Tag Archives: Tumor

Gene Therapy, Epigenetic Gene Therapy

August 14, 2014

Gene Therapy Is an Effective Cancer Treatment Alternative

Gene TherapyCancer has continued to threaten the very existence of the human race. Being a disease with numerous causes, it has become so hard to evade it completely. This has led to doctors trying to find the best ways of curbing it or better yet do away with it completely. Researchers have given foundations upon which these alternative cancer treatments can be based. The researchers have even studied and known the cancer cell survival mechanisms and this has led to emergency of very many alternatives that all affect the cancer cell survival in a way. Just like farmers know-the best way to do away with a weed is to uproot it completely as it will not grow again lest another seed is planted. The best way to treat cancer is to find a way of doing away with it from the roots. Unfortunately most of the cancer treatments that our loved ones are subjected to are only focused on killing the cancer cell and reducing the severity of the symptoms. This is why there are cases of repeated chemotherapies that instead of helping in killing the cancerous cells only make the cancerous cells more resistant to the drugs. Our environments expose us to myriads of carcinogens that affect the DNA make up of our body cells. There are very dangerous heavy metals that will make us prone to cancer when we interact with them consistently and this is a problem that has been facing industrial workers over the years. Upon intrusion into the body they are likely to affect our DNA make up resulting in gene mutation which is synonymous to cancer. Genes play an important role in cancer treatment and so therapies that target the gene may go a long way in healing the cancer patients, that is Gene Therap

Changes that take place in a gene are most likely to cause cancer .these changes that take place in a gene that increases cancer risk may happen due to exposure to environmental carcinogens like smoking tobacco and other potential gene mutants that emanate from the surrounding. However a person may inherit faulty genes from the parents making him have a higher risk of getting cancer. A person may inherit faulty genes from the parent but if he adopts a healthy lifestyle and evade all the potential gene mutants then he may not get the disease.

What is gene therapy?

Cancer being caused by gene mutations it is better to have a way of treating the cancer by repairing the faulty genes or better yet replacing them with functional genes so that the routine gene functions are revived. Gene therapy is a way of repairing genetic problems. This can be achieved by adding a functional copy of the defective gene. When a functional copy of a faulty gene is added, the tissues  and organs that might have been affected by the gene mutations will begin to function in the right way. The gene therapy works better because unlike other cancer treatments that only treat the symptoms it goes deeper correcting all the genetic problems.

In cancer treatment most commonly, gene therapy uses a vector, typically a virus, to deliver a gene to the mutated cells where it’s needed to enable proper functions of the cell. Once its inside, the cell’s gene-reading machinery uses the information in the gene to build RNA and protein molecules. The proteins (or RNA) can then carry out their job in the cells. When the normal functioning of the genes is achieved the cancer cell duplication is inhibited and this is a better strategy in cancer treatment.

Scientists are still developing several gene-therapies that will be very helpful in cancer treatment. One of the best therapies so far discovered is the use of a modified version of herpes simplex 1 virus. Herpes simplex 1 virus is known to cause cold sores yet it has been found to have the ability to effectively fight cancer especially the cancer of the skin (melanoma) that has spread in the body.

To make the use of herpes simplex 1 virus safer, the doctors will modify the virus in such a way that it will not cause the cold sores that it is known for. This treatment is referred to T- VEC. This treatment is also safer than other conventional cancer treatments as it does not affect the healthy body cells but is very effective in destroying the cancer cells. It stimulates the immune system enabling it to spot the cancer cells present in the body and fighting them. When the virus is injected into the tumor it produces more of itself by replication inside the tumor until they burst thereby producing even more of them that can infect many more cancer cells.

Gene TherapyIn a trial to show the effectiveness of the gene therapy, 59 patients suffering from the cancer of the blood had their immune systems cells removed and treated with a virus that genetically altered their genetic structure in order to spot the proteins that covers the surfaces of the cancer cells. The immune cells were then returned into the patient’s body. More than half of the patients experienced complete remission giving proof to the strength of the gene therapy in cancer treatment.

Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) is an experienced integrative cancer doctor that has helped many cancer patients in their fight against the disease. She has worked hard not only in treating the disease but also in availing informational support to cancer patients at Awaremed which has become a place called home for many cancer patients. Call on her now and get help on cancer.

Gene Therapy Is an Effective Cancer Treatment Alternative

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Oncothermia and Cancer

August 14, 2014

Oncothermia and Hyperthermia As Used In Cancer Treatment

oncothermiaCancer treatment is getting advanced day by day and all this is attributed to the work that scientists have continued to do to find better ways of putting this monster where it belongs-history. Despite the many alternative cancer treatments that we have today, the research work on cancer is yet to stop. There are very many ways through which a cancer patient can be treated and it is better to find an integrative cancer center where the experienced integrative oncologists can find the best treatment that is personalized to suit your situation. The integrative cancer doctors are the best as they are able to incorporate both naturopathic and conventional cancer treatment methods to come up with the best ways to combat the disease. All these improvements in the field of oncology are driven by a common purpose which is to find a treatment that is strategic enough in killing the cancerous cells while having minimal or no side effects at all. Unlike HIV/AIDS cancer is treatable and cancer patients have received treatment even with the conventional cancer treatments but the cancer treatment duration is synonymous to pain due to the hurt that is caused by these treatments. Conventional chemotherapy affects the healthy cells as well as the cancer cells and this leads to side effects that threatens the lives of the cancer patients who have since opted for better ways of cancer treatment that are devoid of all the life threatening side effects that are always the result of haphazard conventional chemotherapy. Some of the improvements that have been made in the field of oncology include. Oncothermia and Hyperthermia.

Hyperthermia

Hyperthermia is a condition in which the body temperatures are higher than the normal degrees. Hyperthermia can be caused by certain diseases but it can also be created by medical experts to help in treatment of certain diseases especially cancer. In this case it is referred to as heat treatment. Higher than normal temperatures are known to cause various health complications but in hyperthermia the heat is under careful control of qualified medical personnel hence cannot kill the patient but only kill the cancerous cells.

Thermal treatment helps in making the cancer cells more vulnerable to treatments like chemotherapy and radiation therapy. High temperatures may also kill the cancer cells instantly. Hyperthermia is very effective in treatment of cancer but it may also lead to the death of healthy cells for this reason it needs to be handled by doctors who are well versed in the area and can take good control of the heat so as to avoid harm to the patient.

The cancer cells are killed when the proteins in them get coagulated and the blood vessels that supply them with nutrients are killed. This leaves a place that is cooked hence no living cancer cell. Various sources of energy can be used in this process including Radio waves, microwaves, and ultrasound waves.

Hyperthermia can be either internally or externally. When done external the source of heat is focused on a specific area of the patients body while in internal ablation involves using a needle that is pricked into the tumor. The needle releases lots of heat at the tip killing the cancerous cells.

Hyperthermia can be used in treatment of cancers that are deeply rooted in the internal organs. It is the method that is used in killing cancer cells in brain tumors. This technique is called Interstitial and it releases lots of heat than the external thermal ablation. Needles that release heat are used in the tumor to kill the cells in it.

Oncothermia

Just like hyperthermia, Oncothermia also involves increase in temperatures of the patients but of course this is a more improved approach towards killing the cancerous cells. Oncothermiahas cell-selective focus on the tumor and it is free from dangerous hot spots. The main advantage of Oncothermia as a cancer treatment alternative is its self-selective ability and its apoptosis oriented cell-killing mechanism. It induces apoptosis in the cancer cells inhibiting their destructive functions. This is not a new alternative to conventional cancer treatments as it has been used in cancer treatments over the past centuries. It is a common cancer treatment in Asia and Europe among other continents.

Oncothermia uses modulated and filtered frequency in a bid to destroy the cancer cells more selectively. Researchers have proved that when the frequency of heat is modulated precisely, energy focus is increased which increases the effectiveness of this method in killing the cancerous cells as well as the safety of the healthy cells. This method is more strategic in targeting the cancerous cells. The tumors are exposed to high temperatures that are regulated by experienced doctors to destroy the blood vessels that the tumor depends on as well as killing the cancerous cells outright. It is not solely about increasing the temperatures but is about how those temperatures can be focused on a tumor for a given time.

oncothermiaThe controlled heat is focused on the organ or region affected by the tumor. The process may involve use of capacitive deep hyperthermia device to stimulate energy absorption by the malignant cells after which the tumors are heated to induce apoptosis. Oncothermia can also be used with conventional cancer treatment methods like chemotherapy as it increases the vulnerability of the cancerous cells to Chemotherapy drugs.

Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) is an experienced integrative cancer doctor that has helped many cancer patients in their fight against the disease. She has worked hard not only in treating the disease but also in availing informational support to cancer patients at Awaremed which has become a place called home for many cancer patients. Call on her now and get help on cancer.

Oncothermia and Hyperthermia As Used In Cancer Treatment

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Dendritic Cell Therapy

August 9, 2014

Dendritic Cell Therapy, Virotherapy and PDT As Used In Cancer Treatment

DendriticCancer treatments has evolved over a time and today there are very alternative cancer treatment methods all these geared towards providing a better cancer treatment to the patients. Cancer patients have always undergone pain and suffering that most conventional cancer treatments expose them to. This is not to say that the conventional cancer treatment methods are ineffective, no they are effective but are always accompanied by some life threatening side effects that doctors have done lots of research to mitigate. Some of the cancer therapies aim at sensitizing the immune system to act against the cancer causing agents. These treatments are good because they initiate or other ‘ignite’ the body’s natural healing ability thereby fighting cancer the natural without exposing the cancer patient myriads of life threatening side effects. Immunotherapy approach to cancer treatment has gained popularity and is now widely used all over the world in cancer treatment. Here are some of the therapies that are used widely in the fight against cancer.

Dendritic Cell Therapy

The dendritic therapy works as a form of vaccine. The dendritic cells produce antigens that are able to sensitize the T cells to both new and recall antigens. The dendritic cells have been said to be most powerful antigen producing cells. The dendritic therapy works by triggering the antitumor activity of the immune system by generating the effector cells that work by attacking the tumors. This is an immunotherapy approach to cancer treatment.

Researchers have done lots of work on the effectiveness of the dendritic therapy in cancer treatment and the research findings have shown that dendritic cells can be injected into the body in the form of a vaccine and help in fighting cancer. If cancer is present in the body, inoculation with new dendritic cells notifies the immune system of the presence of cancer and which then begin vital immune function against the cancer. The dendritic cells help to mobilize the great power of the immune system to identify cancer and fight the cancer cells. These dendritic cells are cultured from the patient’s own white blood cells so they are referred to as autologous.

As always a known role of vaccination; it improves the specific immune function. When an antigen is introduced in the body, the antibodies and the entire immune system is triggered to fight the antigen. This however should be perfected by repeated exposure to the antigen. For this reason the dendritic therapy is done repeatedly to train the immune system to rise against the cancer causing antigens. Patients will be vaccinated with dendritic cells six times at monthly intervals at the beginning of the therapy after which they will be vaccinated once after every six months for duration of three years. These injections help to boost the potency of the vaccine. After the six month interval of injections the patient will begin receiving these injections yearly.

The immune system should be strong enough to spot the cancer cells as they begin to grow. This is because in every human being there are cancer cells that are produced every day. However exposure to carcinogens such as tobacco smoke, radiation, heavy metals, pesticides and food preservatives will make these cells malignant. When the immune system is strong then the cancer cells will be spotted and destroyed early before a person develops clinical cancer and this is the role played by the dendritic therapy as it sensitizes the immune system to rise against the cancer cells.

The dendritic cells improve the immune response to cancer as they move throughout the body scavenging for abnormal cells. They also help as they target cells that might become malignant as a result of virus infections and sensitizing the immune system to destroy them earlier.

Virotherapy

This is a form of cancer treatment that involves the use of biotechnology to convert the viruses into cancer fighting agents. The viruses are programmed by use of biotechnology to attack cancerous cells but the healthy cells are not interfered with/. Such viruses as herpes simplex virus and adenoviruses are used. These treatments target the cells and the DNA.

The idea of using viruses in cancer treatment began as early as 1950s when doctors that cancer patients who suffered a non-related viral infection, or who had been vaccinated recently, improved greatly. This improvement is attributed to the production of interferon and tumor necrosis factors in response to viral infection. Virotherapy targets only cancer cells and so the healthy cells are not affected.

Before being used in some hospitals the Virotherapy was tested on animal models for its effectiveness in fighting cancer. By 1956 some clinics had began using Virotherapy in treatment of cancer patients. However the adoption of this treatment as a main stream cancer treatment was delayed due to inadequate technology by that time.

PDT

In Photodynamic therapy or PDT special drugs called photosensitizing agents are used along with light to kill cancer cells. These drugs work only after getting activated by a special light. This treatment is often called the phototherapy or photochemotherapy.

DendriticThe treatment introduces the photosensitizing agents in the body. The photosensitizing agents can be put through veins into the blood stream or can just be put on the skin. Several minutes pass by for the drug to be absorbed by the cancer cells. A light is then applied on the affected area to induce a reaction between the drug and the oxygen which forms a chemical that destroys the cancer cells. It also works by destroying the blood vessels that supply the cancer cells with nutrients hence they are starved and killed.

Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) is an experienced integrative cancer doctor that has helped many cancer patients in their fight against the disease. She has worked hard not only in treating the disease but also in availing informational support to cancer patients at Awaremed which has become a place called home for many cancer patients. Call on her now and get help on cancer.

Dendritic Cell Therapy, Virotherapy and PDT As Used In Cancer Treatment

 

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Matrix Metalloproteinase Inhibitors

August 6, 2014

Matrix Metalloproteinase Inhibitors Are Gaining Popularity In Cancer Treatment

Cancer cells just like the healthy normal body cells have specific process that have to be accomplished in order for them to survive. Cancer doctors have known this for a long time and most of the alternative cancer treatments that we have today are best on the understanding of certain survival mechanisms. There are certain cancer treatment alternatives that are geared towards making them more vulnerable to chemotherapy drugs and are hence used alongside the chemotherapy as well as other conventional cancer treatment medications like radiation therapy. There are other more effective cancer treatment alternatives that aim at interfering with the cancer cell metabolism mechanisms hence starve them by denying them the ATP energy that they need to accomplish some of their cellular functions like growth and division to give rise to new cancer cell. The use of alternative cancer treatment are gaining popularity not because the conventional cancer treatment medications do not work but to find better ways of treating cancer patients by targeting the cancer cells while safeguarding the healthy body cells. This is a loophole that has to be filled. In conventional medicine the treatment targets killing of the cancer cell but the healthy body cells are also affected by the chemotherapy drugs and they die as well leaving the patient with lots of side effects that are very life threatening. The cancer doctors and researchers are trying to treat cancer strategically so that the patient is not put through the pain of going for repeated chemotherapy. Due to these different alternatives to cancer treatments that work effectively in different cases to combat cancer, the new breed of cancer doctors; the integrative doctors have become a favorite for cancer patients. This is because they are very knowledgeable in oncology and puts in use all the alternative cancer treatments (naturopathic) and the conventional cancer treatment in a bid to achieve a whole person healing of the cancer patient.

One of the best ways of treating cancer is to use inhibitors. These inhibitors affect the normal functioning of the cancer cells and hence a slow their growth and survival rates. Some of these inhibitors are also strong enough to induce apoptosis of the cancer cells. Matrix metalloproteinase inhibitors are some of the inhibitors that help in strategic fighting of cancer.

Matrix metalloproteinases, often known as MMPs are a group of enzymes that are involved in a number of normal cellular processes, such as regulation of endometrial growth and menstruation, and abnormal processes, such as tumor growth, invasion, angiogenesis, and metastasis. Matrix metalloproteinases play a major role in angiogenesis. This is because they degrade the basement membrane and stromal tissue which is an important process for migration of endothelial cells needed to form new blood vessels. They also play an important role in the entry and exit of tumor cells into the blood vessels hence foster metastasis. Due to their critical contributions in angiogenesis and metastasis they can be strategically targeted in cancer treatment by utilizing Matrix metalloproteinases inhibitors that will main all their activities.

Matrix metalloproteinases can be produced in two ways; either the tumor cells produce them themselves or they tissues surrounding the cancer cell produce them. Because of their role in cancer etiology they are highly regulated especially through gene expression. They are secreted in inactive forms and must be cleaved to be active. Moreover they activities are also controlled by the Matrix metalloproteinases inhibitors that surround the tumor cell.

Researchers have done lots of work in trying to investigate if the matrix metalloproteinase inhibitors can be used to maim the functions of the Matrix metalloproteinases and help in cancer treatment. Their research are based on the logic that Matrix metalloproteinases are crucial enzymes for tumor invasion and metastasis and is targeted the spread of cancer can be curbed. This treatment however does address the formation of primary tumors but again it can work in controlling the spread of tumor hence important.

Doxycycline as a Matrix metalloproteinases inhibitor

Doxycycline is a semisynthetic, chemically modified tetracycline compound that is rapidly absorbed and exerts biological effects courtesy of its antimicrobial activity. It has been used in the past in wound treatment and is also one of the most effective Matrix metalloproteinases inhibitor.

Clinical as well as lab tests have been one to show the effectiveness of Doxycycline in inhibiting Matrix metalloproteinases activities. As all these activities were done with a view of finding a possibility of using it in curbing metastasis. The study pointed out that an enzyme; MMP-2 is needed for the cancer cells to dig in or other to penetrate the normal tissues. Doxycycline has an inhibitory effect on the MMP-2 expression. This was verified by a lab test on smooth muscle cells and human aortic aneurysm tissue explants. The test revealed that Doxycycline inhibited the activities of MMP-2 on these tissues. However for effectiveness the concentration of the Doxycycline matters in its activity against the MMP-2. In the normal serum concentration just 5ml of Doxycycline affects the production of MMP-2 greatly.

By use of Matrix metalloproteinases inhibitors like Doxycycline, the cancer treatment becomes more effective and strategic as the cancer cells become targeted. With controlled metastasis and growth of cancer cells the patient can have a longer life and possibly the disease will be managed done with completely by an integrative cancer doctor who will combine other therapies to make the treatment more effective.

Dr. Dalal Akoury is an experienced integrative cancer doctor who has seen very many cancer patients journey to victory in their fight against cancer. She is available for consultations. Just call her now and begin your journey to victory against cancer.

Matrix Metalloproteinase Inhibitors Are Gaining Popularity In Cancer Treatment

 

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Cancer Stem Cells

August 3, 2014

 

Cancer Stem Cells and How They Can Be Handled By Integrative Cancer Centers

 Cancer treatment needs to be effective enough to save the cancer patients from the nightmare of having to go through repeated chemotherapy as that causes not only unbearable pain but also causes lots of financial crisis as repeated chemotherapy is not always cheap. There are very many alternatives to cancer treatment today, thanks to our compassionate cancer doctors and researchers who are not pleased to see how we are losing our loved ones everyday to this monster. All the alternative cancer treatments work well in curbing the spread of the tumors in the patient’s body and trying to kill all the cancer cells so as to restore good health to the cancer patient.

There is a problem however with most of cancer treatment alternatives. This is because most of the cancer treatment alternatives target the circulating tumor cells (CTCs). I don’t mean to say that targeting circulating tumors cells in cancer treatment is wrong; my concern is that very few cancer treatment alternatives target the cancer stem cells. It is important to know what role the cancer stem cells play in cancer cell growth formation so as to understand why it is so important to address them in any cancer treatment.

Cancer Stem Cells

Cancer stem cells are defined as those cells within a tumor that can self-renew and drive tumorigenesis. They are very critical in the formation of new tumors that will continue to grow even when after the parent tumors are killed.

Most, if not all cancers, are propagated by cancer stem cells. The bulk of a tumor consists of cancer cells that are not reproducing, or self-propagating. These unproducing cancer cells are what chemotherapy targets. And if what research findings points out are to be believed, chemotherapy does not kill the cancer stem cells but induces resistance in the cancer stem cells making it even hard for them to be killed by the chemotherapy drugs.

The cancer stem cells need to be killed if the cancer patient is to get an effective cancer treatment as they are the ones responsible for growth of cancer cells. The tumor may be targeted and attacked by the chemotherapy drugs or any other form of cancer treatment but if the cancer stem cells are not killed in the process the growth will re-occur as the cancer stem cells are still alive and are able to facilitate the growth and division of cancer cell.

The research on the roles of cancer stem cells on the tumor growth is an important are of study as cancer stem cells have been found to play the most important role in cancer. This is the fuel that forms the cancer cells. Targeting the circulating tumor cells is like trying to remove a weed by cutting its stem, the weed will obviously do; farmers know this better than we do . Targeting the cancer stem cells on the other hand is like uprooting the weed from its roots. It will not grow again lest another seed is planted. So if you kill the cancer stem cells that plays a major role in division and formation of new cancer cells will make it hard for the disease to recur. Cancer research focuses on stem cells present in malignant tumors. Most Researchers believe that most current cancer treatments mostly fail because they don’t destroy the cancer stem cells.

The conventional cancer treatment methods like chemotherapy, radiation therapy and surgery are not effective in cancer treatment since they do not target the cancer stem cells which are like the root of the weed. Therefore it is advisable to have a cancer patient treated at an integrative cancer treatment centre so that other alternative cancer treatments can be explored in a bid to uproot the disease by killing the cancer stem cells.

It is also very important for cancer to be treated under the supervision of a qualified integrative cancer doctor. The best thing about having your cancer patient treated at an integrative cancer centre is that these centers are well equipped and the doctors are all round doctors who can combine both the conventional cancer treatment methods and the naturopathic cancer treatments to ensure that the disease is fought successfully. AwareMed is an example of an integrative cancer centre that has seen many cancer patients get the best treatment that not only targeted to kill the cancer cell but to ensure a whole person healing. Dr. Dalal Akoury has supervised many cancer patients in their cancer treatments and helped them get healing.  He is one of the few doctors who have embraced the idea of targeting cancer stem cells in cancer treatment to avoid possibility of the disease recurring.

At AwareMed for example the doctors implement the use of natural healing power of diet to target the cancer stem cell by altering their DNA composition making them unable to divide and give rise to new cancer cells. These can also be used alongside chemotherapy to avoid the recurrence of cancer after chemotherapy. Integrative cancer treatment is the best trough which the cancer stem cells can be done away with hence making treatment more effective.

Dr. Dalal Akoury is an experienced integrative cancer doctor who has seen very many cancer patients journey to victory in their fight against cancer. She is available for consultations. Just call her now and begin your journey to victory against cancer.

Cancer Stem Cells and How They Can Be Handled By Integrative Cancer Centers

 

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