Cancer Treatment
Comprehensive Immunobiological Treatment of Cancer Patients
The treatment strategy at the Issels Medical Center is based on one of the most comprehensive concepts integrating advanced, research-based alternative/complementary and conventional therapies, the best of "both worlds", according to individual needs.
It is the concept developed by Dr. Josef M. Issels, who became internationally known for his pioneering work in cancer medicine.
The therapeutic aim at the Issels Medical Center is to --
- attack the cancer; AND
- restore the body's own cancer fighting mechanisms by normalizing the inherent regulatory, repair and defense mechanisms that prevent the development of cancer tumors in a healthy person.
Treatment protocols are individualized and integrate advanced and research-based immunobiological methods. They can be administered in conjunction with conventional treatments, as follow-up treatment or on their own if conventional therapy is not applicable.
The Treatment at the Issels Medical Center complements the conventional treatments of cancer in the following fundamental ways:
- Conventional treatments are focused on the tumor and its symptoms.
- IMC treatment also addresses preconditions that have contributed to the development of the tumor.
Diagram of the Issels Treatment Concept
C = Causes and preconditions for the development of the tumor |
T = Manifestation of the cancer tumor and tumor symptoms |
| Treatment at the Issels Medical Center IMC Treatment of the internal bodily environment, the "soil" that provides the preconditions for the development of the primary and secondary tumor, as well as for tumor regression. |
Conventional Cancer Treatment |
After the manifestation of the tumor, conventional cancer therapy goes into action with the weapons directed against the tumor and its symptoms. Depending on the type, location and stage of the cancer, surgery, radiation, chemotherapy and hormone therapy are administered, either each treatment on its own, mostly, however, a combination of all of them. In conventional cancer medicine the latter approach is considered comprehensive.
According to the Issels concept, cancer treatment is considered comprehensive and optimal, if it--
- does not only focus on the cancer cells and tumors;
- places equal importance on the whole person, on the internal bodily environment that provides the preconditions for the development of the tumor. The internal bodily environment also provides the preconditions for complete long-term tumor regression.
Comprehensive, immunobiological, non-toxic treatment of the whole person is needed by all cancer patients regardless of the type, site and stage of the cancer.
If the preconditions for the development of the cancer tumor are eliminated, the cancer cannot survive and cannot recur.
Conventional cancer treatments fulfill their task by removing the tumor and eradicating as many cancer cells as possible.
The comprehensive immunobiological treatment addresses the otherwise neglected issues which have contributed to the formation of the tumor in the first place, and which usually remain chronically active after surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. Hence, the high rate of recurrence.
Treatment at the Issels Medical Center aims at:
- removing causal factors;
- repairing damages; and
- restoring immune and regulatory mechanisms
>>> For ADDITIONAL INFORMATION on Treatment and Costs please click here or call 1.888.374.7735
Treatment Programs
Our comprehensive individualized treatment programs are established after extensive, non-invasive diagnostic procedures including conventional, as well as modern complementary diagnostic tools, which go beyond the primary cancer diagnosis. Thorough examination and evaluation of a wide range of factors on the physical, psychological and social levels help determine each patient’s unique needs.
The components of each treatment program complement and enhance one another with the aim to attack the cancer tumor and at the same time restore the natural cancer fighting properties.
Issels Medical Center therapies have no or few side effects to some patients. They are integrated into a comprehensive treatment protocol according to the following strategy:
- Elimination of causal factors that were found to impair the individual patient’s regulatory, repair and defense functions.
These may include: - Nutritional imbalances;
- Abnormal bacterial intestinal flora;
- Chronic infections;
- Heavy metal toxicities;
- Environmental, occupational and lifestyle factors;
- Psychological factors.
- Treatment of damages and metabolic disturbance to restore a healthy bodily environment and enhance immunity:
- Therapy to improve elimination of metabolic residues, toxic metabolites due to the disease and its treatment (in the case of cancer: chemotherapy, radiation), and/or due to other previous toxin exposure;
- Oxidative therapies to activate cellular respiration;
- Glandular therapy and compensation of losses by the administration of glandulars;
- Enzymatic therapy with proteolytic enzymes to aid in digestion and elimination of immune suppressive factors such as immune complexes;
- Nutritional immunotherapy;
- Intravenous Nutrition with supplementation of vitamins, minerals, oligo elements, amino acids, etc.;
- Psychological guidance;
- Physical therapy, acupuncture, colon hydrotherapy, massages according to individual needs.
- Treatment with advanced natural anti-cancer preparations.
- Education in a healthy lifestyle, nutrition etc.
Concept of the Development of Cancer and Its Treatment
(Explanation of Diagram)Findings of basic and clinical research indicate that malignant tumors do not develop in a healthy body with intact regulatory, repair and defense functions. They present in a specific internal bodily environment, which promotes their growth. This environment develops over a period of time due to multiple causes and conditions, which usually persist and remain chronically active even after removal of the tumor (by surgery, radiation, and/or chemotherapy). These remaining causes are considered to be responsible for the formation of new (secondary) tumors, which occur after conventional treatment in every second cancer patient, according to World Statistics.
Hence, treatment of the internal environment by eliminating causal factors and preconditions that can lead to the development of a cancer tumor is as important as the treatment of the tumor itself.
The path to cancer and chronic degenerative disease stretches over various latent stages until the symptoms present.
Causal factors such as nutritional imbalances, chronic infections, emotional stress, environmental challenges, etc. can over time damage organs and organ systems.
Damage to the detoxification and excretory systems in particular will deteriorate the internal bodily environment and lead to a complex metabolic disturbance, which is common to all chronic degenerative diseases and cancer.
Persistence of causal factors and damage to organs will inevitably impair the body's regulatory, repair and defense functions. This can lead to an internal environment, or "milieu" which, depending on inherited disposition and environmental influences, will promote the development of cancer and/or chronic degenerative diseases.
With the manifestation of the tumor, cancer enters the recognizable phase. Conventional cancer treatment goes into action with the weapons directed against the cancer tumor and cells.
According to the concept that cancer starts as a locally confined growth, all measures concentrated on the cancer tumor and cells, seem causal and exhaustive.
Treating the tumor alone, however, is not treating the condition that is producing it, i.e. the underlying systemic disease. Consequently there is a high rate of recurrence.
The holistic concept considers cancer a systemic disease from the onset and the cancer tumor as its main symptom. Therefore, it calls for a comprehensive treatment strategy.
The comprehensive treatment at the Issels Medical Center takes into account that the body's regulatory, repair and defense systems are very complex mechanisms embracing virtually the whole organism. For example, the defense system is not only comprised of the immune system (zone 3), but of four successive defense zones.
- The first defense zone is the extracorporeal zone. It is made up of the "healthy flora" found on many epithelial surfaces such as the mucous membranes of the eyes, mouth, colon etc. It contributes greatly to the "basic immunity of the organism".
- The second zone, the epithelial defense zone, is comprised of the skin, the linings of every serous membrane (pleura, peritoneum etc.) and mucous membrane (sinuses, lungs, gut), as well as the linings of every duct, gland, cavity and excreting passage channel and tube in the body. Epithelial cells function to protect, absorb, filter and excrete. In cancer, the elimination of metabolic and tumor-related toxins depends largely on the normal functioning of epithelial cells. If they are unable to eliminate these rapidly accumulating toxins, all of the defense zones will be negatively affected.
- The third defense zone is the lympho-reticular zone, known as the immune system. This zone is a body-wide network of fixed and mobile cellular tissue, which provides defense by macrophage activity and immunologic mechanisms (lymphocytes such as T-cells, B-cells, natural killer cells etc.). It includes the entire lymphatic system as well as the reticulo-endothelial system of monocytes and macrophages found in high concentration in the liver (Kupffer's cells), Waldeyer's tonsillar ring, Peyer's patches, and the spleen. The third defense zone performs the important tasks of phagocytosis and antibody production as well as detoxification.
- The fourth zone, the reticulo-histiocytary zone, is the most massive of the defense zones. It is also referred to as the pluripotent mesenchyme and consists of the connective tissues, which support and unite other tissues and structures, and account for nearly half of the body's weight. The connective tissues are largely comprised of the fluid, semi-fluid and solid extra-cellular matrix, also known as ground substance, which plays an important part in ground regulation.
The fourth zone is of great importance to all defense processes with its various vital functions, for example: the stem cell function and subsequent formation of all types of blood cells; transit function allowing communication and interactivity of nerves, organs, blood cells, the lymph system and the gut; maintenance of homeostasis of the body, i.e. protection of the internal environment; defense; detoxification and storage, both of nutrients and toxins. Toxins that the body cannot eliminate are largely stored in the connective tissues and hamper its vital tasks.
The defense zones are closely interrelated and under the control of our autonomic nervous system. The "blockade" of only one function of one of these zones, for example of the excretion (zone 2), can contribute indirectly to a lowering of the defense potential.
The strategy at the Issels Medical Center takes all of these issues into account and administers treatments that work on the various levels of defense, regulation and repair to help the body heal.
>>>For ADDITIONAL INFORMATION on Treatment and Costs please click here or call 1.888.374.7735
* 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 treatments and costs please click here.