequent mammograms in women had led to over-diagnosis.

The preventive double mastectomy option — highlighted by actress Angelina Jolie’s treatment due to BRCA1 gene mutation — has sparked debate about elective surgery conducted based on risk factors rather than the presence of cancer.

Authors of the JAMA Surgery have concluded that men should carefully weigh all options when facing information about breast cancer risks and cancer treatment options. Tissue removal may only be beneficial for some patients.

For more information about innovative cancer treatments, contact us at Issels®. We provide non-toxic therapies and immunotherapy, with an emphasis on personalized care.