Monthly Archives: June 2015

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, Uncategorized

Precision Medicine Promises a Better War on Cancer

Precision Cancer Medicine
Precision Cancer Medicine

At Issels® Immuno-Oncology, we believe cancer treatment should be an integrative approach that relies on non-toxic, personalized and precise methods.

What is precision medicine?

Instead of utilizing broad, toxic treatments based mostly on cancer location, we look at the many factors that contribute to the formation and spread of cancer and then tackle the specific causes at the cellular and immune system levels.

On April 26, Dr. Craig Thompson from the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center covered the benefits of precision medicine in a piece for The Wall Street Journal titled “The Future of Cancer: Closer to a Cure.”

He noted that cancer growth depends on more than location or even genetic predisposition. Cancer usually forms because the body’s regeneration and immune system response processes fail. Cells mutate for a variety of reasons:

  • Error – Errors can occur naturally as cells grow and tissues regenerate.
  • Age – Cells naturally mutate as we age.
  • Damage – Cellular damage happens from different external sources, such as radiation, environmental pollutants, viruses, bacteria, et cetera.

Cancer forms when a person’s immune system fails to consider these cells a type of threat. With precision medicine, oncologists and immunotherapy specialists use a patient’s immune system to fight off disease with non-toxic methods. They tackle some specific mutations with vaccines and cell therapies that reverse causation to prevent new mutated cellular growth. Additionally, they boost the immune system and push it to continue working and destroy cancer long after it might normally shut down.

For more information, or to schedule an appointment at one of our Issels® Integrative Immuno-Oncology centers, call 888-447-7357 (United States and Canada) or 001-888-447-7357 (Abroad) or use our convenient online form.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Care Tips, Cancer Research, Uncategorized

Big Money – Drugs and the Global Cost of Cancer

Big Money In Cancer Drugs
Big Money In Cancer Drugs

While drugs that fight cancer are becoming more effective, this improvement comes at a steep cost. Cancer costs reached $100 billion last year, after increasing around $5 billion every year since 2009.

Most of these expensive treatments take place in the US, Britain, Germany, France, Spain and Italy, although the US far exceeds other countries in terms of overall cancer costs.

The US spends roughly $42.5 billion, which makes up about 40 percent of cancer treatment costs in the world. Most of these costs come from treating rare forms of cancer with specialized drugs. Although these drugs have improved patients’ chances of surviving cancer, most insurance companies don’t cover much or any of the costs. This makes these drugs too expensive for many patients to afford.

Despite the increasing costs of treating cancer, India is taking an effective approach to making these drugs affordable for many patients. The country is placing 12 cancer drugs on the National List of Essential Medicines, which puts a cap on their prices. With the price cap in place, more cancer patients are able to afford getting treatment. Cancer drugs on this list must cost the same as the average price for all brands.

For example, a brand that normally costs in the thousands in India typically could only end up costing in the hundreds, based on the average price of all other brands. Thanks to this approach, cancer costs are kept under control and in a price range that more patients can afford. Other countries would benefit from studying this innovative approach that India has taken.

Expensive medications aren’t the only ways to fight cancer. At Issels®, we offer nontoxic forms of cancer treatment, such as immunotherapy. Contact us to learn more about our treatments some of which may be covered by your insurance program.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, Uncategorized

Molecular Imaging: New Technology to Fight Cancer

Cancer Research
New Molecular Imaging

Once a cancer diagnosis has been made, doctors and patients typically plan a course of treatment. All too often during this period of strategizing, the patient’s quality of life during treatment isn’t taken into account. Radiation and chemotherapy can effectively treat cancer, but they also come with their own list of side effects, some of which can be temporarily debilitating.

A new approach to stage 4 cancer treatment involves molecular imaging. This technology allows doctors to precisely target the most aggressive cancer cells by using a powerful scan that combines a traditional CT with 3-D positron emission tomography (PET). Being able to identify the most dangerous cancer cells allows doctors to perform accurate biopsies and significantly reduce the amount of radiation and chemotherapy treatments needed.

This cutting edge scan can also tell doctors a lot more about how your tumor is behaving. Often times, progress is measured by whether the tumor is shrinking or changing shape. However, this may only be a small part of the picture. Even if your tumor looks the same, the cells may have become less active. Molecular imaging may be able to provide some good news that traditional scans don’t detect.

For those struggling through cancer treatments, a PET scan and molecular imaging may be the solution to enjoying a better quality of life as you fight cancer. Limiting the radiation and chemotherapy treatments will allow you to feel healthier, less stressed and more capable of tackling cancer. If you would like to learn more about the latest in cancer treatments, proven immune boosting techniques and the importance of a positive attitude, be sure to visit the Issels® website today.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, Uncategorized

What to Do When Cancer Looks Like Something Else

When Cancer Doesn't Look Like Cancer
When Cancer Doesn’t Look Like Cancer

At some point in our lives, we will all have to go to the doctor. Most of these visits may be a routine trip for lacerations, bruises, sprains, breaks and other non-threatening conditions. But, there are times when deeper problems need to be addressed, like heart conditions, migraine headaches and reproductive issues, just to name a few, where the correct diagnosis might be in question.

Misdiagnosis and Cancer

Although not something that commonly occurs, sometimes other ailments or conditions mask cancer detection. Take the case of Samantha Beaven, a British mother of two, who had cancer symptoms mistaken for pregnancy complications. She eventually died because her cancer was misdiagnosed.

Lung cancer can sometimes be misdiagnosed as pneumonia, brain cancer can be masked by migraine headaches, and breast cancer can be mistaken for calcium deposits in the breast. Once again, these misdiagnosis are rare occurrences, but they do happen and this possibility is something you should be aware of whenever you are diagnosed with an important health issue.

CT and PET Scans

If you have any doubt that there is a possibility your condition has been misdiagnosed, insist on getting a CT or a CAT scan that will assist a doctor in determining the real issue behind your health condition. A radioactive tracer PET scan is also an  alternative procedure that can be used alone or in conjunction with a CT scan.

For more information about cancer and its treatment, please go to our site at Issels® Immuno-Oncology. There you’ll find our up-to- date blog about cancer happenings in the world of medicine, and you’ll also find information on cancer vaccines, patient testimonials, statistics and the location of Issels clinics near you.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, Uncategorized

Leigh University Professor Creates Low-Cost Blood Test for Cancer

Low Cost Blood Tests For Cancer
Low Cost Blood Tests For Cancer

Diagnosing cancer has just gotten easier and more affordable. Dr. Yaling Liu from Leigh University is working on perfecting a simple blood test that will be able to detect a wide range of cancers. The hope is that patients will be able to receive a diagnosis much earlier, which will help them receive necessary treatment well before the disease has taken hold.

The other main benefit of this blood test is that it eliminates the need for more invasive tests. While medical technology and cancer treatment has grown by leaps and bounds over the years, some of the tests are still quite archaic and hard on the patient. If people are experiencing mild symptoms, they may be more apt to get them checked out instead of ignoring them if they know that they can quickly get answers through a simple blood test.

The test uses a chip to detect cells that could potentially be cancerous. At its most basic level, it sorts through the cells in your blood sample and collects any that contain mutations. While it is not a fail-proof method, the initial results will tell patients and doctors whether more testing is needed. The test does not indicate what type of cancer is present. While the chip test has the potential to become a home test, some worry that making it readily available to all patients would cause unnecessary panic.

Scientists are still working on perfecting the test and thinking about the larger implications, but the potential is exciting. Early diagnosis of cancer may now be as simple as getting a blood test. To learn more and pose questions, visit the Issels website today.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, Uncategorized

An Update on the Early Detection of Prostate Cancer

Early Cancer Detection
Early Cancer Detection

At Issels®, our goal is providing each cancer patient alternative programs that include personalized treatment to address their needs. These include non-toxic therapies and our non-toxic immunobiologic core treatment for many types of the disease including prostate cancer.

In an article published by UK based, The Telegraph, the question was asked if researchers were making advances in detecting prostate cancer in its early stages as the number of men with prostate cancer was rising significantly. The article stated that from the research findings of Macmillan Cancer Support, the stats show more than 30,000 men living in the UK are in the advanced stages of incurable prostate cancer. Research also indicates that prostate cancer will lead the list as the most common cancer for men by the year 2030.

Along with the rise in diagnosed cases, more men are insisting on in-depth research. To this end, new drugs are currently in development and more research is underway to shed light on the progression and treatment of the disease. Men are also being better educated as to the importance of early detection through self-checks.

According to the CEO of Prostate Cancer UK, Owen Sharp, “A man in the UK dies each hour from prostate cancer and another is diagnosed every 15 minutes…” This is unacceptable on every level and is why more research, more testing options, better drugs, and continued awareness by men of the importance of making an appointment with their doctor, early on, is of the utmost importance.

For more information about our alternative programs regarding prostate cancer, please contact our staff via our toll free numbers for the US, Canada, and international inquiries, or use the online form both at our website.