Tag Archives: New Cancer Medicine

Immuno-Oncology, Immunotherapy, Living with Cancer, Stress Management

Holiday Eating Tips for Cancer Patients

Holiday Eating
Holiday Eating

Just like there are some friends and family that you only see in person during the holidays, there are many beloved snacks, treats, and entrees that are holiday traditions. At Issels® Integrative Immuno-Oncology, we understand how a cancer diagnosis can disrupt every aspect of your life. But you can still celebrate that life and the holidays with loved ones. Keep these eating tips in mind as you enjoy the festivities.

  • Talk to your doctor about whether it is ok for you to drink alcohol. Complete abstinence is sometimes easier than moderation.
  • The same is true for many food items. Eat some healthy snacks before you leave your house to head toward a dinner or other gathering. You will find it much easier to avoid the temptation of decadent culinary creations.
  • Most get-togethers have a buffet. The American Cancer Society recommends you select items from the inside of the table and away from the edge. The area out of reach of small hands is less likely to have germs.
  • Be mindful of which items you can eat before you start filling your plate.
  • Take it slow and have small portions. This will prevent that lethargic feeling of being overfull.

Many holiday favorites will overwhelm a sensitive stomach. Try to avoid anything with heavy cream, gravy, or a mayonnaise base. You may have a weakened immune system and be more vulnerable to food-borne sickness. Avoid undercooked foods such as sushi, dishes with mayonnaise, and anything that may have raw eggs.

We continue to make progress in the fight against cancer. To stay informed on the latest cancer treatment breakthroughs and to get more health and nutrition tips, sign up for our e-newsletter.

Living with Cancer

Living with Cancer – Healthy Eating

Healthy Eating
Healthy Eating

Every time you pick up a magazine or tune in a talk show it seems like there’s some new diet trend your should be following to reduce your risk of developing cancer. Drink more coffee. Fill your plate with fresh fruits and vegetables. Sip green tea. Avoid grilled meats. Eat more fish. Have a glass of red wine with dinner. Nibble on dark chocolate. The list of cancer nutrition tips goes on and on.

Confusing Diet Advice

The list of healthy eating tips for preventing cancer seems to get longer every year. Trying to keep up with the types and quantities of food you should eat to keep various types of cancer at bay can be confusing and may seem contradictory. (Which is better, tea or coffee?) While eating to prevent cancer is a worthy goal, what should you eat to stay as healthy as possible if you already have cancer?

Diet Linked to Cancer

Researchers have found a strong link between diet and cancer that makes paying attention to what you eat important. In addition to maintaining a healthy weight and exercising regularly, eating a Mediterranean-style diet is generally recommended not only to help prevent cancer; but also to increase survival rates for people with cancer.

The Mediterranean Diet

Because certain foods can interfere with cancer treatments and medications, you should always follow the dietary recommendations of your cancer team. That said, the Mediterranean diet (click for diet details) benefits cancer patients by boosting the body’s immune system, aiding your natural ability to fight the recurrence or spread of cancer.

Contact Issels Integrative Oncology for more information about cancer treatment and recovery and diet.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research

‘Smart Bomb’ Therapy Harnesses Immune System to Kill Cancer

Smart bomb therapy targets cancer cells
Smart bomb therapy targets cancer cells

Cancer researchers have been successful in using the body’s own immune system to deliver killing toxins directly to cancer cells to kill them. In what Duke Cancer Institute researches describe as “smart bomb” therapy, they have designed an antibody that binds only to certain breast cancer tumor cells, delivering its toxic payload directly into tumor cells while leaving healthy cells untouched and intact. The innovative cancer cell therapy effectively kills cancer cells from the inside out.

Lead Duke researcher, Dr. Kimberly Blackwell, director of Duke’s breast cancer program, reported at the recent annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology that the new smart bomb therapy was successful in use on patients with advanced and metastic breast cancer. Using targeted cell therapy to deliver toxins to a specific target spared patients many of the debilitating side effects typically associated with chemotherapy. (Click here for therapy specifics on Time.com.) Currently, the Duke therapy only works on HER2-positive breast tumors, but Blackwell and her team hope to expand the treatment’s effectiveness to other tumors.

Cancer cell therapy is considered one of the most promising developments in immunotherapy cancer treatments. However, Dr. Blackwell believes that targeted cancer cell therapy could prove most effective when combined with integrative immunotherapy that strengthens the entire immune system. She told Time she believes her smart bomb therapy was so effective “because we spared the immune system.” Her goal is to create immune-assisted cancer treatments that harness the power of the immune system to fight cancer without weakening that system with chemotherapy, eventually phasing out chemotherapy altogether.

“I’m convinced that my patients’ immune systems are fighting cancer as much as anything we can give them to battle the cancer,” Dr. Blackwell told Time.

For more than 60 years, Issels’ cancer treatments have pioneered the use of integrative immunotherapy and targeted cancer cell therapy to fight advanced-stage cancers with unique success.