Individualized Treatment through Chemosensitivity Testing

Micro-Array chemosensitivity testing can greatly reduce the side effects, disappointment and loss of life that doctors and patients experience when using ineffective chemotherapies. The human body and immune system can only withstand a certain amount of extremely toxic medicines.

What if you and your doctor could tell, through tests, the top two chemotherapeutic agents that would work specifically on your dna and the specific type of cancer that you have?

If the cancer has a resistance of somekind, what will break down that resistance and allow the specific chemotherapy to be even more effective? Many malignancies exhibit an initial response to so-called targeted drugs, but then become resistant.

Also, what alternative medicines and supplements work in conjunction with this specific chemotherapy to keep you as strong and healthy as possible while under treatment?

Questions such as this can be answered by chemosensitivity testing, which can and is being done today. However, the vast majority is being done in clinical trails and won't be available to the majority of the public for an unknown amount of time. That is why we send our tests to Europe, where chemosensitivity testing is available in one of the finest laboratories in the world. Our test results are returned within two weeks. In European nations, it is believed that if there is something that may help save lives, let's use it! We strongly abide by this philosophy.

Advantages of Micro-Array Chemosensitivity Testing

In the past oncology sought after a simple test to try to determine which chemotherapeutic agents would work for patients with a certain type of cancer. Therefore, simple points and cellular-viability techniques were used. Micro-Array analysis gives us the ability to test the exprssion of multiple genes at the same time.

Why is this better? ACCURACY, SPECIFICITY AND SPEED

- Previous techniques are based mainly on viability of colormetric techniques and they have a high rate of false positive and false negative results. Those incidents are dramatically reduced when using micro-array.

- Previous techniques require 40 days or more to complete the analysis. Micro-array needs only 6-7 days.

- Previous techniques could only use tissue samples which are not always available or easy to attain especially in advance stages of disease on a patient which has had multiple treatments. Micro-array can be made by isolation of circulating cancer cells.

- Previous techniques cannot provide the clinician with many details about the potentials of cancer for a specific patient. Micro-array can provide information concerning metastitic ability of the tumor, the resistance mechanism and how it can be reversed. These are critical points to focus on during treatment if we are to gain and maintain remission.

- Previous techniques using cell culture development only test a cell line from a tissue sample. The problem with this is that this is only one subclone from the total metastatic cancer cell population. Micro-array involves all the metastatic subclones from the tumor.

What does this mean to you the patient?

- Reduce the guessing game of which chemo MIGHT work for you, thereby decreasing your potential therapy time and trails.

- Increase your chances of winning this battle with cancer.

- Get back to work, home and family as soon and as economically as possible. This should be standard for all people fighting cancer.

What are the negatives of this treatment?

- Unfortunatley, this test is not covered by any insurance companies at this time. Cost for the test including preparation, shipping and handling are paid by the patient.

All of The Healing Arts Cancer and Wellness Center patients, complete this test prior to any other treatment. The results are quick, accurate and specific. By targeting patients' individual needs, we are able to obtain astonishing outcomes.

Individualized Treatment through Nutritional Care

We will design an individualized nutritional program to make your cancer treatments more effective and to keep you as healthy as possible during your fight against cancer. The program will be specifically formulated to your blood laboratory results and your cancer treatments and medicines. The program will include diet, prescription nutrients, supplements and exercise to enhance the effetiveness of your treatments, not interfere with them.

Why is this important?

Genetics. An individual may not only have a pre-disposition to a certain type of cancer, but also the way their body responds to the cancer and treatments. Different cancers use different types of drugs and different drugs cause different nutritional deficiencies. ALL DRUGS cause drug induced nutritional deficiencies, even those that we need. Most all patients receive i.v. vitamins when taking chemotherapy; however, it is a one size fits all dose. It is not specialized to what your body specifically needs. Ask yourself a simple question. Would a 100 pound woman need the same vitamins, minerals, etc. as say a 240 pound man? Of course not.

The longer you can survive with a good quality of life and cellular function, the better your chance of winning the battle. Your body requires a specific program designed for you, your treatments, your lifestyle and your life.

The Healing Arts Cancer and Wellness Center has many years of experience working with cancer patients and their particular needs. Onchologists, Internist, and other specialists usually are not specialized in clinical nutrition. However, clinical nutrition is our area of expertise and an additional three years of study beyond our doctoral degrees. The Meymand doctors have received their education and training from all over the world. Whenever a treatment, new or ancient, is proven successful, one of the doctors will learn about it, and bring it to our clinic for you.

Your first appointment will last approximately one hour. During this hour, we will review your in-depth medical history and treatments. There will be an 8-10 hour analysis of your lab work, treatments, diet, nutrition and medications to develop a program that complements your needs. In 4-7 days, you will be scheduled for a report of findings. Dr. Meymand will go over the report and outline the clinical program designed for you, based on those results. This appointment also takes approximately one hour and can easily occur over the telephone for out of town/country patients.