Category Archives: Stage Four Cancer Treatment

When it comes to cancer treatment at Issels®, no one can speak about it more eloquently than our patients. Here’s what they have to say in their testimonials about our integrative immunotherapy programs.

In Our Patients’ Own Words: The Issels® Difference

Gerhard Uhlemann was diagnosed with an epipharynx tumor of the head and neck. As he explains, “I was 12 years old and I am still thankful that Dr. Issels saved my life. Back then the University Clinic gave me two weeks to live.” After treatment, Uhlemann remained cancer-free for more than 30 years.
At the age of six, Emma Banks was diagnosed with a Wilms tumor. Two years after a nephrectomy of her left kidney, Emma experienced a relapse with two tumors in her left lung. Emma’s mother Susan relates that, thanks to treatment at Issels®, her daughter “has been in remission for almost nine years now without any standard treatment.”
When Kenneth Scoones lost his lymph nodes to melanoma, he was told the cancer had metastasized to his lungs and his life expectancy was one year at most. After four weeks at Issels®, a CT scan revealed that the metastases had disappeared. Scoones states that from his arrival, “The doctors, nurses, all the staff responded, showed care and affection, and compassion – everything that was needed for a patient with this sort of disease.”

Immunotherapy: Going Beyond Standard Cancer Treatment

Our innovative immunotherapy methods boost the natural power of your body’s own immune system. Contact us to learn more about cancer vaccines, NK cells and other non-toxic cancer treatments at Issels®.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, Cancer Treatment, Immuno-Oncology, Immunotherapy, Immunotherapy for Cancer, Stage Four Cancer Treatment

PBS News Hour Features Immunotherapy for Cancer

April 4, 2017 Nancy McCord 1 Comment

Diverse Hands Holding The Word Cancer — Immunotherapy brings breakthroughs to cancer treatment.

As immunotherapy for cancer becomes an increasingly valuable method for fighting tumors, stories have moved from medical journals into the mainstream media. Immunotherapy was the topic of a recent edition of Leading Edge, a weekly science and technology report featured on PBS News Hour.

Immunotherapy: One Woman’s Story

First up were Melinda Welsh, a journalist who was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma, and her oncologist, Dr. Alain Algazi of the University of California, San Francisco. When Melinda’s cancer metastasized, her doctors told her she had no more than a year to live.

Dr. Algazi began treating Melinda with an immunotherapy method known as a checkpoint inhibitor, which releases the “brakes” that prevent the body’s immune system from attacking tumor cells. Melinda then went into remission and continues today, three years after receiving her original diagnosis.

The Immunotherapy Difference

Host Hari Sreenivasan then conducted a discussion with Dr. Jeffery Bluestone, CEO of Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, and New York Times reporter Matt Richter.

Highlights of the conversation include:

• Immunotherapy for cancer differs drastically from other treatments in that it uses the body’s natural power rather than poisons to fight tumors.

• Richter, who has profiled a number of cancer patients, characterized immunotherapy as a “quantum leap” in the fight against cancer.

• Dr. Bluestone cited the example of melanoma, which has gone from 5 percent five-year survival to 40 percent five-year survival.

A Personalized Approach

Our non-toxic immunotherapy for cancer treatments are tailored to meet your specific needs. Visit our website to read and hear success stories from patients who have been treated at our Issels® clinics.

Cancer Survivors, Immunotherapy, Stage Four Cancer Treatment

The Unquestionable Game Changer in Cancer Treatment

April 19, 2016 Chris

As recently as 15 years ago, the chances of survival for a patient whose melanoma had spread to other parts of the body were only slightly more than zero. Today, thanks to advancements in the area of integrative immunotherapy, these patients have a legitimate source of hope.

Paving the way for treatment

Pete Daly was one of those patients for whom a diagnosis of metastatic melanoma meant a bleak future. With immunotherapy entering a clinical trial phase, Daly believed his participation would give meaning to his situation by helping others.

Up to that point, testing had been done only on monkeys. It didn’t take long to see results as within weeks Daly’s doctors found that his tumors were shrinking. Currently, 13 years after testing Daly continues to show no signs of cancer.

Former President Jimmy Carter is another patient who has benefited from integrative immunotherapy. He is also no longer showing signs of the melanoma that had formed in his liver and brain.

Immunotherapy is a “game changer”

Oncologist Dr. Mark Albertini of the Carbone Cancer Center at University of Wisconsin Health credits the courage of patients like Daly for contributing to the development of immunotherapy treatments, which he refers to as “game changers.” Dr. Albertini stresses that early detection is still key to successful cancer treatment.

Issels® has been a pioneer in the use of integrative immunotherapy treatments that are personalized to meet each patient’s individual needs. Visit our website today to learn more about our cancer vaccines and other advanced non-toxic cancer treatment protocols.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Care Tips, Cancer Research, Stage Four Cancer Treatment

What to Understand about Metastatic Cancer

November 10, 2015 Chris

Have you heard reference to the term “metastatic cancer” but you’re unsure what it means? It may sound like a technical term, but it’s a relatively straightforward concept. Here are some facts to help demystify the issue.

Metastatic cancer is also called “stage IV” or “advanced”

All three terms refer to cancer that has spread from its original location to other parts of the body. Metastasis is the process by which cancer cells migrate via the blood or lymph system.

Metastatic tumors are treated the same as the original tumors

The tumors are called by the same name and treated with the same protocols as the primary cancer. If the original location cannot be determined, it’s considered to be carcinoma of unknown primary origin, or CUP. The patient undergoes a series of diagnostic tests to help doctors zero in on possible locations of the main tumor as well as appropriate courses of treatment.

Different forms of cancer are more likely to travel to particular areas

For example, breast cancer most commonly metastasizes to the lungs or bones. In addition, stage IV cancer may spread to one or several additional locations.

Metastatic cancer can be successfully treated

While the spread of tumors is a serious development, medical advances have made significant improvements in life expectancy for stage IV patients. Ongoing tests and studies continue to make breakthroughs in effective protocols.

Our state-of-the-art, non-toxic immunotherapy protocols boost your body’s own ability to fight cancer at any stage. Contact us to learn more about our comprehensive, individualized treatment programs at Issels®.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Stage Four Cancer Treatment

The Realities of Living with Stage 4 Breast Cancer

April 3, 2015 Chris

Breast Cancer Awareness — Stage 4 Breast Cancer

While organizations like Susan G. Komen have promoted the importance of early detection in defeating breast cancer, there is another group that struggles to be heard. Women with Stage 4 metastatic breast cancer (MBC) are working to educate the public about the realities of living with what they refer to as “mets”.

Treating MBC

Cancer becomes metastatic when it travels through the blood to create tumors in the lungs, liver and other parts of the body. Between 20 and 30 percent of women who are diagnosed with early stage breast cancer will develop MBC, which is treatable but not curable.

Jody Schoger, an MBC patient and cancer awareness advocate, explains the difference in philosophy for treating both types. She says that when she received her initial diagnosis, her doctors pulled out all the stops in an attempt to put the tumor in permanent remission. With MBC, however, the best they can hope for is to stabilize the disease so they use a minimum of treatment needed to obtain the maximum effect.

Misconceptions about MBC

Women with MBC are frustrated that the focus on “survivorship” has resulted in a number of erroneous concepts about the disease. Pfizer Oncology surveyed 2,000 people on the topic and found that 60 percent of respondents knew little to nothing about MBC and 50 percent believed that it was a result of patients not taking care of themselves.

At Issels® we see you as an individual, not as your disease. Our treatments are personalized to address your particular needs. Contact us to learn more about our non-toxic alternative treatment program.

Living with Cancer, Stage Four Cancer Treatment

Will In-Home Cancer Tests Be the Future?

December 31, 2014 heavy

Cancer research remains in the news keeping providers, patients, friends and family members up-to-date with current information. At Issels® website, you’ll find a plethora of information about cancer treatments and cancer testing.

A piece of important news was released on August 11, 2014 of interest to doctors and patients who want, or need, to test for colon cancer. According to an article published by HealthDay, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of an at-home colorectal cancer test based on DNA from a stool sample.

This is a giant leap forward in providing an additional option for testing besides the traditional colonoscopy or the use of fecal immunochemical testing (FIT). It was noted in a news release by director Alberto Gutierrez of the Center for Devices and Radiological Health, that the test detected more cancers meaning the test exhibits a high accuracy rating due to the testing of blood and additional testing for abnormal DNA.

Another piece of good news is the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid will be reviewing the possibility of providing coverage, nationwide, of the Cologuard test for people ages 50-85 with no symptoms of the disease and those at an average risk for getting the disease.

Having the option of a noninvasive test would support the fight against the disease as more Americans would be more inclined to use it versus having an invasive colonoscopy that should be done every 10 years starting at age 50.

For information about our many services focused on the health and well being of our patients, contact us by email, or for both patients in the U.S. and abroad, call us.

The Issels News Blog