Dendritic cell therapy is a type of personalized cancer immunotherapy. Scientists create individual vaccines based on the unique tumor antigens in a particular patient. This novel approach results in the destruction of a tumor and metastases, as well as induction of an immunologic memory to prevent the disease recurrence. Dendritic cell treatment is currently used in the advanced cancer stages, giving patients additional years of life and alleviating cancer symptoms. Clinics in Germany offer comprehensive medical programs that include dendritic cell-based immunotherapy.
Essence of the dendritic cell therapy
To protect us from foreign agents, including cancer cells, the immune system has to be able to, first, recognize and, second, destroy them. Dendritic cells are the professional antigen-presenting agents. They recognize malignant tissues, process them and present to T-killers of the immune system as the molecular target for the attack. Thus, without the scrupulous work of dendritic cells immunity stays “blind”, and oncology develops.
Unfortunately, some tumors can hide from the immune system by masking foreign antigens and blocking the immune response. This is when vaccination against cancer is indicated.
To manufacture the individual vaccine, physicians take up to 200 ml of the patient’s blood or, as a more advanced option, take only leukocytes with the help of leukapheresis. After that, healthcare specialists separate monocytes from the harvested material; monocytes will further develop into the dendritic cells.
Dendritic cells are cultured in the laboratory and “educated” to recognize the specific tumor. To do this, they are mixed with tumor tissue or a mixture of tumor antigens. Once dendritic cells have all the necessary information, the vaccine is manufactured. The whole process may take 7-20 days.
How the procedure is carried out
Vaccination is well-tolerated and in most cases is carried out as the outpatient intervention. The vaccine is injected into the skin or through a vein. If possible, physicians choose the body site that is close to the tumor and surrounding lymph nodes. Anti-inflammatory drugs and interferon can be used additionally for reaching better results.
After the procedure, a patient stays under the medical supervision for several hours. The most severe possible side effects are flu-like symptoms, headaches, and skin redness around the injection site.
Depending on the diagnosis, different vaccination schemes are used. Commonly, doctors start with 4 applications of the vaccine about 4 to 5 weeks apart. In some cases, therapy may last long – up to several years. This additionally contributes to the development of natural anticancer immunity.
Who can undergo the dendritic cell therapy
Treatment with dendritic cell-based vaccines is indicated to patients with different types of oncology, such as:
- Brain cancer (glioblastoma)
- Breast cancer
- Prostate cancer
- Osteosarcoma and soft tissue sarcoma
- Pancreatic cancer
- Liver cancer
- Colon cancer
- Lung cancer
- Melanoma
The ongoing clinical trials will further clarify the efficacy and tolerability of this therapeutic technique. What we can already say is that cancer vaccines are safe and induce anticancer immunity even in people with metastatic tumors.
Hospitals and organization of treatment abroad
Individualized cancer treatment with dendritic cells is carried out at University Hospitals, the most successful of which are:
- University Hospital of Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich
- University Hospital Frankfurt-am-Main
- University Hospital Würzburg
- Charite University Hospital Berlin
- University Hospital Ulm
Dendritic cell treatment cost depends on the diagnosis, the number of vaccinations, and the required additional treatments. For instance, the cost of the preliminary diagnostics, vaccination and chemotherapy for metastatic melanoma is about €25 500. You can find other prices on the Booking Health website.
As the certified international medical tourism provider, Booking Health will also arrange your trip:
- Assist you in selecting a hospital and physician
- Elaborate the preliminary medical program
- Make an urgent appointment
- Facilitate issuing visa
- Take care of the flight, accommodation, transfer, medical insurance
- Control the expenses, exclude additional fees
- Provide you with an interpreter
- And much more
Feel free to contact Booking Health and start your treatment ASAP.
