Tag Archives: Cancer Treatment

Tumor Heterogeneity: Why Some Tumors Metastasize or are Drug Resistant

Each Body Is Unique, and So Is Curing Each Cancerous Tumor.
Each Body Is Unique, and So Is Curing Each Cancerous Tumor.

For decades, scientists have tried to uncover the mysteries behind the complex behaviors of cancer cells. Thanks to gene sequencing and other molecular diagnosis tools, they are beginning to understand the process behind metastasis and drug resistance.

Solving the Puzzles of Metastasis and Drug Resistance

Cancer treatment is sometimes hampered by two significant problems:

Metastasis, or stage IV cancer, occurs when cancer cells migrate from the original site to other parts of the body. Surgery is no longer an option at stage IV, which significantly reduces survival rates.

• Drug resistance sets in when treatment reaches a point where cancer cells are no longer vulnerable to attack and they resume spreading.

Scientists have discovered that cancer cells can vary greatly between the original site and metastatic site, and even within a single tumor. This characteristic is referred to as tumor heterogeneity.

How Does Tumor Heterogeneity Affect Cancer Treatment?

Research has uncovered significant evidence demonstrating that cancer cells continue to evolve.

Gene mutations can create a subset of cancer cells with the ability to break away from the original tumor site.

• Drugs that target specific cancer cells can lose effectiveness as the original mutations are lost.

Doctors are using this knowledge of tumor heterogeneity to prescribe combination therapies that attack multiple genetic and molecular targets.

Issels®: A Pioneer in Combination Therapies

Our individual immunotherapy programs are integrative, combining treatments that work together to form a comprehensive attack on cancer cells. Contact us to learn why Issels® is the right choice for powerful and non-toxic cancer treatment for patients in late and early stages.

What to Know About Sarcomas – Soft Tissue and Bone

Being Aware of the Signs of Cancer Can be an Effective Way to Catch Cancer Before its Too Late.
Being Aware of the Signs of Cancer Can be an Effective Way to Catch Cancer Before its Too Late.

Sarcoma is a relatively rare form of cancer, so it doesn’t have the same public awareness as leukemia, breast cancer or other well-known types. Here’s what you should know about this “forgotten cancer.”

What Is Sarcoma?

Sarcomas can be found anywhere within the body. They fall into two general types: soft tissue sarcoma, which occurs in muscles, blood vessels and connective tissue, and bone sarcoma.

Approximately 15,000 new cases of sarcoma are projected to be diagnosed in the United States during 2017. While the five-year survival rate is around 50 percent, sarcomas are known to frequently recur and metastasize.

5 Important Facts About Sarcoma

• Sarcomas account for only about one percent of adult cancer diagnoses, but they make up roughly 15 percent of cancers diagnosed in youngsters under the age of 20.

• While sarcomas can be found anywhere in the body, 50 to 60 percent of soft tissue sarcomas occur in the arms and legs.

• Most sarcomas arise from unknown causes. Certain genetic conditions or exposure to toxins can increase risk.

• Due to its rareness and lack of symptoms in the early stages, sarcoma is difficult to detect and diagnose.

• Few doctors have much experience with cancer treatment for sarcoma, so it’s essential to follow up a diagnosis with a second opinion from a specialist.

Personalized Cancer Treatment at Issels®

Whether you’ve been diagnosed with a rare cancer like sarcoma or a more common form such as lung cancer, we will create a specific immunotherapy cancer treatment to address your individual needs. Contact us to learn more about the Issels® difference.

New Blood Test May Identify Early Cases of Pancreatic Cancer

Tests Have Found Blood Can Help Identify Signs of Pancreatic Cancer.
Tests Have Found Blood Can Help Identify Signs of Pancreatic Cancer.

While pancreatic cancer is relatively rare in the United States, it’s one of the more deadly forms of the disease. According to a recently published study, a new blood test may be able to detect pancreatic cancer during its earliest and most treatable stages.

Solving the Puzzle of Early Detection

Experts predict that pancreatic cancer will become the second leading cause of cancer deaths by 2020. The main problem is late detection, with five-year survival rates coming in at less than 10 percent.

Scientists working on methods of early detection ran into a catch-22. Studies to identify potential markers relied on tumor samples from patients who were already in advanced stages of pancreatic cancer.

A Biomarker Breakthrough

The recent study was conducted by a joint University of Pennsylvania/Mayo Clinic team. Senior investigator Dr. Ken Zaret explained that reprogrammed cells were transplanted into mice, where they developed into invasive pancreatic tumors.

Samples from the lesions and tumors were then taken from the mice and used to identify proteins they secreted. Elevated levels of one protein, called THB52, was found to accurately distinguish between the affected and healthy controls, as well as between pancreatic cancer and other forms.

Dr. Zaret and his team are continuing their research with larger samples and more cross-validation. Researchers are hopeful that their work will lead to a viable test for people at high risk for pancreatic cancer.

Immunotherapy for Cancer at Issels®: Treatment for All Stages

We have used personalized immunotherapy for cancer programs to successfully treat patients with all forms of cancer in early and late stages. Contact us for more information.

Synthetic Biomarkers May Aid in Early Detection of Ovarian Cancer

Early Treatment of Ovarian Cancer is Important

Ovarian cancer is notoriously difficult to detect in the early stages, resulting in poor survival rates for patients. MIT engineers have developed a synthetic biomarker that could detect ovarian tumors five months earlier than current testing methods.

Early Cancer Treatment of Ovarian Tumors

Five-year survival rates surpass 90 percent when ovarian cancer is detected early. Unfortunately, the disease is usually asymptomatic in the earlier stages. Any symptoms that do present tend to be non-specific, such as fatigue and weight loss.

Current testing looks for the presence of blood biomarkers produced by ovarian tumors, but it can take eight to 10 years for them to reach a high enough concentration to be detected. Ultrasound imaging reveals only tumors that are at least one centimeter in diameter.

Synthetic vs. Natural Biomarkers

Synthetic biomarkers are nanoparticles that interact with tumor proteins. The process releases fragments that can be detected in a patient’s urine, resulting in a more accurate test than one conducted on natural biomarkers in the bloodstream.

Professor Sangeeta Bhatia and her team at MIT engineered a synthetic biomarker to be approximately 15 times better than a previous version. The nanoparticle was then tested against a blood biomarker in mice with ovarian cancer.

The synthetic biomarker was able to detect ovarian cancer composed of tumors as small as two millimeters in diameter. Researchers are now testing the possibility of using this method with other types of cancer.

Personalized Cancer Treatment at Issels®

Every case of cancer is unique, so we use specialized testing to determine the best approach for each patient. Contact us for more information about our immunotherapy cancer treatment programs.

Targeted Cancer Drugs May Protect Fertility in Female Cancer Patients

There is New Hope for Cancer Patients.
There is New Hope for Cancer Patients to Have Children After Treatment

Women of child-bearing age who are undergoing cancer treatment are often vulnerable to infertility. Researchers recently discovered that a certain type of targeted cancer drug may block this unfortunate side effect of chemotherapy.

How Cancer Treatment Affects Fertility

Chemotherapy drugs work by targeting rapidly developing cells and damaging cellular DNA. Oocytes, or immature egg cells, are hypersensitive to DNA damage in order to “retain genomic fidelity.”

In addition, chemotherapy triggers a signaling pathway in the ovaries, resulting in premature maturation of primordial follicles. This process is often referred to as follicular burnout.

Currently there are two primary options for women to preserve their fertility while receiving chemotherapy:

• Goserelin (trade name Zoladex®) and leuprolide (trade name Lupron®) are drugs that temporarily shut down the ovaries.

• Cryopreservation involves harvesting eggs and freezing them for future use or fertilizing them outside the body and freezing the embryos.

Can Targeted Cancer Drugs Help to Preserve Fertility?

mTOR inhibitors have been approved for clinical use as they undergo continued testing for application as targeted cancer drugs. Since mTOR is a vital element in an ovary’s signaling pathway, researchers suspect that blocking the enzyme could protect the reserve of primordial follicles.

During the study, female mice who received chemotherapy only experienced follicular burnout, while those who received mTOR inhibitors as supplements maintained the reserves of primordial follicles. The latter also became pregnant at normal rates, while the former were primarily infertile.

What Is the Issels® Difference?

Immunotherapy boosts the ability of your body’s immune system to target and destroy cancer cells. Contact us for more information about our state-of-the-art, personally-tailored cancer treatment programs.

CAR T-Cells May Be an Effective Immunotherapy for Multiple Myeloma

Is Issels Genomic Testing for Personalized Treatment For You
Is Issels Genomic Testing for Personalized Treatment For You?

Researchers have been focusing on CAR T-cells as the basis for a promising immunotherapy cancer treatment. Recent trials show encouraging results for the use of CAR T-cells in fighting advanced multiple myeloma.

CAR T Cells: A New Approach in Cancer Treatment

Scientists are excited about CAR T-cell therapy because it uses a patient’s own immune cells to treat cancer. The cells are gathered from the patient’s blood, engineered to produce chimeric-antigen receptors (CARs), and multiplied in the lab to reach quantities in the billions.

At that point, the cells are reintroduced into the patient’s bloodstream, to where they attach themselves to specific targets on cancer cells. CAR T-cell products, currently awaiting FDA approval, target the CD19 antigen in leukemia and lymphoma.

Can CAR T-Cells Treat Different Cancers?

Two CAR T-cell trials were recently conducted in the United States and China. Results were presented last June at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Chicago.

Both trials examined the use of CAR T-cells that target B-cell maturation antigens (BCMA), which are proteins found in myeloma cells. Most of the patients in the studies achieved positive results, with many experiencing complete remission.

CAR T-cell research is still in the early stages. Testing will continue to validate these findings and determine whether CAR T-cell therapy is a viable treatment method for cancer patients.

Issels®: A Pioneer in Immunotherapy

We have a history of successful use of vaccines, NK cells and other cancer treatment methods. Contact us to learn more about why Issels® is the leader in personally developed immunotherapy programs.