FAQs on the Issels Immunotherapy for Cancer Program

The Issels Immunotherapy Cancer Treatment is an Integrative non-toxic Immunotherapy that activates the patient’s own immune system to recognize and eliminate cancer cells. As cancer is a very complex systemic disease it requires a comprehensive treatment to achieve lasting results. In this regard, Issels Immunotherapy for Cancer is integrative. It is designed to restore the cellular immune functions as well as the various other levels of the body’s very complex immune and defense mechanisms.

Issels® Immunotherapy is individualized and has no adverse side-effects and is non-toxic. This is in contrast to pharmaceutically produced drugs called immunotherapy. These medications are currently used in oncology, and have shown  to cause serious life-threatening reactions in a variety of patients.

The Issels cancer vaccine and cell therapies are cultured from the patient’s own immune cells, in the presence of the patient’s own tumor antigens. Our vaccines and cell therapies are highly individualized, specific, and non-toxic, yet powerful.

Issels® Immunotherapy integrates the vaccine and cell therapies that activate the cellular immunity, into the immunobiologic core treatment in order to also activate the various other levels of the body’s complex defense mechanisms.

Issels® Immunotherapy for Cancer is a comprehensive treatment program that is not limited to one single modality such as a vaccine, or a drug or another monotherapy. The program integrates advanced cancer treatment components that complement and enhance each other.

Issels® Cancer Immunotherapy focuses, with the same importance, on destroying cancer cells and tumors as well as on altering the body’s internal environment that has promoted the cancer growth.

Issels® Immunotherapy for Cancer is not a trial.

It has the longest track record with the clinical administration of non-toxic cancer vaccines to advanced and standard therapy-resistant cancers, achieving remarkable recurrence-free tumor remissions for years and even decades.

Our present Issels doctors’ expertise and many years of clinical experience with the successful administration of our personalized and non-toxic Immunotherapy for Cancer, either on its own or in combination with FDA approved gene-targeted cancer treatment, play a decisive role in the treatment outcomes.

No, the Issels Immunotherapy for Cancer is not available in clinical trial form. In sharp contrast to clinical trials, the Issels Non-Toxic Immunotherapy is not comprised of one single drug or vaccine. It consists of a comprehensive treatment program to enhance the patient’s own natural immune defenses against cancer.

Clinical trials are performed at leading cancer centers by oncologists experienced in chemotherapy who have recently become acquainted with immunotherapy and are trying to find out if, and to what extent, a new drug or vaccine will work.

On the other hand, the Issels Immunotherapy for Cancer is based on a treatment system that has already achieved documented complete long-term remissions of stage 4 cancers. Our programs are administered by Issels-trained doctors with extensive experience with immunotherapy in a full service hospital that complies with the highest US and international standards for patient safety.

The Issels Immunotherapy for Cancer programs consist of Integrative Immunotherapy protocols designed to restore the body’s innate cancer fighting properties. Integrative means that they are not confined to the mere administration of one treatment modality, be it a vaccine, cell therapy or any other monotherapy, but that they are comprehensive.

Our programs focus, with equal importance, on the elimination of the cancer tumors as well as on the underlying causes for the immune suppression and the tumor development, in order to achieve long-term remission and healing.

The Issels Immunotherapy for cancer treatment is tailored to each patient’s unique needs. It integrates specific and non-specific immunotherapy components that do not only attack cancer cells and tumors, but also decisively alter the internal bodily environment which has been promoting tumor growth. The body’s internal environment and the tumor microenvironment play a pivotal role in disease progression or regression as modern research confirms.

At the Issels Medical Center in Santa Barbara, California, Dr. Christian N. Issels administers the comprehensive treatment, which forms the fundamental part of the Issels Immunotherapy program. The specialized testing method he developed, and the resulting highly personalized treatment, have been shown to break through regulatory blockades of the extracellular matrix in a great variety of standard therapy-resistant cancers; rendering them responsive to immunotherapy, and considerably improving outcomes.

If needed, Dr. Christian N. Issels and his medical team integrate advanced gene-targeted cancer therapies into our unique treatment program. Gene-targeted cancer therapies are U.S. and FDA-pproved medications that block the growth and spread of cancer cells by interfering with specific molecules needed for tumor growth and progression of the disease.

At the hospital in Tijuana, Mexico, our experienced and compassionate Issels doctors administer the non-toxic Dendritic Cell Vaccine, the Lymphokine-Activated Killer (LAK) Cell, and Activated Natural Killer (NK) Cell therapy program. These cell therapies activate the cellular immune system and are integrated into the immunobiologic core treatment in order to enhance the other levels of the body’s complex defense mechanisms.

The hospital is the most modern facility of the largest private hospital chain of 22 hospitals, located in Mexico. The facility meets the highest U.S. and international accreditation standards.

Patients are always impressed by the cleanliness, organization, and beauty of the hospital, by the nursing services, the organic diet and especially by the competence and compassion of our doctors and staff members, who are fluent in English. Routinely our patients tell us that the physicians are extremely knowledgeable, patient, and take time to answer all questions and to explain our advanced therapies.

The Issels integrative Immunotherapy for Cancer programs are applicable for all types and all stages of cancer, either in combination with standard treatments or on their own.

Our treatment programs are always adjusted to each individual patient’s needs and can be administered as:

1. Treatment for patients who have exhausted treatment programs, who are not candidates or do not opt for, chemotherapy and other standard treatments. Clinical experience has shown that even in the advanced stages of cancer, an immune response with complete tumor remission can be achieved.
2. Treatment in conjunction with Advanced Gene-Targeted Cancer Therapies.
3. Follow-up treatment after conventional treatment to boost the suppressed immune functions, with the aim to reduce the risk of recurrence, and improve the outcomes.
4. Adjunctive/Complementary Treatment with the aim to enhance the effectiveness of standard treatments, and decrease their side effects.

The Issels Integrative Immunotherapy for Cancer program is usually initiated by an intensive treatment of three to four weeks and continued at home for several months, as long as needed, under the guidance by our medical team.

Patients who start our Integrative Cancer Immunotherapy Treatment with the 5-day Vaccine and Cell Therapy program in Tijuana and continue with the Immunobiologic Core Treatment in Santa Barbara, are offered a complimentary town car service from San Diego to the accommodation of their choice in Santa Barbara.

The Immunobiologic Core Treatment with its natural substances, as well as the Vaccine and Cell Therapies of the patient’s own activated immune cells, are non-toxic and have no adverse side effects.

There may be “healing reactions”, such as flu-like symptoms after injection of the Vaccine and Cell Therapies with increase of body temperature and tenderness in the tumor area for a few hours or days, due to the patient’s response to treatment.

The immunobiologic core treatment with its natural substances, as well as the vaccine and cell therapies of the patient’s own activated immune cells, are non-toxic and have no adverse side effects.

There may be “healing reactions”, such as flu-like symptoms after injection of the vaccine and cell therapies with increase of body temperature and tenderness in the tumor area for a few hours or days, due to the patient’s response to treatment.

Our doctors provide close follow-up after each patient returns home as this is one key to cancer treatment success and long-term survival. Access to doctors is direct, timely, and unlimited. We work with the patients’ oncologists and general practitioners and provide the protocols for the at-home follow-up infusions and nutraceuticals.

Most of our patients do not need to come back, as our doctors provide their medical practitioners with the information on follow-up care. Our doctors also provide the prescriptions needed for continued in-home treatment. Some patients choose to return after a couple of years for an immune booster. These “alumni” are welcomed and we celebrate their continued good health. Many have filmed video testimonials as to their care and treatment at the Issels Centers.

At this stage it is crucial to choose a treatment with an extensive track record of remissions of advanced and standard therapy-resistant cancers. Successful stage 4 cancer treatment usually follows a specific treatment protocol. This can only be provided by a group of very experienced doctors who have accomplished this before, know how to personalize the treatment protocol and which treatment components enhance each other at the optimal dosage and interval.

These highly skilled doctors distinguish themselves from newer groups of physicians with less experience through their resume of successful outcomes, supported by a substantial number of testimonials, and a proven track record of positive results.

Plain knowledge of the current available treatments does not guarantee taking the right approach and combination of modalities. This is why veteran medical experts have the clear advantage of knowing the combination that best suits a patient at a given time, and having a clear treatment concept to guide them.

Another decisive factor is the treatment centers’ provisions for immaculate medical services and utmost patient care and safety.

When dealing with institutions outside of the U.S., it is advisable to choose a larger operation, preferably a part of a reputable chain, which has a standardized level of high quality. This may initially appear to be more expensive, however, it is the best insurance against disadvantages from less regulated environments.

The Vaccine protocol of the Issels Integrative Immunotherapy programs is administered at the leading and most modern full service hospital in Tijuana, which belongs to the largest private hospital group of 22 hospitals in Mexico. It is in compliance with the highest U.S. and international standards of patient care and safety. It is located in an upscale commercial area just across the border from San Diego, California, and offers complimentary pickup from the airport.

Our outpatient facility, the Issels Medical Center, has been in Santa Barbara, California, U.S. since 2004. Dr. Christian N. Issels, the son of Dr. Josef M. Issels, and his medical team, Dr. Walter Kim, and Dr. Grant Williams, implement state-of-the-art research-based Immunobiologic Cancer Treatment protocols.

The Issels Integrative Immunotherapy for Cancer has also been available since 1997 on an inpatient basis in Tijuana, Mexico, about a 30 minute drive from the San Diego, California, international airport.

Our facility is located in Mexico as the Cell Therapies we use are approved by Mexican Health Authorities, while in the U.S. these protocols are still only available only in clinical trials.

The hospital features the most modern diagnostic and therapeutic services, spacious private rooms and suites, pharmacy, restaurant, community areas, and many additional amenities. It also has a heliport.

Our Issels doctors work closely with the immunologist/hematologist who has extensive university experience in cell separation and cell therapy/vaccine preparation. As the laboratory is located locally, the patient’s collected immune cells do not lose potency by having to be sent to a distant location.

In 1951, our founder, Josef M. Issels M.D., established the world’s first hospital solely dedicated to the treatment of cancer through Integrative Immunotherapy in Germany. In 1970, it grew from a capacity of 85 to 120 patient beds. Vaccine and Cell Therapies derived from the patients’ own blood were being cultured at that time.

Ninety percent of the patients had already failed standard cancer treatment and yet a remarkable number of them achieved complete tumor remission through the Issels Immunotherapy and remained cancer-free for many years, some for decades.

In view of his treatment results, Dr. Josef M. Issels was invited to become an expert member of the German Federal Government Commission in the Fight against Cancer.

Since the late 1960s, all German insurance providers, even the German equivalent of U.S. Medicare program, have covered the costs of the Issels Immunotherapy.

While located initially in Germany, patients came from all over the world and especially from the Americas to the Issels Clinic. Eventually our treatment operations moved to North America where patients can receive inpatient treatment in Mexico and outpatient treatment in Santa Barbara, California.

To read more about the history of the Issels Immunotherapy please click here.

The Issels Medical Center in California is located in a historic building in the heart of beautiful Santa Barbara. It is in close proximity to the major hospital, fitness centers, health food stores and a variety of restaurants. The Center is only a short walk to the harbor. Patients from out-of-town will find accommodations at special rates in nearby suite hotels meeting all preferences, or in fully furnished spacious apartments with ocean view and beach access.

In Tijuana, Mexico, the hospital features the most modern diagnostic and therapeutic services. It has many additional amenities including spacious private rooms, 16 suites, 4 master suites, an inviting restaurant and community areas, pharmacy, and more. We offer complimentary accommodations and meals for one companion.

You can view photos of the facility on our website. Wireless internet access is available. Safety deposit boxes are installed in every room. Each room has a TV and a private telephone line. There is also a laundry service on site. Patients are not confined to their rooms and can enjoy strolls in the adjoining safe neighborhood.

The hospital is located in an upscale commercial area of Tijuana just across the border from San Diego, California. We offer free shuttle service from the airport to the hospital and vice versa. The hospital also has a heliport.

During treatment at the Issels Medical Center in Santa Barbara all diagnostics such as laboratory services, X-rays, ultrasound, PET/CT scans, MRI, the genomic testing are usually covered by insurance, as well as the prescription medications and the FDA approved gene-targeted therapies.

Although the Issels Medical Center does not directly accept insurance for the payment of fees of the Immunobiologic Treatment Program, most insurance companies do offer reimbursement at various levels for the treatment. At the end of the treatment program, patients receive an itemized bill with codes that they can submit to their insurance provider for reimbursement.