Tag Archives: Fighting Cancer

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Breast Cancer, Cancer Research, Immunotherapy, Living with Cancer

Breast Cancer – It’s Not a Cancer that Affects Only Women

Men Are More Likely to Get Bladder Cancer Than Women... Are You at Risk?
Not Only Women are Affected by Breast Cancer

While breast cancer is thought of primarily as a women’s disease, men are not immune. Researchers have recently identified a specific gene mutation that increases the risk of breast cancer in men.

Identifying Genetic Triggers in Male Breast Cancer

There have been a number of studies involving women and inherited BRCA (breast cancer) gene mutations. In a two-year study that was published in 2016, a joint research team from the Anthropological Survey of India and the University of Calcutta conducted a study into genetic factors behind male breast cancer.

The researchers began by collecting blood and tissue samples from several men who had been diagnosed with breast cancer. These samples were then used for gene sequencing to identify mutations that could be causing the disease.

As a result, the scientists were able to identify mutations in the BRCA2 gene that triggered the cancer growth. In addition, the study found that lifestyle and reproductive factors such as hormonal therapy and alcohol consumption can also increase risk.

Differences between Male and Female Breast Cancer

  • The lumps (or primaries) associated with breast cancer are generally smaller in men than in women, making early detection difficult.
  • BRCA2 mutation carriers are found in lymph nodes, so men don’t experience the pain that would make them seek medical care.

Genomic Testing Personalizes Immunotherapy for Cancer

Each patient is different, so immunotherapy for cancer at Issels® uses genomic and other specialized testing to create the optimum course of treatment. Contact us today to learn more about our non-toxic integrative programs such as cancer vaccines and NK cells.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Breast Cancer, Immunotherapy, Living with Cancer

Actress Uses Cancer Diagnosis to Change Her Life

Targeted Cancer Therapy Can Bring Patients New Hope!
Hope with Diagnosis

Actress Shannen Doherty is best known as one-half of the Walsh twins on the hit TV show “Beverly Hills 90210,” but lately acting has taken a back seat to a more serious challenge. For the past eighteen months Doherty has used social media to share her brave and inspiring battle against breast cancer.

Her Courageous Journey toward Restored Health

In March 2015, then 43-year-old Doherty was diagnosed with breast cancer, which she made public the following August. She filed a lawsuit against her former business managers alleging that the diagnosis was delayed because they left her without medical insurance. The suit was settled this past August.

Early in 2016, doctors discovered that the cancer had spread to Doherty’s lymph nodes, causing her to undergo a single mastectomy in May. When Doherty was presented with the American Cancer Society’s Courage Award at a gala in November, she revealed that she had completed chemotherapy and was beginning a course of radiotherapy.

How Cancer Changed Her Lifemastectomymastectomy

Over the last year-and-a-half, Doherty has documented her treatment online in words and pictures. She credits cancer with making her a “better human being” and demonstrating which people in her life could be truly counted on, a group that includes her mother, husband and friends such as fellow actress Sarah Michelle Gellar.

Immunotherapy for Cancer: A Personalized Path of Treatment

At Issels®, our integrative immunotherapy for cancer programs are designed to address you particular needs. Our protocols attack and kill cancer cells while boosting your body’s own natural defenses. Contact us today for more information.

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

Blocking Cystine May Starve a Hard to Treat Breast Cancer

A Unique Perspective
Block Cancer

Cancer cells have a high-powered metabolism that demands a steady stream of nutrients for fuel. Scientists may have discovered a way to “starve” a hard-to-treat form of breast cancer by depriving the cells of a crucial substance.

Feed a Cold, Starve Cancer?

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a particularly aggressive and treatment-resistant form. In a study performed at Duke University, researchers found that the cells have an “addiction” to a nutrient called cystine, and deprivation causes them to die off quickly.

Further examination showed that the addiction is triggered by a mechanism used by the cells to migrate to other parts of the body, a process known as metastasis. According to Jen-Tsan Ashley Chi, associate professor at Duke University School of Medicine and lead author of the study, the metastasized cells are the primary target of treatment.

What’s Next?

Chi’s group had previously published a study showing that the cells in a stubborn form of kidney cancer are also subject to the cystine addiction. The next step is to test cystine-blocking molecules on tumors and look for biomarkers that will signal cancer cells that are receptive to the treatment.

As Chi explains, tumor cells use this programming to move rapidly around the body. The researchers’ goal is to take advantage of the same process for a cure.

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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 Research, Immunotherapy

The Presence of a Molecular Marker May Predict Breast Cancer for Early Treatment

The Molecular Mark

Breast cancer is still the leading cause of death for women who suffer from cancer, but early detection can improve the chances of successful treatment. In 2016 a group of researchers identified a molecular marker that can indicate a woman’s risk for developing the disease.

Identifying a Common Thread

The study was conducted by a joint team from Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI), Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI), and Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH). Researchers reviewed biopsies from 302 women who had been diagnosed with benign breast disease. Some of the biopsies dated back to 40 years ago.

Out of this group, 69 women later developed cancer and 233 did not. It was discovered that women with a higher percentage of a particular marker were more likely to develop cancer.

Ki67 is a molecular marker found in the lining of the mammary ducts and milk-producing lobules that identifies proliferating cells. These tissues are the site where most breast cancers develop.

The Present and Future of Ki67 Testing

While Ki67 testing is already being used to determine courses of treatment, this discovery will allow doctors to test precancerous tissue for use as a predictive tool. The method could help avoid some of the drawbacks of mammograms, which are currently the best option for early detection.

Immunotherapy for Cancer: A Personalized Method of Treatment

Genomic testing is just one of the specialized tools we use to create our individually tailored therapies targeted to meet your personal needs. Contact us to learn why Issels® is the leader in non-toxic and effective immunotherapy for cancer.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, Immunotherapy

Strategic T Cells Use May Be the Key to Effective Cancer Treatment

Advanced T Cells

T cells are the warriors of your immune system, but the ongoing battle against cancer can sap them of their disease-fighting powers. New research has discovered crucial information about these “exhausted” cells that can lead to more powerful immunotherapy for cancer.

The fundamental difference between active and exhausted T cells lies in their gene patterns. One example is PD-1, a protein expressed by exhausted T cells that prevents them from attacking both healthy and diseased cells. Checkpoint inhibitors can block PD-1, but their use is productive in only 25 percent of cases.

Can “Exhausted” T Cells Be Revived?

According to Nicholas Haining of Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s, senior author of the report posted in the journal Science, the goal of the study was to determine whether exhausted T cells are simply run-down versions of functional T cells or a separate type entirely. Regulatory regions of T cell genomes were mapped using chronically infected mice as subjects.

Results showed that the two types of cells are controlled by completely different wiring. In a separate study, use of checkpoint inhibitors gave the exhausted T cells a temporary boost, but did nothing to convert them to an active state.

The researchers hope this information will help to improve CAR T-cell therapy, in which T cells are removed from a patient and retrofitted to attack tumor cells. Complete mapping of regulatory regions will provide more precise targets for treatment.

Immunotherapy for Cancer Focuses on Tumors and Their Causes

At Issels®, our integrative programs are aimed at eliminating cancer cells and enhancing your body’s own natural defense mechanisms. Contact us today for more information.