Category Archives: Stage Four Cancer Treatment

Gas Embolotherapy Combined with Ultrasound May Block Cancer Tumor’s Blood Supply

New Cancer Treatments Are Being Studied Worldwide
New Cancer Treatments Are Being Studied Worldwide

Scientists are constantly searching for methods of cancer treatment that will kill tumor cells without affecting healthy tissue, thereby avoiding common side effects. A research team recently found that bubbles may be a surprising vehicle for starving tumors and delivering anti-cancer drugs.

“Starving” Cancer Cells

Tumor cells rely on a steady blood supply to furnish oxygen and nutrients required to multiply and spread to other parts of the body. In its absence, tumors use a process called angiogenesis to create new blood vessels.

Scientists had previously created a class of drugs known as angiogenesis inhibitors, which effectively halt blood vessel development. Embolization is an alternate method that incorporates drugs or nano-sized beads to block blood vessels.

A Non-Surgical Option to Defeat Cancer?

Gas embolization is a variation in which bubbles are used to create a blockage. Prof. Yi Feng and a team of scientists at Xi’an Jiaotong University in China conducted a study using blood vessel-rich intestinal tissue from rats.

In the first step, droplets of dodecafluoropentane, a fluorocarbon often used for conversion to gas microbubbles, were injected into the blood vessels. An ultrasound was then applied in a technique known as acoustic droplet vaporization (ADV).

As a result, the droplets formed bubbles that congregated in an area, with some of them uniting to create larger bubbles, effectively blocking the blood vessels. The team is hopeful that gas embolotherapy may eventually be used as a “double punch” attack on cancer.

Immunotherapy: Individually Created Cancer Treatment

For years, Issels® has helped patients with our non-toxic cancer treatment programs that boost the body’s own immune system. Visit our website for more information.

New Research: Blood Flow Determines Secondary Tumor Locations

New Research: Blood Flow Determines Secondary Tumor Locations
New Research: Blood Flow Determines Secondary Tumor Locations

One of the goals of immunotherapy for cancer is control of metastasis, which is a leading cause of cancer deaths. Results of a recent study concerning metastasis and blood flow could shed some needed light on ways to disrupt the process.

Investigating the “Metastatic Cascade”

In metastasis, tumor cells migrate from the original site via the lymph system or bloodstream to establish secondary tumors. The process involves a series of six steps known as the metastatic cascade.

A team from Frances’s National Institute of Health and Medical Research conducted tests focused on the fourth step, when tumor cells build up in tiny capillaries and pass through the walls into surrounding tissue. During the first phase, they tracked tumor cells in zebrafish embryos.

The Relationship Between Blood Flow and Metastasis

The scientists discovered there was a specific velocity range of blood flow connected with capillaries where the tumor cells stopped traveling. Blood flow was also found to be an essential factor in allowing the capillary lining, or endothelium, to “remodel” around the tumor cells.

Researchers came to the same conclusions in the next phase, involving mice with brain metastases. For the final step, the team observed brain metastases in 100 human patients.

When the scientists compared the brain metastases map to one showing the blood flow of a healthy human, it confirmed the results of the zebrafish tests. Secondary tumors tended to grow in areas with specific blood flow velocity.

Immunotherapy for Cancer: Treating Tumors and Their Environment

At Issels®, we have achieved a great deal of success in helping patients with metastatic and therapy-resistant cancers. Contact us to learn more.

July is Bone Cancer Awareness Month – What to Know

Picture of a bone cross section
Bone Cancer or Sarcoma is in the focus in July

What are the types of bone cancer? Can it be treated with immunotherapy for cancer programs? July is Bone Cancer Awareness Month, making it a good time to share some facts about the disease from the National Cancer Institute.

Basics of Bone Cancer

As the name implies, bone cancer is a malignant tumor that forms in bone tissue. The majority of bone tumors are benign, which means they’re non-fatal and don’t spread.

On the other hand, bone cancer CAN spread to other parts of the body. Regardless of the location of the metastasis, or spread, the disease is still referred to as bone cancer based on its original site.

Types of Bone Cancer

– Osteosarcoma, usually found in the knee or upper arm, develops in hard bone tissue.

– Chondrosarcoma forms in cartilage, which is the tough but resilient tissue that cushions joints.

– The Ewing Sarcoma Family of Tumors, or ESFTs, are thought to arise from primitive nerve tissue in bone or soft tissues.

Bone Cancer Symptoms

Chronic pain or swelling in or near a bone are the most common symptoms of bone cancer, but they could also be indicative of other conditions, so it’s important to be tested.

Treatments for Bone Cancer

Traditional treatments such as surgery and chemotherapy are often used with bone cancer patients. The NCI and other organizations also sponsor frequent clinical trials to investigate immunotherapy for cancer treatments.

Help for Patients with Stage IV Bone Cancer

Visit our website for testimonials from patients with metastasized bone cancer and other forms who have achieved long-term remission with immunotherapy for cancer at Issels®.

Anti-Inflammatory Medicine May Improve Breast Cancer Prognosis

There is New Hope for Breast Cancer Treatment
There is New Hope for Breast Cancer Treatment

In addition to immunotherapy for cancer, many women with breast cancer will undergo surgery as part of their treatment. While cancer may sometimes spread after a mastectomy or lumpectomy, researchers have discovered that a course of anti-inflammatory drugs may reduce the risk.

What Causes Post-Surgery Cancer Spread?

Scientists have been puzzled as to why breast cancer is more likely to spread during the first 18 months post-surgery. According to a study by a research team at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the healing process is the surprise culprit.

As senior author Robert Weinberg explains, the patient’s immune system directs its activity toward healing the wounds left by the surgery. The result is that stray cancer cells are left free to continue growing into new tumors.

In testing on mice, anti-inflammatory drugs were successful in preventing the spread of cancer cells. While research has suggested a similar effect in humans, specific testing is needed for confirmation.

Fighting Stage IV Breast Cancer

Gastroenterologist Andrew Chan has been researching the potential of aspirin as an anti-cancer treatment. While Chan says that studies have demonstrated positive benefits, the focus has been on long-term rather than short-term recurrence.

Researchers are particularly interested in the implications of the MIT study because most breast cancer deaths are a result of metastasis rather than effects of the original tumor.

Treating Advanced Tumors with Immunotherapy for Cancer

Our integrative, non-toxic immunotherapy programs have been successful in treating patients with breast cancer and other types that have reached advanced stages. Contact us to learn why Issels® has been leading the way in effective immunotherapy for cancer treatments.

Some Cancers Cloak Themselves from the Immune System’s Discovery

Some Cancers Cloak Themselves from the Immune System's Discovery
Some Cancers Cloak Themselves from the Immune System’s Discovery

Immunotherapy cancer treatment is designed to aid the body’s immune system in recognizing and attacking tumor cells. Scientists are finally uncovering clues as to how cancer cells are able to evade detection by the body’s natural defenses.

How Cancer Blocks the Immune System

The first steps were taken in 2009 by a team headed up by Dr. Irving Weissman, director of Stanford’s Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine. Their research discovered that some cancer cells are able to emit a “don’t eat me” signal.

High levels of CD47, a transmembrane protein, are found on the surface of more aggressive cancer cells. CD47 then binds with another protein called SIRPalpha on the surface of macrophages, a type of white blood cell, inhibiting their ability to attack cancer cells.

In 2017, Dr. Weissman’s team published the results of a recent study that identified another protein that interferes with macrophage activity. When MHC class 1 binds with a protein known as LILRB1, it’s resistant to an antibody that has been used successfully to counteract CD47 in tests on mice with cancer.

Applications for Immunotherapy Cancer Treatment

Cancer research is complicated by the fact that different types have different “fingerprints.” The studies conducted by Dr. Weissman’s team are helping scientists learn more about strategies to “outwit” cancer cells and their ability to avoid detection.

Issels®: Pioneering Immunotherapy Cancer Treatment

Our founder, Dr. Josef Issels, was ahead of his time in focusing on the immune system as the key to defeating advanced cancer. Contact us to learn more about how we are continuing his legacy of helping patients achieve long-term remission.

Cancer Treatment: Foods to Avoid While in Treatment

Cancer Treatment: Foods to Avoid While in Treatment
Cancer Treatment: Foods to Avoid While in Treatment-

When you undergo cancer treatment, chances are good that side effects such as nausea and mouth sores will cause your taste buds to change. Your overall health can also be affected by the nutritional choices you make.

Many types of cancer treatments can weaken your immune system, even after they’re over. As a result, your body is vulnerable to food-borne bacteria and viruses that otherwise might not affect you.

Here are foods you should avoid during and after treatment to reduce the risk of food poisoning, even if they haven’t caused problems in the past.

Proteins

– Smoked fish

– Raw or undercooked beef and seafood, including sushi and sashimi

– Raw, unpasteurized eggs and items such as raw cookie dough that are made with raw eggs

– Undercooked eggs, including soft-boiled, over-easy and poached

– Soft cheeses made from unpasteurized milk, such as Brie, feta and goat cheese

– Deli salads made with chicken, eggs, seafood or ham

– Cold hot dogs or cold deli meat, which should always be cooked until steaming hot

– Refrigerated paté

Produce

– Fresh fruits and vegetables that have not been washed

– Unpasteurized fruit juice or cider

– Raw sprouts

If you’re uncertain about any food items, don’t take chances. Talk to your healthcare team before consuming any questionable products.

Personalized Cancer Treatment from Issels®

Our individually tailored treatment programs are designed to boost the effectiveness of your body’s immune system. In addition, our immunotherapy doesn’t have the debilitating side effects that often accompany traditional forms of cancer treatment.

Contact us for more information about our cancer vaccines and other treatments we have been successfully using for decades.