Tag Archives: Fighting Cancer

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research

What Are the Long-Term Side Effects of Chemotherapy?

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Chemo Side Effects
Chemo Side Effects

At our Issels® immuno-oncology center, the focus is on non-toxic therapies that work with your body’s own immune system to target cancer cells. Chemotherapy is one of the more widely used of traditional cancer treatments, but it can result in one or more side effects, with some manifesting themselves further down the road.

How does chemotherapy cause side effects?

Chemotherapy, or chemo, uses drugs to attack tumors by disrupting the cell cycle, halting the growth of rapidly dividing cancer cells. Problems arise when the drug also interferes with healthy cells in tissues, such as those in the reproductive, nervous and digestive systems.

Long-term and late side effects

While long-term side effects begin during the course of chemo, late side effects don’t become apparent until well after treatment has concluded. Since the damaged tissue cells continue to grow, the influence of the drugs may take some time to show up.

Some of the more common side effects of chemo include:

  • Fatigue
  • Heart or kidney problems
  • Infertility
  • Peripheral neuropathy, which is loss of sensation in hands and feet
  • Cognitive difficulties and learning disabilities

Side effects differ from patient to patient based on the specific chemo medications used and the patient’s unique physiology. Most side effects, including long-term, turn out to be temporary.

Treatment protocols at our immuno-oncology center are personalized based on thorough testing to determine your specific needs and are chemotherapy-free. This allows us to address the underlying causes of cancer to reduce the possibility of recurrence. Visit our website to learn more about cancer vaccines, immune system enhancements and other non-toxic weapons in our cancer-fighting arsenal.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Care Tips, Cancer Research

Five Tips for Healthy Living with Cancer

Fighting Cancer With Exercise
Healthy Living

Continuing improvements in non-toxic immunotherapy have made a positive difference in the physical impact of cancer treatment. Maintaining your mental and emotional spirit is the other half of a winning equation for healthy living with cancer.

Here are five tips for strategies and activities to incorporate in your everyday life.

  1. Play an active role as a member of your own healthcare team.

The unknown is always frightening. Asking questions and learning more about cancer will demystify the disease, giving you a more appropriate and realistic perspective.

  1. Immerse yourself in the arts.

Listening to your favorite music and losing yourself in a good book or movie will distract you from negative thoughts while keeping you in touch with the joy of creativity and imagination.

  1. Join a support group.

Even though your family and friends may be ready and willing to help any way they can, there are times when you need to share with someone who is or has been in your shoes.

  1. Pamper yourself.

Take time to get a massage, practice yoga and meditation, or enjoy a relaxing soak in a bathtub surrounded by scented candles. Treating yourself goes a long way toward relieving physical and mental stress.

  1. Look for the lighter side.

Laughter truly is the best medicine. It boosts your immune cells and triggers the release of endorphins, your body’s natural mood elevator.

Our Issels® non-toxic immunotherapy treatments are designed with your individual needs in mind to help you maintain as much of your normal quality of life as possible. Visit our website for testimonials from cancer survivors of all ages.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Immuno-Oncology, Immunotherapy, News

Jimmy Carter: the New Advocate for Immunotherapy Treatment

Fighting With Immunotherepy
Fighting With Immunotherapy

Being a leader is nothing new for former president Jimmy Carter. Since the end of his political career, he has devoted his time to human rights activism, and his work earned him the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize. Today he has assumed a role he never anticipated: a leader in immunotherapy cancer treatment.

Carter’s diagnosis and treatment

In August 2015, Carter announced that surgery to remove a tumor from his liver had uncovered four spots of melanoma in his brain. He accepted the diagnosis with grace and strength, but that wasn’t the end of the story.

Doctors at Emory University, which is gaining notice as an immuno-oncology center, began treating Carter with pembrolizumab, an immunotherapy drug sold under the brand name Keytruda. The drug, which received Food and Drug Administration approval just over one year ago, does not work directly on the cancer. It works by harnessing the power of the body’s own immune system to destroy the malignant cells.

What does the future hold?

In a more upbeat announcement in early December 2015, Carter revealed that his brain cancer is gone. Since pembrolizumab is so new to the market, there is little long-range data available, so doctors will continue to watch for any signs of recurrence. The tumors have been slow-growing, which is reason for optimism that, should they return, they will not prove fatal.

Our Issels® immuno-oncology center is another leader in alternative cancer treatment. We offer personalized non-toxic therapies in a state-of-the-art facility featuring experienced, caring doctors and staff. Visit our website to learn more about our innovative treatment protocols.

After Cancer, Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, Immuno-Oncology, Immunotherapy

Non-Toxic Agent Makes Cancer Cells Glow

Thermal Treatment
Making the Cancer Glow

When you’re looking for small objects in a dark, confined area, your first step is turning on a light. Recent cancer research has uncovered a non-toxic chemical compound with the ability to “turn on the light” that reveals cancer cells.

Breakthrough testing

The study, conducted at Oregon State University, was presented at the annual meeting of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists last October. Researchers injected a substance called silicon napthalocyanine into mice suffering from ovarian tumors. After 24 hours, the chemical had been absorbed by the tumors but was not present in the rest of the body.

Tumors were completely eradicated, and researchers detected no side effects. They are optimistic about the compound working on other types of tumors as well.

“Glow in the dark” cancer cells

Once the compound has been absorbed by a tumor, it causes cancer cells to glow when illuminated with near-infrared light. The effect makes it easier for surgeons to find and remove the cells more effectively, while a chemical reaction combining heat and oxygen kills any remaining cells.

Olena Taratula, lead author of the OSU study, explained that the research demonstrates proof of concept they hope to expand on with further experiments. Next on the researchers’ agenda is developing a system whereby the compound would actually seek out cancer cells. The next round of testing would involve dogs, possibly followed by clinical trials on humans.

Our experienced staff of medical professionals actively works to remain up-to-date on the latest and most innovative cancer research. Contact us to learn why Issels® is a leader in non-toxic integrative immuno-oncology treatments.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, Immuno-Oncology

Nobel Prize Awarded for Identifying How Cells Repair DNA Which May Impact Cancer Treatment

Cancer Gene
DNA

DNA carries genetic information that is essential for the development, function and reproduction of all life forms. Thanks to the discoveries of an international trio of scientists, these molecules may also provide a breakthrough in immuno-oncology therapies.

This past October, three scientists from the United States, Sweden and Turkey received the 2015 Nobel Prize for Chemistry in recognition of their DNA research. Their work focused specifically on damaged DNA, resulting in a mapping of the molecular systems that monitor and repair these genomes.

Until these studies, DNA was believed to be stable, but Swedish native Tomas Lindahl found that it actually decays at a considerable rate due to spontaneous changes and damage from external forces. In reality, this disintegration should prevent the development of life, but Lindahl’s investigation led to the discovery of the repair processes.

Aziz Sancar, a Turkish scientist teaching in the United States, explains that this information has been valuable to cancer prevention and treatment. One or more of the cellular repair systems is broken in many types of cancer, leading researchers to develop immuno-oncology drugs targeting the molecular pathways of tumor cells.

According to Lindahl, understanding these processes allows selective application of therapies for maximum benefit. Paul Modrich, the third member of the trio, has done landmark work in understanding and diagnosing hereditary colon cancer.

Our Issels® immuno-oncology protocols include genomic testing along with extensive examination of a patient’s lifestyle, environment and other relevant factors. The result is a personalized course of treatment that works with the body’s own immune system. Contact us to learn more about our innovative, state-of-the-art programs.

Cancer Care Tips, Living with Cancer

Tips to Holding a Family “Cancer Update” Meeting

Grandparents posing with grandchildren
Cancer Updates for Family

If you have been diagnosed with cancer, sharing information with family members can sometimes be awkward. Loved ones want to be helpful and supportive, but they wait to take their cues from you about how to proceed. Their behavior can go to extremes as they either walk on eggshells or act overly cheerful.

Many patients have found a solution in holding “cancer update” meetings with their families. Here are tips for conducting productive meetings that keep everyone involved.

  • Make a list of the people you want at the meetings. Include only those who are truly close to you, such as your cancer caregivers. Don’t be driven by a sense of obligation.
  • Decide what you want to share and what you’re uncomfortable with discussing. If you have certain hot buttons that trigger your emotions, plan neutral and non-judgmental responses to keep the meeting on topic.
  • Honest discussions are likely to inspire questions from you as well as your family members and cancer caregivers. Write them down so you can consult your medical team for advice.
  • Don’t try to be noble by refusing offers of help or maintaining a cheerfulness you don’t feel. It helps both you and your family if you give them specific ways they can assist you while allowing them to see your true feelings.

Immuno-oncology programs at Issels® are administered by experienced physicians with a history of treating all forms and stages of the disease. Our personalized approach includes addressing any questions and concerns you may have along the way. Visit our website to read and hear testimonials from patients who have benefited from our specialized treatment protocols.