Ovarian Cancer
Ovarian Cancer refers to the growth of cancerous tumors in a woman’s ovaries. In the beginning stages, the symptoms of the disease are typically vague, such as abdominal discomfort and swelling, bowel problems and appetite loss. Therefore, ovarian cancer is in most cases diagnosed in an advanced stage, when the 5-year survival rate with standard treatments is only around 35%.
Ovarian cancer ranks fifth in cancer deaths among women, accounting for more deaths than any other cancer of the female reproductive system.
Scientists endeavor to find reliable tests to improve early detection. The findings of one promising study were published in the February 16, 2002 issue of the medical journal, The Lancet. Preliminary research suggests that a sensitive technique called mass spectroscopy which analyzes protein patterns in a blood sample could be used to screen for ovarian cancer in the early stages.
Years may pass before such tests will be readily available, and it is crucial for patients in the advanced stages of ovarian cancer, who missed the chance of early detection, to know of their treatment options now.*
At the Issels Medical Center we have integrated advanced, research-based alternative/complementary and conventional therapies into a comprehensive immunobiological treatment concept that has a 50 year history.
Treatment
The Treatment Program is a comprehensive strategy for ovarian cancer of all types and stages.*
It is a two-pronged attack and consists of:
- Non-toxic Immunobiological Treatments designed to attack the cancer and at the same time restore the natural mechanisms of regulation, repair and defense.
- Standard Treatments aimed at the removal or reduction of the cancerous cells and tumors, when indicated and possible.
Each treatment program is specifically designed to meet the individual patient's needs and consists of components that complement one another.
>>> For ADDITIONAL INFORMATION on Treatment and Costs please click here or call 1.888.374.7735
Rationale
In ovarian cancer patients, as in all cancer patients, the body's regulatory, repair and immune mechanisms fail to prevent formation of a cancerous tumor. This failure is called by some researchers a "regulatory freeze" or "tolerance," which is due to a combination of causal factors that vary from one individual patient to the other.
The comprehensive immunobiological treatment offered at the Issels Medical Center aims to break through the "regulatory freeze". It is a unique blend of treatment modalities that complement and enhance one another in an effort to attack the cancer and at the same time restore the body's regulatory, repair and immune systems.
Evidence is growing that in addition to genetic disposition, western lifestyle, nutritional imbalances, hormonal and psychological factors, as well as environmental challenges along with many other immune suppressive factors, play an important part in the development of ovarian cancer.
There are various types of cancer cells that can develop into ovarian cancer. The criteria of diagnosing and staging are the same for every patient. However, even if the histological diagnosis shows the same type of cancerous cell and the staging shows the same state of progression, every patient has her own individual cancer as a result from many different combinations of causal factors ranging from inherited constitution and disposition to adapted lifestyle.
Findings of modern research indicate that it is not only the type of cancerous cells that determines the course of the disease, but also the extra-cellular matrix, the medium on which these cells grow, i.e. the internal bodily environment, and the power of the natural defenses against cancer.
Cancer cells develop in every human being, in fact in every vertebrate organism, according to L. Thomas and other researchers. However, not every newly produced cancer cell leads to a tumor, as the body possesses a natural defense system, an immune surveillance according to M. Burnet. An intact immune system and intact regulation of physiological cell death, called apoptosis, protect the organism from the development of a cancerous tumor. Therefore, it is of great importance to restore the natural regulatory, repair and immune mechanisms, as a part of the healing strategy, or as prevention from the outbreak or progression of the disease.
Statistical studies show that the incidence of recurrent cancer can be reduced considerably, if the patient takes action to strengthen her immune system instead of wasting precious time by passively waiting for the next test results.
Surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, although having made great strides in their ability to eradicate cancer cells and tumors, are merely aimed at the malignancy and ignore, and sometimes aggravate, the underlying condition, which led to the formation of the tumor in the first place.
Unless the preconditions for the growth of cancerous tumors are corrected, the high risk of disease progression and recurrence remains.
* DISCLAIMER: The extent of the response to treatment varies from patient to patient, even with similar diagnosis as the internal bodily environment is unique to each individual patient.
>>> For ADDITIONAL INFORMATION on Treatment and Costs please click here or call 1.888.374.7735