In countries with a low level of medical care, advanced-stage cancer is often a reason for a switch to symptomatic treatment. However, the development of new techniques and drugs has led to significant advances in the treatment of metastatic cancer. To expect success in the fight against cancer, you can undergo treatment in Germany. Use the Booking Health service to find out prices and make appointments. We will tell you how the most common cancers are treated in the advanced stages.
Advanced breast cancer
Breast cancer is the most common tumor in women. Sometimes the pathology is detected in the metastatic stage when surgical treatment is not possible.
Despite the late stage, the disease can be controlled with drugs for a very long time. In Germany, drugs for the treatment of breast cancer are selected individually. The regimen includes not only chemotherapy, but also targeted therapy, immunotherapy, and many women receive hormone therapy.
When some drugs don’t work, doctors prescribe other ones. In recent years, antibody-drug conjugates have been increasingly introduced in clinical practice. These are monoclonal antibodies that deliver chemotherapy drugs directly to cancer cells, targeting specific molecular targets.
The best hospitals in Germany are also using dendritic cell breast cancer vaccines. This is an immunotherapy technique that stimulates anti-tumor immunity, causing tumors to shrink and increasing a woman’s life expectancy.
Advanced lung cancer
There have been tremendous advances in the treatment of lung cancer with the introduction of immunotherapy and targeted therapies. They have proven to be much more effective than chemotherapy and have made it possible to keep the cancer in remission for many years.
Lung cancer is an immunogenic tumor, so vaccines work well against this disease. So far, this treatment option in Germany has only been used in a few specialized clinics.
Chemoembolization is one of the most advanced treatment options. Doctors block the vessels feeding the tumor (usually branches of the bronchial artery) with tiny beads containing chemotherapeutic drugs, thereby cutting off the blood supply to the tumor. As a result, the tumor mass shrinks and the problem of coughing up blood and bleeding from the lungs stops.
Advanced colon cancer
Even in the advanced stages, many patients with colorectal cancer are candidates for surgical treatment. Doctors can remove the tumor along with any metastases. Subsequent drug therapy can keep tumor growth under control for many years.
Combination surgeries involve resection of the bowel and removal of metastases in other organs, such as the liver, lungs, and brain. It is also possible to remove the liver tumor and destroy brain metastases with radiation.
If the tumor has spread to the peritoneum and the abdominal organs are affected, cytoreductive surgery combined with HIPEC is performed. Doctors remove tumor foci and then flush the abdominal cavity with a heated solution of cytostatic drugs. If the cancer is inoperable, pressurized intraperitoneal aerosol chemotherapy (PIPAC) may be used as a stand-alone treatment to slow the growth of tumor foci and eliminate ascites.
Advanced prostate cancer
One of the most effective treatments for advanced cancer stages is radiotargeted (radioligand) therapy with Lutetium-177. The radiopharmaceutical is administered intravenously and accumulates only in tumor tissue due to its ability to bind to PSMA (prostate-specific membrane antigen).
The radioactive substance Lutetium-177 destroys tumor foci with radiation and is then eliminated from the body within a few days. This time a person spends in the hospital. The hospitalization following administration of the drug lasts for three days. The procedure is repeated once every six weeks.
The world’s first approved cancer vaccine is also being used in end-stage prostate cancer. It boosts the anti-tumor immune response, blocks tumor growth and prolongs life.
In Germany, radionuclide therapy with Radium-223 is used to treat bone metastases. The drug accumulates in the bones and destroys metastases with radiation, eliminating pain and reducing the risk of bone fractures.
Where advanced medical treatments are used
If you are looking for a good hospital abroad, visit the Booking Health website. Here you can find out prices and book an appointment at one of the German hospitals to get innovative therapies in Germany.
The site shows the actual cost of medical services, you can read reviews about clinics and doctors, and patient success stories. Booking Health team will help you choose the right medical center based on your diagnosis and organize your trip to Germany.
