Tag Archives: Melanoma

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Care Tips, Cancer Research, Immunotherapy

What Every Person Should Know About Melanoma

May 24, 2016 Chris

The word “cancer” is something everyone dreads hearing, but in the case of a type of cancer known as melanoma, it can feel like a death sentence. Here at Issels®, we have had great success in treating our patients with immunotherapy; even those who have received late diagnoses and feel like they’ve lost hope. Even so, there are some things you should be aware of about melanoma and how it can progress.

Melanoma is a type of skin cancer, and most of the time, patients are the first ones to detect that there is something abnormal about their skin. As you can probably guess, there are different types of melanomas, but the most serious is called melanoma IQ. This type of cancer can metastasize and spread to various parts of the body, including to internal organs.

In order to identify a case of melanoma, doctors use the ABCDE method prior to doing a biopsy. They check for:

A – Asymmetry

B – Border irregularity

C – Colors that change throughout a mole

D – Diameter that’s larger than 6mm

E – Evolving over time

These indicators are enough to cause most physicians to seek out a biopsy.

Prevention is always the answer when it comes to any type of cancer. Immunotherapy for cancer offers us much hope, but it’s important to know your risk factors so that you can detect it early on. For example, if you are Caucasian, and you have light skin, hair and eyes, you are at an increased risk. You’re also at risk if you spend a lot of time in the sun. Issels® can help you with immunotherapy for cancer.

Find out more about the Issels cancer treatment programs using cutting-edge immunotherapy programs today.

Living with Cancer

May is Melanoma Awareness Month – Wear the Black Ribbon

May 12, 2016 Chris

Do you believe that melanoma is a “lesser” form of cancer? Maybe you think monitoring and removing moles is sufficient defense against this disease.

The truth is that immunotherapy for cancer is often needed to fight these tumors, which can be more serious than you realize. As people don black ribbons in May to support Melanoma Awareness Month, it’s a good time to present some facts that may surprise you.

Melanoma is the most deadly form of skin cancer.

While melanoma occurs less frequently than carcinoma, survival rates are much lower. The American Academy of Dermatology estimates that one American dies of melanoma each hour, but the good news is that it’s highly treatable with early detection.

Melanoma frequently affects young adults.

Some people mistakenly associate cancer with old age. In the case of melanoma, it’s the most common form of cancer among young adults between 25 and 29, and the second most common in ages 15 to 29.

Melanoma can develop independent of moles and sun exposure.

Having a lot of moles may increase your risk for melanoma, but it can also occur in the absence of moles. Melanoma is sometimes found between fingers and toes, in the underarm, and other areas that get little or no sun exposure.

If you have been diagnosed with melanoma, Issels® offers immunotherapy for cancer that is tailored to meet the needs of your individual case. Contact us today for information about our cancer vaccines, gene-targeted therapies and other non-toxic treatments.

Cancer Survivors, Immunotherapy, Stage Four Cancer Treatment

The Unquestionable Game Changer in Cancer Treatment

April 19, 2016 Chris

As recently as 15 years ago, the chances of survival for a patient whose melanoma had spread to other parts of the body were only slightly more than zero. Today, thanks to advancements in the area of integrative immunotherapy, these patients have a legitimate source of hope.

Paving the way for treatment

Pete Daly was one of those patients for whom a diagnosis of metastatic melanoma meant a bleak future. With immunotherapy entering a clinical trial phase, Daly believed his participation would give meaning to his situation by helping others.

Up to that point, testing had been done only on monkeys. It didn’t take long to see results as within weeks Daly’s doctors found that his tumors were shrinking. Currently, 13 years after testing Daly continues to show no signs of cancer.

Former President Jimmy Carter is another patient who has benefited from integrative immunotherapy. He is also no longer showing signs of the melanoma that had formed in his liver and brain.

Immunotherapy is a “game changer”

Oncologist Dr. Mark Albertini of the Carbone Cancer Center at University of Wisconsin Health credits the courage of patients like Daly for contributing to the development of immunotherapy treatments, which he refers to as “game changers.” Dr. Albertini stresses that early detection is still key to successful cancer treatment.

Issels® has been a pioneer in the use of integrative immunotherapy treatments that are personalized to meet each patient’s individual needs. Visit our website today to learn more about our cancer vaccines and other advanced non-toxic cancer treatment protocols.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Care Tips, Cancer Research

New Melanoma Immunotherapy Shows Strong Promise

October 29, 2014 heavy

Traditional forms of cancer treatments like chemotherapy and radiation can be very effective for some patients, although they do have many severe side effects. In addition, not every patient responds well to these treatments, which is why there has been so much research done on various forms of alternative cancer treatment.

The FDA recently granted express approval to a new drug called Keytruda, which is chemically known as pembrolizumab. This powerful new drug treats cancer in a way that’s different from conventional cancer treatments. It actually boosts the body’s natural immune system and readies it to attack the cancer cells.

It’s common for patients receiving chemotherapy to suffer from side effects like nausea, vomiting and hair loss. Whereas in clinical trials, ninety percent of all patients who took Keytruda experienced no side effects whatsoever. The best part of the approval of this new drug is that Keytruda appears to be resulting in much longer life expectancy than other treatment methods. One study of 600 patients resulted in 62% of them making it past the 18-month mark.

Researchers are very hopeful that this is just the start of a great breakthrough in cancer treatment options. It is becoming increasingly apparent that immunotherapy, which is what Keytruda uses, is much more beneficial for patients both in terms of reducing their side effects and improving their overall life expectancy.

Alternative cancer treatments are quickly becoming the norm. It might only be a matter of time before they replace chemotherapy and radiation, simply because they really do work. If you or a loved one is looking for alternative cancer treatments, we would love to help you. Please contact us!

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research

Experimental Melanoma Vaccine Harnesses Immune System

July 17, 2013 Chris

An experimental cancer vaccine that harnesses the patient’s immune system is being hailed as the future of cancer treatment. In recently published studies conducted by researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, six of seven cancer patients with advanced Stage IV melanoma responded positively to a cancer vaccine that used cells from each patient’s own immune system to attack and slow the reproduction of cancer cells. In three patients, the vaccine also slowed tumor development.

Lead researcher Dr. Gerald Linette called the experimental cancer treatment approach “personalized immunotherapy.” Telling U.S. News, “This is going to end up being the way we cure cancer,” Dr. Michele Green, a dermatologist at New York City’s Lenox Hill Hospital, predicted that personalized immunotherapy and individualized cancer vaccines will become standard treatment protocols for cancers of all types in the future.

While the remarkable success of this experimental cancer vaccine may seem new and exciting to practitioners of traditional Western medicine, Issels Integrative Oncology cancer treatment centers have been using personalized cancer vaccines to successfully treat various types of cancer for decades. Typically used in conjunction with our personalized immunobiologic core cancer treatment, Issels’ vaccine program is designed to strengthen the individual patient’s immune system and use it to target the tumor microenvironment.

Research findings have confirmed the vital importance of tumor microenvironments in directing the regression or progression of cancer. As Issels’ 60 years of clinical experience with integrative immunotherapy has shown, the ability to manipulate tumor microenvironments has a profound influence on the outcome of cancer treatments.

Next time: Are new cancer vaccines really breaking new ground?

The Issels News Blog