Hope for Late-Stage Cancer Patients: Advanced Treatments in Germany
Advanced cancer is not a death sentence if you receive modern treatment. It allows doctors to curb the pathology for many years, even if distant metastases have appeared. We will tell you about five advanced cancer treatments that are used in developed countries and ensure long-term survival of patients. You can use these methods by making an appointment for stage 4 cancer treatment in Germany through the BookingHealth website.
- Intraperitoneal chemotherapy.
Germany is using a new treatment for stage 4 colon cancer called pressurized intraperitoneal aerosol chemotherapy (PIPAC). This is a minimally invasive procedure that is performed under general anesthesia. A solution of chemotherapy drugs is sprayed throughout the abdominal cavity using a micropump through a puncture in the abdomen, destroying cancerous tumors.
The method is used for peritoneal carcinomatosis, most commonly colorectal cancer, but it can also be used for ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer, liver cancer, and other tumors that can spread through the peritoneum. At a minimum, the PIPAC procedure reduces tumor masses and eliminates ascites (fluid accumulation in the abdomen), and in some cases, makes the cancer operable. If the patient can then undergo surgery, it provides long-term remission for many years.
- Radiotargeted therapy.
It is used primarily for end-stage prostate cancer. The radiopharmaceutical, which is administered intravenously, accumulates only in cancer cells throughout the body and destroys them with radiation. Selectivity is provided by ligands that bind to the molecular target: PSMA (prostate-specific membrane antigen).
The procedure is repeated every 6-8 weeks. It reduces tumor foci, increases life expectancy, and prevents complications. In some cases, Lutetium-177 or Actinium-225 radiotargeted therapy ensures the disappearance of all tumor foci.
- Dendritic cell vaccines.
They are not yet approved for most oncological diseases, but are already being used in the best cancer clinics in Germany.
The use of immunotherapy for stage 4 cancer allows for the activation of the patient’s own immunity to more successfully destroy cancer cells. One way to achieve an adequate immune response is dendritic cell therapy at stage 4 cancer.
Monocytes are taken from a person and then transformed into dendritic cells. In the laboratory, these cells receive information about tumor antigens, and once in the body, they transmit this information to B and T lymphocytes. As a result, the effector cells learn to better recognize the tumor and attack it more successfully.
Dendritic cell vaccines work well and do not cause any severe side effects. They can be combined with any other late-stage cancer care methods, including immunotherapy methods.
- Chemoembolization and radioembolization.
These procedures are used for liver metastases, which occur in many tumors, most commonly in colorectal cancer. The method is also applicable to liver cancer. During a minimally invasive endovascular procedure, the blood vessels feeding the tumor are blocked with tiny beads that contain chemotherapy drugs or radioactive substances. This delivers a double blow to the tumor, depriving it of blood and damaging it with drugs. If the procedure is successful, the tumors can be reduced in size by a factor of several or even dozens.
- Oncolytic viruses.
For most oncological diseases, this type of cancer treatment is still considered experimental, although some drugs have already been approved by regulatory authorities, such as the melanoma drug T-VEC. Oncolytic viruses are injected directly into the tumor. The viruses attack and destroy cancer cells, but do not attack normal cells. As a result of oncolytic therapy, not only does the tumor shrink in the area of injection, but metastases also shrink. This is due to the stimulation of anti-cancer immunity.
You are welcome to use the BookingHealth service if you are interested in medical tourism in Germany. On our website, you can find out the cost of stage 4 cancer treatment, choose the most suitable clinic, make an appointment for your preferred dates, and receive travel arrangement services.
