Tag Archives: Cancer Treatment

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, Cancer Treatment, Uncategorized

Cancer Treatment Using CAR-T Cells Excites Researchers with Results

There is New Hope for Cancer Patients.
There is New Hope for Cancer Patients.

Some of the most exciting breakthroughs in medicine are coming through research on immunotherapy for cancer. The recent experiences of two cancer patients illustrate why scientists are excited about these innovative treatments.

Programming the Immune System to Fight Cancer

Teenager Emma Collins and seven-year-old Kashaun Lawhown were both battling leukemia that was unresponsive to chemotherapy and radiation. They were chosen to participate in a clinical trial at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

According to Dr. Stephan Grupp, the hospital’s director of immunotherapy, the girls received treatment with CAR-T cells. The procedure involves collecting T-cells from a patient’s own white blood cells and reprogramming them to target and attack cancer cells.

These new CAR-T cells are then reintroduced into the patient’s system, where they begin to multiply and kill off cancer cells. Continued presence of CAR-T cells can also serve as protection against future recurrence.

Positive Results of Immunotherapy for Cancer

Although Kashaun had been fighting leukemia for five years, it took only a single T-cell treatment to put the cancer into remission. Emma’s results were equally astonishing. All signs of cancer were gone just four days after treatment, and she’s remained in remission for 18 months.

At this point, CAR-T therapy has been effective primarily against leukemia and lymphoma, but researchers are exploring the possibilities of use in cases of “solid” tumors such as breast and colon.

Issels®: A Leader in Immunotherapy Treatments

Issels® has been successfully using immunotherapy for cancer on patients of all ages with all forms of tumors. Visit our website to read and hear about our patients’ experiences in their own words.

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.

Cancer Survivors, Cancer Treatment, Immunotherapy for Cancer, Living with Cancer, Uncategorized

Tips for Coping with Body Changes While in Cancer Treatment

Coping with Body Changes While in Cancer Treatment
Coping with Body Changes While in Cancer Treatment

While cancer’s most serious impact is on your health, it can also affect the way you look and feel about yourself. Here are some tips on maintaining a positive self-image while undergoing immunotherapy for cancer or other treatment.

Internal and External Changes Caused by Cancer

Everyone’s cancer is different, and so are the side effects you experience. Common body changes, short-term or long-term, include:

• Loss of hair

• Scars or other changes in skin

• Fluctuations in weight

• Loss of body parts (limbs, breasts, appendages)

• Loss of fertility

How to Cope with Body Changes

• Grieving is an essential step in dealing with any type of loss. Feeling sad or angry is human, not weak. Give yourself time.

• Coping with cancer can actually have a positive influence on mental and emotional characteristics such as strength and wisdom. Focus on and appreciate the aspects that have improved.

• Be good to yourself. Buy new clothes, experiment with a new hair style or color, try out some different makeup. Continue to take pride in your external appearance and eventually your internal mindset will catch up.

• Stay busy with physical activities, hobbies or volunteering.

• Body changes can cause physical and emotional roadblocks regarding sex and intimacy. Don’t be embarrassed to talk to your doctor for help. These problems can often be resolved.

At Issels®, Each Patient Is Special

We understand that your situation isn’t like that of anyone else. Our immunotherapy for cancer treatments are individually tailored to address your unique needs. Contact us today to learn why Issels® is a leader in state-of-the-art immunotherapy for cancer programs.

After Cancer, Cancer Care Tips, Uncategorized

Taking Care of Yourself: Your Appearance is More than “Looking Good”

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Look Good, Feel Good
Look Good, Feel Good

Do you think that maintaining good grooming while you’re going through cancer treatment is a luxury? Caring for your appearance is a great way to lift your spirits from the outside in.

Personal Care Tips for Cancer Patients

  • Are you too tired or weak to get out of bed? Keep a portable mirror and grooming supplies in your nightstand.
  • Shave with an electric razor to avoid nicks and cuts that may become infected.
  • Brush your teeth and floss as usual, but consult your healthcare team before scheduling cleanings or other dental procedures.
  • Hair loss is a frequent side effect of cancer treatment. Opt for whatever solution makes you feel best, whether it’s wearing wigs and scarves or shaving your head.
  • Wear rubber or latex gloves during household chores to prevent contact with harsh soaps and chemical cleaning products.
  • Make sure manicuring tools are clean before using. Instead of cutting cuticles, simply push them back gently. Keep nails short to prevent them from catching on things.
  • Treat yourself to a relaxing spa session. Talk to your doctor beforehand if you’re planning a manicure, pedicure or waxing. Artificial or glue-on nails are usually restricted during cancer treatment.
  • Exercise daily at whatever level feels comfortable. Not only does exercise benefit you physically, it relieves depression and anxiety. Yoga is a good choice that promotes harmony between mind and body.

Personalized Immunotherapy Treatment at Issels®

No matter what form of cancer you have, your case is unique. Contact us to learn how we tailor your specific treatment program to address your individual needs.

 

Cancer Research, Cancer Treatment, Cancer Vaccine, Immunotherapy for Cancer, Stage Four Cancer Treatment

Our Patient Testimonials Give an Insiders’ View of Our Cancer Treatments

Get The Treatment You Need with Us!
Get The Treatment You Need with Us!

When it comes to cancer treatment at Issels®, no one can speak about it more eloquently than our patients. Here’s what they have to say in their testimonials about our integrative immunotherapy programs.

In Our Patients’ Own Words: The Issels® Difference

  • Gerhard Uhlemann was diagnosed with an epipharynx tumor of the head and neck. As he explains, “I was 12 years old and I am still thankful that Dr. Issels saved my life. Back then the University Clinic gave me two weeks to live.” After treatment, Uhlemann remained cancer-free for more than 30 years.
  • At the age of six, Emma Banks was diagnosed with a Wilms tumor. Two years after a nephrectomy of her left kidney, Emma experienced a relapse with two tumors in her left lung. Emma’s mother Susan relates that, thanks to treatment at Issels®, her daughter “has been in remission for almost nine years now without any standard treatment.”
  • When Kenneth Scoones lost his lymph nodes to melanoma, he was told the cancer had metastasized to his lungs and his life expectancy was one year at most. After four weeks at Issels®, a CT scan revealed that the metastases had disappeared. Scoones states that from his arrival, “The doctors, nurses, all the staff responded, showed care and affection, and compassion – everything that was needed for a patient with this sort of disease.”

Immunotherapy: Going Beyond Standard Cancer Treatment

Our innovative immunotherapy methods boost the natural power of your body’s own immune system. Contact us to learn more about cancer vaccines, NK cells and other non-toxic cancer treatments at Issels®.

Cancer Research, Cancer Treatment, Immuno-Oncology, Immunotherapy for Cancer

High Doses of Vitamin C May Boost Cancer Treatment Results

Vitamin C Intensive Therapy for Cancer
Vitamin C Intensive Therapy for Cancer

Back in the 1970s, Nobel Prize-winning scientist Linus Pauling suggested the benefits of vitamin C as a part of cancer treatment. Recent studies have shown further evidence that supports Pauling’s findings.

Can Vitamin C Make Cancer Treatment More Effective?

Scientists at the University of Iowa conducted the first phase of a series of trials to investigate the results of combining high-dose vitamin C with traditional chemotherapy and radiation. The study monitors effects on patients’ lifespan and quality of life.

Subjects included 11 patients diagnosed with brain cancer. In addition to their standard treatments, each one received 800 to 1,000 times the recommended daily dose of vitamin C. Larger doses are required because the nutrient has a half-life of only two hours inside the body.

The patients experienced only minor episodes of side effects such as dry mouth. More importantly, they exceeded the average survival time of patients receiving conventional treatment alone by four to six months.

How Vitamin C Affects Cancer Cells

A cancer cell’s damaged metabolism results in abnormally high levels of redox active iron molecules, which join with vitamin C to create hydrogen peroxide along with hydrogen peroxide-related free radicals. Scientists hypothesize that this result weakens cancer cells, making them more susceptible to treatment and hastening their destruction.

Issels® and Nutritional Immunotherapy

At Issels®, we believe that maximizing the power of your own immune system is the key to successful cancer treatment. Our nutritional immunotherapy program is aimed at supporting immune mechanisms and improving the functions of cells, tissues and organs.

Contact us today to learn more about why Issels® is a leader in non-toxic immunotherapy cancer treatment.