Monthly Archives: December 2014

Living with Cancer

Keep an Eye on Your Thyroid While in Being Treated with Immunotherapy

Keep and Eye on Your Thyroid
Keep and Eye on Your Thyroid

Immunotherapy treatments for cancer provide an alternative to radiation and other traditional forms of treatment, but they can lead to a higher risk of thyroid problems in some patients. A recent study conducted by Dr. Paul G. Walfish and colleagues at Mount Sinai Hospital showed an association between certain immunotherapy approaches to metastatic cancers and a greater risk of painless thyroiditis syndrome.

Thyroid Symptoms to Watch For

Painless thyroiditis syndrome, also known as silent thyroiditis, occurs when your thyroid gland becomes inflamed. It typically causes your thyroid gland to become overactive at first, which is a condition called hyperthyroidism. After a few months, your thyroid can become underactive, leading to hypothyroidism. Thyroiditis is treatable, but it can cause complications when you’re undergoing immunotherapy. Catching it early can help reduce this risk.

You might not experience any signs of hyperthyroidism, but it’s still important to know what symptoms to watch for. Common symptoms include:

  • Higher sensitivity to heat
  • Sudden unexplained weight loss
  • Irregular heartbeat, palpitations or rapid heartbeat
  • Nervousness or irritability

If painless thyroiditis syndrome advances to hypothyroidism, you might notice the following:

  • Higher sensitivity to cold temperatures
  • Fatigue
  • Constipation
  • Joint or muscle soreness

When you’re undergoing immunotherapy, one of the most important cancer care tips to follow is watching for any signs of an overactive or underactive thyroid. If you notice any, let your doctor know right away so you can have your thyroid tested and treated promptly if needed. This can help lower the risk of additional complications during your immunotherapy treatments.

For more information on types of immunotherapy for cancer, please contact Issels®. Our medical experts can help you choose the right treatment for your condition.

Cancer Survivors, Living with Cancer

Five Tips to Keeping Healthy After Cancer Treatment

Immune System Building Foods
Tips for After Care

Cancer after care is a vital aspect of ensuring you or a loved one lives a happy, healthy life for years to come. Here are just a few of the best cancer after care tips to help cultivate a long and fulfilling life.

1. Maintain a Healthy Diet

Get into the habit of enjoying a wider variety of fruits, vegetables and other foods rich in vitamins. Selecting low fat alternatives when buying milk or butter can also help reduce weight gain, cholesterol and overall promote better well-being.

2. Stay Active

Along with proper diet, exercising on a regular basis is an excellent way to promote better health during cancer after care. Morning or evening walks, running and bicycling just a few days a week can have a very positive impact on your health.

3. Avoid Alcohol or Tobacco

It is extremely important to avoid tobacco products or alcohol during cancer after care. Any dangerous, potentially habit forming substances can present a major obstacle to living a healthy life following cancer treatment.

4. Visit the Doctor Often

Keeping in touch with your doctor on a regular basis is integral to successful cancer after care. Do not hesitate to discuss concerns, recent changes in health or issues with medication you may be encountering.

5. Keep a Good Attitude

Having a good attitude tends to put everything into perspective, often changing the way we see the world around us. Remaining optimistic will certainly improve health, alleviate stress and promote better cancer after care.

If you would like to learn more about alternative cancer treatments and today’s best cancer after care programs, Contact Issels® today about any questions you may have on if the Issels Treatment® may be right for you.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Care Tips

Five Cancer Caregiver Tips for the Holidays

Grandparents posing with grandchildren
Take Time to Enjoy Your Caregivers This Holiday

Holidays are often a bittersweet occasion for cancer patients and their caregivers. It’s a time of celebration with friends and family, but it can also create nostalgia and even sadness over the memories of previous illness-free holidays.

If you are a caregiver, it’s important for both you and your loved one that you maintain an emotional and physical balance. These tips will keep things in perspective so you avoid feeling overwhelmed.

• Be honest about your feelings. It’s natural to feel a sense of loss based on the realities of cancer. However, burying those emotions will serve only to intensify them, not eliminate them. Share your thoughts with someone you trust, whether it’s a family member or counselor.

• Modify your expectations. You probably demand more of yourself than anyone else does. Scale back your activities or ask for help when it’s needed.

•Create new traditions. Sharing time with friends and family is the focus of the holidays, no matter what form it takes.

•Ask your loved one about his or her preferences for celebrating the holiday. You may be projecting your own anxieties on them, and you’ll discover that their wishes are simpler than you anticipated.

• Give yourself a pat on the back. You’re making every effort to create a special holiday for your loved one and he or she appreciates it more than you know.

As a caregiver for a cancer patient, you should have your own support system for advice and encouragement. Subscribe to our e-newsletter for medical updates and helpful tips on cancer care.

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.

Immuno-Oncology

Tips to Making Your December Holiday Memorable

Making The Most Of December
Making The Most Of December

Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hannukah or another holiday in the month of December, when you have cancer, this is a particularly precious time for you to enjoy with family and friends. Here at Issels®, we love this time of year, so it’s our pleasure to help you find wonderful ways to create beautiful life-long memories for your loved ones. Here are a few tips that will inspire you to start your holiday planning off right.

Tip #1: Take plenty of pictures – A picture is worth a thousand words, and the more pictures you have of your holiday celebrations, the better. When the celebrations are over, why not get together again and put together some photo books or scrapbooks depicting the joys of your holiday. If you really want to make a fun keepsake, you can have books professionally printed for everyone in your family.

Tip #2: Create new traditions – We all have our favorite traditions, but maybe it’s time to start some new ones this year. Perhaps you can add in some fun holiday games like a gift exchanging activity. Or, maybe you could plan a holiday cookie exchange. These traditions are a lot of fun, and they encourage everyone to get involved in a different way.

Tip #3: Consider getting involved in your community – There’s no better way to celebrate the holidays than giving back to your community. If you know a family who needs help buying presents, consider pooling your funds to surprise them. It is a season of giving, after all.

Here at Issels®, we specialize in not only improving the quality of life for our patients, but also in providing them with effective, alternative cancer treatments. If you’re interested in learning more, please contact us today.

After Cancer, Living with Cancer, Stress Management, Testimonials

Three Tips to Understanding your Cancer’s Prognosis

Understanding Cancer
Understanding Cancer

Cancer is the giant bugaboo that eventually invades everyone’s life if they live long enough. Still, if caught early and treated agressively, a prognosis of cancer is not necessarily an untimely death sentence. Here are the most important things to know about your prognosis once you have defintively been diagnosed with cancer:

It is Fact Based

Though it may mystify the patient to some extent, a doctor’s cancer prognosis is thoroughly grounded in his own and his peer’s medical experience. The doctor will look at such things as the type and location of the cancer, its metastatic stage – that is, how much it has actually spread – and the cancer’s grade – how abnormal it looks and how likely it is to spread even more.

It’s Mostly Statistics

While Mark Twain facetiously opined that there are “lies, damn lies and statistics,” the actual truth is that stats really do tell you a lot about your prognosis. By analyzing various factors such as the specific characteristics of the patient’s disease, the available treatment options and any other health issues, the doctor will make an educated guess as to what will happen.

It is Not Completely Certain

While your prognosis is your doctor’s “best guess” as to the likely course and outcome of your disease, it is by no means 100% certain. Remaining positive throughout the process is always the best medicine.

As you can see, a prognosis is as much art as it is science and the best doctors combine both when making a prognosis. For more detailed information, please contact us at Issels® or you can reach us directly at 1-888-437-7357.