Immunotherapy is the fastest-growing field in oncology. Its effectiveness continues to improve. More and more cancers are being treated using immunotherapeutic techniques, with the greatest successes achieved in the fight against lung cancer, kidney cancer, melanoma, lymphoma, acute leukemia, multiple myeloma, and myelodysplastic syndrome. There are virtually no cancers for which immunotherapy is not already being used. It has rapidly evolved from an experimental technique to a standard of care in cancer treatment. However, this is a high-tech field of medicine, so for good treatment results, you should contact the leading immunotherapy clinics in Germany. You can choose a suitable center for cancer treatment abroad on the Booking Health website.
Cancer immunotherapy and its benefits
Immunotherapy is a branch of oncology that uses cytokines, monoclonal antibodies, human immune cells, viruses, and other factors to enhance the anti-tumor immune response. Carrying out cancer immunotherapy in Germany allows you to achieve excellent oncological results with a low risk of toxic reactions. The advantages of this method are as follows:
Selective action on tumor cells, which makes most techniques safe and well-tolerated
Combination with other cancer treatments - immunotherapy is usually used to complement, rather than replace, other drug therapies
For many cancers, immunotherapy has proven to be more effective than chemotherapy, hormone therapy and targeted therapies
In the case of highly immunogenic tumors, immunotherapy allows some patients to achieve a complete objective response, which is the complete disappearance of all tumors according to radiation diagnostics data
The treatment is usually short and the patient does not need to stay in the hospital for a long time
Immunotherapy has already made a breakthrough in the treatment of several types of cancer, such as acute leukemia, lung cancer, melanoma, and others. It is developing rapidly, and soon even the most aggressive cancers will be successfully controlled with immunotherapeutic techniques even at advanced stages.
What types of immunotherapy are used in German clinics
Immune checkpoint inhibitors are the most common immunotherapy method used for most cancers. Many drugs of this group have been developed that affect PD-1, PD-L1, CTLA-4, and LAG-3 molecules. The principle of action is to suppress the mechanisms that help tumor cells to pretend to be normal and thus evade attacks of the immune system.
CAR T-cell therapy is an advanced cancer treatment method that refers not only to immune therapy but also gene therapy. Immune cells are taken from a person, their genomes are changed and returned to the body. The renewed cells attack the tumor. The method works well even in the advanced stage, providing a partial or even complete response in most patients. CAR T-cell therapy does best in hemoblastosis, such as acute leukemia, while success in treating dense malignant tumors has so far been more modest. However, the method is evolving, so doctors will be able to overcome these limitations in the coming years. The widespread use of CAR T-cell therapy has so far been limited by its high price. Therefore, the procedure is mainly used in the most severe cases, when other treatment options do not work.
Cancer vaccines are the most promising area of immunotherapy for cancer. So far, there are not many vaccines that have been approved for clinical use, but hundreds are undergoing clinical trials. In Germany, some clinics are already using dendritic cell-based vaccines for many types of cancer. The essence of the vaccine is to immunize the body to better recognize the tumor and attack it with its own immune system. For example, doctors can take immune cells from your blood, allow them to mature into dendritic cells, treat them with tumor antigens, and return them to your body. The dendritic cells will train T-cells to recognize the tumor, leading to a stronger anti-tumor immune response.
Other areas of immunotherapy include monoclonal antibodies, cytokines, immunomodulators, oncolytic viruses, and TIL therapy. All modern methods are available in leading German clinics. Check the cost of treatment and make an appointment for convenient dates through the Booking Health service. Leave a request on the website, attaching medical documents. We will call you and advise you on the possibility of immune therapy in Germany, taking into account your diagnosis.
