Tag Archives: cancer diagnosis

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Care Tips, Cancer Research, Cancer Treatment, News

Robots May Soon be Performing Lung Laparoscopies for Cancer Detection

Robots May Soon be Performing Lung Laparoscopies for Cancer Detection
Robots May Soon be Performing Lung Laparoscopies for Cancer Detection

Robots are becoming increasingly entrenched in manufacturing, but do they have a place in cancer treatment? Earlier this year, the FDA approved a new robotic device for use in diagnosing lung cancer.

Robotics: Building Better Surgical Devices

As a surgical resident in the early 1908s, Fred Moll became convinced that there was a better way to perform procedures. After resigning his residency, Moll went to work creating high-tech medical devices.

Today Moll has become known for his invention of the $2 million da Vinci Surgical System, which is the top-selling surgical robot used in laparoscopic procedures. Surgeons operate the device using electronic hand controls and a video monitor.

But Moll is not content to rest on his laurels. He’s certain that medical robots will eventually be able to work autonomously, without relying on a surgeon’s control.

The Future of Robotic Surgery

On March 22, the FDA approved use of the Monarch Platform, which is the first step toward Moll’s ultimate vision. The new system includes a pair of arms as well as a long tube for doctors to steer a camera and other instruments inside the patient’s body.

At this point, FDA approval covers the Monarch Platform for use by a doctor to diagnose (and eventually treat) lung cancer. According to Moll, the Monarch will be able to drive itself in as few as 18 months from now.

Issels®: The Future of Cancer Treatment Is Here Today

While immunotherapy cancer treatment is a hot topic in the scientific community today, Issels® has had years of success with our individually developed programs. Visit our website to learn more.

Immunotherapy

National Cancer Institute Weighs in on Cancer Screening

Early Cancer Detection
Are All Cancer Screenings Effective? Necessary?

It makes sense to play it safe and get the cancer screenings recommended by your doctor. However, are they always necessary? How do you know whether each and every cancer screening is safe, necessary, and effective?

At Issels®, we offer Immunotherapy for cancer as the best method of treatment, but we always make it a point to be sure that you’re informed about what you should and shouldn’t do to protect yourself from cancer. Recently, Dr. Barry Kramer from the National Cancer Institute shared his thoughts in an interview, and we’re confident that you’ll find them quite enlightening.

Success with Cancer Screenings

Dr. Kramer makes it a point to talk about how successful some types of cancer screenings can be. He discusses the importance of pap smears for women, testing for blood in the stool, and how both of these procedures have been shown to be effective in decreasing the risk of death.

Mammograms (depending on your age) have also been shown to be effective. Even so, there is a common belief that all cancer screenings are vital for early detection and diagnosis, but that’s not always true.

The Downsides of Screening

There are downsides to getting cancer screenings as well, and Dr. Kramer lists several. Among them are the risk of false positives, which can trigger invasive tests and anxiety. False negatives are also a serious problem, and there is also a risk of over diagnosis that can result in non-essential testing.

Immunotherapy is a highly effective method of cancer treatment once you have been diagnosed. At Issels®, we want you to properly get screened for cancer. To learn more, contact us.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, Living with Cancer

Just Diagnosed with Cancer? Know More about Why You Have Cancer

Tackling The Side Effects
Cancer Diagnosis

Everyone understands that cancer is a disease, but many people really know nothing more about it than that. If you have recently been diagnosed, the how’s and why’s behind cancer become concerns that move to the forefront of your mind. Here are answers to some of the more common questions that arise with cancer patients. 

Who gets cancer?

The short answer is: anyone. More than 1.5 million new cases are diagnosed each year. About 78 percent occur in people aged 55 or older, but cancer can strike people of any age, race and ethnicity.

How common is cancer?

In the United States, approximately half of all men and one-third of all women will develop some form of cancer in their lifetime. Thanks to advancements in screening and treatment, survival rates are much greater than in years past.

What are the causes of cancer?

The most common causes fall under a number of different categories. Certain lifestyle choices, such as smoking and spending time outside without sunscreen, are risk factors. Outside elements like radiation and chemicals can also increase risk. Roughly five to ten percent of cancers are linked to genetics.

Some people hold the misconception that injuries can cause cancer. The disease may be uncovered during treatment for an injury, but there is no causal relationship. Stress can affect your immune system, but to date there is no evidence that it’s a direct cause of cancer.

Issels® Immuno-Oncology Centers have pioneered the use of personalized therapies that are considered the most advanced of cancer treatments. Visit our website to read and view testimonials given by our patients.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, Uncategorized

What to Do When Cancer Looks Like Something Else

When Cancer Doesn't Look Like Cancer
When Cancer Doesn’t Look Like Cancer

At some point in our lives, we will all have to go to the doctor. Most of these visits may be a routine trip for lacerations, bruises, sprains, breaks and other non-threatening conditions. But, there are times when deeper problems need to be addressed, like heart conditions, migraine headaches and reproductive issues, just to name a few, where the correct diagnosis might be in question.

Misdiagnosis and Cancer

Although not something that commonly occurs, sometimes other ailments or conditions mask cancer detection. Take the case of Samantha Beaven, a British mother of two, who had cancer symptoms mistaken for pregnancy complications. She eventually died because her cancer was misdiagnosed.

Lung cancer can sometimes be misdiagnosed as pneumonia, brain cancer can be masked by migraine headaches, and breast cancer can be mistaken for calcium deposits in the breast. Once again, these misdiagnosis are rare occurrences, but they do happen and this possibility is something you should be aware of whenever you are diagnosed with an important health issue.

CT and PET Scans

If you have any doubt that there is a possibility your condition has been misdiagnosed, insist on getting a CT or a CAT scan that will assist a doctor in determining the real issue behind your health condition. A radioactive tracer PET scan is also an  alternative procedure that can be used alone or in conjunction with a CT scan.

For more information about cancer and its treatment, please go to our site at Issels® Immuno-Oncology. There you’ll find our up-to- date blog about cancer happenings in the world of medicine, and you’ll also find information on cancer vaccines, patient testimonials, statistics and the location of Issels clinics near you.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, Living with Cancer

UK Breast Cancer Patients Waiting Too Long for Diagnosis

UK Patients are Waiting Too Long For Diagnosis
UK Patients are Waiting Too Long For Diagnosis

At Issels®, our programs have focused on our patients for over 60 years. This includes providing patients with support and information along with the most current natural cancer treatments.

A recent report in The Guardian news in the UK notes that “17 percent of women diagnosed with breast cancer waited for over a month to see a GP.” Even when the patients recognized symptoms, they chose to wait. Another worrisome poll by YouGov concerning breast cancer care states “one in 20 women wait more than six months” to see a doctor which decreases the opportunity to provide effective treatment at the earliest stages of their cancer.

Many of the women who prolonged visiting their GP convinced themselves the symptoms they exhibited were not serious. A significant number admitted they were too scared to schedule a doctor visit because they were afraid their fears would be validated.

Unfortunately, ignoring the symptoms of breast cancer, whether because of fear or denial, does nothing to tackle the cancer cells. Not seeing a doctor to get a proper diagnosis only allows the cancer cells to multiply.

Early diagnosis is the key to getting a jump start on the disease and patients are strongly urged to schedule an appointment, as soon as possible, whenever one or  more of cancer symptoms are present.

At our centers, patients receive immunotherapy along with other types of treatment and care with the use of non-toxic medications. Our goal is providing treatment and helping patients navigate through each step. For this to happen, it’s important to follow through with doctor visits.

If you have questions about breast cancer and need information about our programs, please contact our center.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research

The World Health Organization Says Your Cancer is Not Due to Bad Luck!

Gene and Cell Therapy
Differentiating Between Genetic and Other Cancers

With a recent study and headlines worldwide trumpeting that cancer is caused by bad luck, the World Health Organization just rebutted this claim in this recently published press release:

“The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), WHO’s specialized cancer agency, strongly disagrees with the conclusion of a scientific report on the causes of human cancer by Dr Cristian Tomasetti and Dr Bert Vogelstein, published in the journal “Science” on 2 January 2015 and widely reported in the mass media.

The study suggests that random mutations (or “bad luck”) are the major contributors to cancer overall, often more important than either hereditary or external environmental factors.

“We already knew that, for an individual to develop a certain cancer, there is an element of chance, yet this has little to say about the level of cancer risk in a population,” explains IARC Director Dr Christopher Wild. “Concluding that ‘bad luck’ is the major cause of cancer would be misleading and may detract from efforts to identify the causes of the disease and effectively prevent it.”

While at Issels we know that certain measures can help reduce your risk of cancer, such as wearing sunscreen and not smoking, the researches slammed by the WHO stated that roughly two-thirds of cancer types result from random DNA mutations instead of high-risk behavior or heredity. The press picked this up as cancer simply caused by your own “bad luck”.

Mutations vs. Genetics

The study that was mentioned by the WHO included 31 types of cancer, and results showed that 22 of them were associated with random DNA mutations. These included brain, pancreatic and ovarian cancer. The nine types that weren’t linked to these mutations included skin cancer, lung cancer and other cancers that are more strongly associated with risk behaviors, environmental factors and heredity.

Why Would WHO Slam This Report?

The World Health Organization states that “According to current knowledge, nearly half of all cancer cases worldwide can be prevented.”

We don’t believe, like the WHO, that cancer is your fault. Get the facts and information you need on non-toxic ways to treat cancer at Issels. We offer a wide range of safe, effective methods, including cancer immunotherapy treatment.