Tag Archives: Immunotherapy

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Immunotherapy, Immunotherapy for Cancer, Living with Cancer

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

This Month is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Support those Going Through Treatment Today!
This Month is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Support those Going Through Treatment Today!

Nearly one in eight women in the United States will develop breast cancer, which has the highest death rate for females after lung cancer. Beginning in 1985, October has been designated as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month to educate the public and raise funds for research.

Raising Global Awareness of Breast Cancer

American Cancer Society and the pharmaceutical division of Imperial Chemical Industries, now known as Astra Zeneca, co-founded NBCAM to encourage women to get mammograms. Eight years later, Evelyn Lauder of Estee Lauder Companies established the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and popularized the symbolic pink ribbon.

NBCAM Activities

During the month of October, organizations around the world stage promotions and fundraisers to support NBCAM. Some of their major activities include:

• The National Football League integrates pink both on and off the field.

• Landmark buildings such as the White House and Tokyo Tower are lit up in pink.

• Race for the Cure, a series of 5K runs and fitness walks, originated in Dallas but is now held throughout the world.

• Susan G. Komen sponsors a three-day event where participants walk an average of 20 miles per day. 3-Day for the Cure® is held in major American cities such as Atlanta, Chicago and San Francisco.

• The third week of October is now dedicated to raising awareness of male breast cancer, which is less common but equally important.

Immunotherapy for Cancer: Treating Men and Women of All Ages

Both men and women diagnosed with breast cancer, leukemia and all other forms have been successfully treated with personally developed immunotherapy for cancer programs at Issels®. Contact us to learn more.

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

CAR T-Cells May Be an Effective Immunotherapy for Multiple Myeloma

Is Issels Genomic Testing for Personalized Treatment For You
Is Issels Genomic Testing for Personalized Treatment For You?

Researchers have been focusing on CAR T-cells as the basis for a promising immunotherapy cancer treatment. Recent trials show encouraging results for the use of CAR T-cells in fighting advanced multiple myeloma.

CAR T Cells: A New Approach in Cancer Treatment

Scientists are excited about CAR T-cell therapy because it uses a patient’s own immune cells to treat cancer. The cells are gathered from the patient’s blood, engineered to produce chimeric-antigen receptors (CARs), and multiplied in the lab to reach quantities in the billions.

At that point, the cells are reintroduced into the patient’s bloodstream, to where they attach themselves to specific targets on cancer cells. CAR T-cell products, currently awaiting FDA approval, target the CD19 antigen in leukemia and lymphoma.

Can CAR T-Cells Treat Different Cancers?

Two CAR T-cell trials were recently conducted in the United States and China. Results were presented last June at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Chicago.

Both trials examined the use of CAR T-cells that target B-cell maturation antigens (BCMA), which are proteins found in myeloma cells. Most of the patients in the studies achieved positive results, with many experiencing complete remission.

CAR T-cell research is still in the early stages. Testing will continue to validate these findings and determine whether CAR T-cell therapy is a viable treatment method for cancer patients.

Issels®: A Pioneer in Immunotherapy

We have a history of successful use of vaccines, NK cells and other cancer treatment methods. Contact us to learn more about why Issels® is the leader in personally developed immunotherapy programs.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, Cancer Treatment, Immunotherapy for Cancer, News, Uncategorized

New Treatment Medications Target Biomarkers in Cancer Versus Location

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New Treatment Medications Target Biomarkers in Cancer Versus Location
New Treatment Medications Target Biomarkers in Cancer Versus Location

For many years, cancer treatment has traditionally focused on a tumor’s point of origin. A new form of immunotherapy for cancer that targets biomarkers could open the door for more precise and effective treatment of tumors.

Keytruda: A “Presidential” Immunotherapy for Cancer

Keytruda is the brand name of a drug that had previously been used to treat specific types of cancer such as melanoma and Hodgkin’s lymphoma, often during Stage IV. The drug earned public notice when former president Jimmy Carter received successful treatment for brain tumors resulting from Stage IV melanoma.

In May 2017, after five clinical trials, the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) approved Keytruda for use in treating tumors with a particular biomarker, regardless of location. At this point, the new use of Keytruda is limited to patients for whom other therapies have been unsuccessful.

Cutting Through the Red Tape

The new application for Keytruda was fast-tracked under the FDA’s Accelerated Approval program. If there’s a serious condition with no options for treatment, a drug can be approved solely on the basis that it’s been shown to shrink tumors.

Dr. Gwen Nichols, chief medical officer of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), expressed excitement for the new approval process. According to Nichols, it lets researchers focus on the biology of tumor development instead of looking for generic treatments.

Immunotherapy for Cancer Is the Talk of the Medical Community

Doctors and scientists have been buzzing about advancements in immunotherapy, but Issels® has been ahead of the curve for decades. Visit our website to learn more about our innovative immunotherapy for cancer treatments that are personally tailored for your individual needs.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Immunotherapy

Cancer Risk May Be Identified by the Oral Microbiome

Hold On, You're Telling Me the Bacteria in My Mouth Can Tell What Type of Cancer I Might Have?
Hold On, You’re Telling Me the Bacteria in My Mouth Can Tell What Type of Cancer I Might Have?

For years, the medical community has been telling us that proper oral hygiene is crucial for maintaining good overall health. Scientists are now finding that bacteria in your mouth may actually reveal your risk for different types of cancer.

What Does the Oral Microbiome Tell Us?

Here are some of the major links researchers have uncovered between mouth bacteria and cancer:

• Fusobacterium, which causes bleeding gums, is hundreds of times more prevalent in cancerous cells than in normal cells. This bacteria can trigger colon cancer as well as accelerate growth in any existing colon tumors.

• A study last year discovered the presence of P gingivalis, a bacteria that causes periodontal disease, in 61 percent of patients with esophageal cancer. Researchers also found that people with P gingivalis have a 60 percent higher risk of developing pancreatic cancer.

• Researchers at the University of Buffalo conducted a study in 2015 involving more than 73,000 postmenopausal women. Results showed that women with gum disease were 14 percent more likely to develop breast cancer.

What’s Next?

While conclusions have not been finalized, scientists suspect that the connection occurs when the bloodstream carries bacteria from the mouth to other organs. It’s hoped that further research will enable doctors to determine cancer risk simply by the type of bacteria present in the body.

Personally Tailored Cancer Treatment Based on Your Particular Needs

All cancer cases are different, so why should all cancer treatment be the same? Visit our website to learn why Issels® is the industry leader in state-of-the-art immunotherapy methods such as cancer vaccines and NK cells that are designed for your specific situation.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Immunotherapy, Uncategorized

Could This Bacterial Molecule Stimulate the Immune System to Fight Cancer?

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

There’s a popular saying that goes, “Everything old is new again.” This may also hold true with immunotherapy for cancer, as researchers explore the possibility of enlisting your body’s ancient defenses against bacterial threats to fight tumors.

Going Back to the Future

A team at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle recently conducted a trial of an experimental drug on 15 patients with advanced sarcoma. The drug, known as G100, was based on a molecule called lipopolysaccharide that is carried within certain bacteria.

Lipopolysaccharide is unique to these organisms, so its presence has historically triggered a prompt and powerful inflammatory response. According to scientists, the pathway to this response dates back so far in the evolutionary cycle that it’s nearly identical in all animals.

Over a period of two to three months, participants received an injection of G100 directly into the tumor, along with a course of focused radiation. The injected tumors stopped growing, shrank or even disappeared in 14 of the 15 patients, while tumor growth throughout the body stopped in six of them.

Boosting the Body’s Immune System

Researchers are theorizing that the drug makes the tumor “hot” in terms of activating an immune response aimed specifically at the cancer cells. The next step involves combining G100 injections with an as-yet-undecided immunotherapy agent to see if the treatment can boost the cancer-fighting immune response throughout the body.

Using State-of-the-Art Methods to Fight Cancer

At Issels®, we stay up-to-date on all the latest advancements in immunotherapy for cancer. Contact us to learn more about our non-toxic, integrative treatment programs that are specifically designed for your individual needs.

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

Immunotherapy Trains Your Body to Fight Its Own Cancer

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Immunotherapy Trains Your Body to Fight Its Own Cancer
Immunotherapy Trains Your Body to Fight Its Own Cancer

Your body’s immune system does an amazing job of protecting you from viruses, bacteria and other invaders. Tumor cells are able to avoid detection as foreign bodies, but immunotherapy for cancer is removing this advantage by boosting your body’s natural defenses.

How Cancer “Hijacks” the Immune System

When foreign cells invade your body, they carry proteins called antigens that trigger an immune response. Your system produces antibodies that bind with the antigens, which either neutralize the rogue cells on their own or alert T-cells to attack and destroy them.

While cancer cells also produce antigens, they manage to evade the normal process by hijacking the checkpoints that signal the immune system to attack. The cells remain undetected, allowing them to multiply as they continue to weaken the immune system.

Penetrating the Shield around Cancer Cells

Instead of using external treatments like radiation and chemotherapy to fight tumors, immunotherapy for cancer focuses on boosting the natural abilities of the immune system by “training” it to recognize and attack cancer cells. These methods include:

  • Drugs containing lab-made monoclonal antibodies that bind to cancer cell antigens and block the normal proteins that “disguise” them
  • Vaccines containing proteins that help the immune system recognize antigens on tumor cells

Issels®: A Personalized Approach

Immunotherapy for cancer has become a valuable alternative or supplement to traditional treatments, but each patient’s case is different. We use specialized testing to create an integrative treatment method that addresses your particular needs.

Contact us today to learn why Issels® has been a leader in the successful use of immunotherapy treatments.