Dendritic Cell Therapy

How Dendritic Cell Therapy Treats Metastatic Cancer Patients?

Cancer is one of the challenging diseases to treat, especially when it spreads beyond its original site. Metastatic cancer occurs when cancerous cells break from the original tumor and travel to other areas of the body. 

Traditional treatments like chemotherapy or radiation are not very effective in treating metastatic cancer. They damage the normal cells while killing the cancerous cells in the body. However, in recent years, dendritic cell therapy has been developed to boost the immune system.

 It recognizes the cancerous cells and eliminates them from the entire body. In fact, dendritic cell therapy is a promising new method for treating metastatic cancer in patients.

What Is Dendritic Cell Therapy?

Dendritic cell therapy is an advanced cancer treatment that will help your body’s immune system recognize cancerous cells and then destroy them. 

The procedure involves the extraction of dendritic cells from the body and then training them to recognize specific tumors. The dendritic cells are further injected into your body. These cells will activate your immune system to fight with the tumor. 

They are safe and have no harmful side effects, as in the case of chemotherapy or radiation. It even reduces the risk of cancer occurrence and enhances the quality of your life.

Dendritic cell therapy works best for almost all types of cancer except blood cancer. 

Dendritic cell vaccines can be used in combination with other treatment methods. The vaccine increases the efficiency of the treatment by almost 2-3 times.

Can the Immune System Protect Against Cancer?

The immune system of our body is a network of proteins, chemicals, organs and white blood cells. They work together to fight against foreign invaders like viruses, pathogens, bacteria and even abnormal cells that grow uncontrollably. 

Our immune system is so strong that it can detect and destroy the harmful cells that have the chance of turning cancerous. Researchers have studied 3265 healthy people, all over 40 years old, for almost 11 years. They found that individuals with strong immune systems had a 40 percent lower risk of cancer. This indicates that a well-functioning immune system is quite important in preventing cancer.

Sometimes, our immune system cannot precisely recognize cancerous cells. Tumors above a certain size produce messenger substances that can weaken the immune system.

Cancer patients usually have a weak immune system. So, healthcare providers typically provide medicines, vitamins and supplements to strengthen the immune system.

How Are Dendritic Cells Developed?

Your doctor will take 200 ml of blood from your body. The blood will be carefully transported and processed in a specific laboratory by maintaining strict safety standards. It should be certified according to EU-GMP guidelines.

The blood is first spun in a machine to separate different components. Red blood cells and a few white blood cells(granulocytes) are discarded. The remaining white blood cells, called lymphocytes, are kept for further use. They contain precursor cells that further develop into dendritic cells, which can be helpful in treating cancer.

The precursor cells are purified and then placed in a nutrient-rich solution. Some special growth factors and antigens from your own body are even added to the precursor cells. This is done so that new dendritic cells can recognize cancerous cells easily. Researchers keep the precursor cells in a warm incubator for almost seven days and then check for new dendritic cells. The new dendritic cells are thin and have hair-like extensions.

These cells are harvested and then cleaned at various times. They are put in two small syringes and then injected into the groin area. You will then be given high dosages of vitamin C to support your immune system.

What Are the Risks Or Complications After The Dendritic Cell Treatment?

Your body’s dendritic cells are used in treating metastatic cancer. Hence, it is not toxic for your body. However, you may experience a few side effects. The side effects appear when the treatment is over or once the immune system is activated in your body.

The side effects are listed below.

• Headache
• Fever
• Swelling
• Joint pain
• Allergic reaction
• Vomiting
• Fatigue
• Muscle ache
• Rashes
• Chills

Success Rate Of Dendritic Cell Therapy

The success rate of dendritic cell therapy depends on various factors, such as the type and stage of cancer, the patient’s immune response to the therapy and more. Simultaneously, the success rate of a few cancers like melanoma or prostrate cancer can be 30-50 percent, whereas for some cancers, the percentage can be lower.

Medical Tourism And Dendritic Cell Therapy In India

Healthcare costs are increasing at an alarming rate everywhere in the world. The cost of dendritic cell therapy in treating metastatic cancer is quite high in some countries like the USA which is not possible for many patients to afford. 

Again, patients have to wait longer to receive treatment. Longer waiting times can adversely affect the health of the patient.

In such cases, medical tourism destinations like India are the best option. India is popular for providing qualitative and inexpensive treatment for many complex diseases, like metastatic cancer. You will find here many skilled, well-experienced and internationally trained Immunologists and oncologists. They are skilled in providing the latest form of cancer treatment, including dendritic cell therapy.

Various reputed hospitals in India are approved by Internationally recognized organizations like Joint Commission International and National Accreditation Board for hospitals and Healthcare providers. These hospitals provide dendritic cell therapy at an affordable cost compared to the USA. You have to pay 13000 USD for 6 doses of DCT vaccines. It is given on a gap of 2 weeks with or without chemo and Immunotherapy.

Racure Healthcare is a reputed Medical tourism company in India. The company will provide medical visas and flight assistance so that you can travel stress-free to the destination. Simultaneously, it appoints a personal care executive who will stay with you from your arrival to the completion of your treatment.

Conclusion

Dendritic cell therapy is an advanced treatment for metastatic cancer. It enhances the immune response and reduces the occurrence of cancer in an individual. However, clinical trials are still ongoing to enhance its effectiveness.

Dendritic cell therapy is quite expensive in the USA and many other countries. If you find it too expensive, choose a medical tourism destination like India.

Racure Healthcare is one of the renowned medical tourism companies in India. You can visit the website to learn more about its services.