What is Dendritic Cell Therapy

Dendritic cell therapy is an advanced immunotherapy technique that uses the body’s immune system to identify and kill outgrown cancerous cells. In this therapy, our body’s immune system is modified to a level that it can target and kill different types of cancerous cells without causing harm to normal cells. 

It is an advanced and promising approach to the treatment and prevention of cancer. 

Dendritic Cell Therapy Cost in India is lower than in other developed countries. The achievement is partly because of the cutting-edge medical technology used in Indian hospitals and the knowledge of doctors. Along with these benefits, one of the major factors influencing India’s international recognition is its ability to provide affordable heart surgery without compromising clinical standards. Dendritic cell therapy cost in India starts from roughly USD 1500 per dose and the records say that the treatment became beneficial for many patients. 

Patients who have completed therapy with success have reported positive outcomes and favor this method of cancer treatment over others.

Basic Facts of the Dendritic Cells

Dendritic cells are an essential part of our immune system. The cells are part of our innate (natural) immune system that helps in the killing of unwanted foreign pathogens when they enter our body. 

For a long time, the therapy has been widely used in combating different types of cancer diseases like melanoma, prostate, breast cancer, and many more.

In scientific terms, dendritic cells are known as antigen-presenting cells. The term antigen refers to any foreign substance that enters our body but is not required.

Why Choose Dendritic Cell Therapy

Patients suffering from different types of cancers are eligible for the treatment. It is a natural treatment that patients can take along with or separately from other cancer treatments. Usually, in countries like India, the therapy is given along with other cancer therapies.

Over the decades, doctors use traditional approaches like chemotherapy and radiotherapy for cancer treatment. But these traditional procedures have their consequences and side effects. However, dendritic cell therapy in India is an efficient technique for treating cancer due to the following reasons:

• Minimally-Invasive Therapy

Dendritic cell therapy is minimally-invasive.  Being minimally invasive means that the treatment does not require a complex surgical procedure, chemicals, and radiation.

• Pain-Free Process

 It is a pain-free treatment that does not require complex surgical procedures but requires a little incision.

• Natural Treatment

 The therapy uses the natural healing system of your body.

• No Side Effects

Since, the treatment is based on a natural healing system, not on chemicals or radiation, there are no possible side effects. 

• Immunity Booster

The laboratory-mediated dendritic cell is twice stronger than our normal dendritic cells against the cancerous tumor. 

There is a 100% assurance that these cells boost our immune system for specific identification, recognition, and killing of cancerous cells.

• Reduced Risk of Recurrence

As it directly attacks the cancerous cells, there are no or very few chances of having cancer twice.

• Appropriate For Treating Tumor

The therapy is most appropriate for tumor-based cancers. Why you may ask? It is because it directly targets and deals with the tumor cells and not just their symptoms.

What is the Role of Dendritic Cells in Cancer Therapy

There is a specific role of dendritic cells in cancer therapy. First of all, the dendritic cells are also known as antigen-presenting cells as they present antigens (foreign substances) in front of fighter or killer cells to eliminate foreign antigens. 

Based on this natural theory, dendritic cell therapy in India is the ultimate technique for treating cancer. You can consider lab-mediated dendritic cell therapy as the vaccine for cancer. The scientists customize the vaccines according to the specific cancer patient requirements. Though they make it according to the specific cancer type, the dendritic cells directly target the cancerous cells instead of eliminating the cause of cancer.

The experts take your blood sample, extract dendritic cells and culture them in the laboratory for modification. When the cell modifies, the doctor injects the cells into the patient’s body where the cells are capable of targeting cancerous cells. The dendritic cells present the targeted cells to the immune system for killing them.

Dendritic Cell Therapy Can Treat the following Types of Cancers:

• Sarcoma
• Melanoma
• Breast cancer
• Prostate cancer
• Uterine cancer
• Intestinal cancer
• Ovarian cancer 
• Kidney cancer
• Glioblastoma
• Pancreatic cancer
• Colorectal cancer
• Liver cancer
• Renal cancer 
• Mesothelioma
• Gastric cancer 
• Colon cancer
• Esophageal Cancer
• Acute lymphoblastic leukemia
• Acute myeloid leukemia
• Cervical cancer
• Bladder cancer
• Endometrial cancer
• Retinoblastoma
• Stomach cancer
• Hodgkin lymphoma
• Small lung cancer
• Salivary gland cancer
• Skin-cancer

Dendritic Cell Therapy Cost In India

Dendritic Cell Therapy Cost in India starts from USD 1500 per dose. But Dendritic Cell Therapy Cost in India can also vary depending on the type of hospital. There are a lot of reasons that convince individuals to choose Dendritic Cell Therapy in India for their medical care. Aside from the price gap, the standard of health care services is another motive.

Factors Affecting the Dendritic Cell Therapy Cost in India

The following factors will influence your average treatment cost for Dendritic Cell Therapy in India:

• Dendritic Cell Therapy Cost in India can depend on the type of hospital and room choice.
• Outpatient care facility
• Skills and experience of the surgeon
• Fees of the healthcare team include Doctors, Surgeons, Anesthesiologists, physiotherapists, special nurses, dieticians, etc. 
• Diagnostic procedure charges
• Cost of medications
• Hospital stay

What is the Success Rate of Dendritic Cell Therapy

• On a normal daily basis, our body produces around 6000 cancerous cells but only some of us develop serious cancer due to the weaker immune system.
• According to the research, there is a 60% chance of cancer treatment. The average response rate of the vaccine is 10-15%. 
• The dendritic cell vaccination activates the more specific immune response against cancerous cells. But a number of things affect the success rate.
• The survival rate differs according to the type of cancer. For colorectal carcinoma, the survival rate for dendritic cell therapy alone is 58.1 %. However, when the therapy is combined with other methods like chemotherapy, the chances of survival rate increases up to 76%.

Frontiers | Dendritic Cell Cancer Therapy: Vaccinating the Right Patient at the Right Time | Immunology (frontiersin.org)

 What are the Post-Treatment Consequences

You might wonder if there are any side effects associated with dendritic cell therapy. The doctors recommend approx. 4-6 shots of vaccine within a week. During that phase, the doctors or other hospital staff take special care of patients ensuring detoxification, a clean environment, nutrition, and the patient’s psychological state.

After receiving the vaccine, some of the patients may develop mild side effects. 

The list of consequences that can occur:

• Fever
• Dizziness
• Chills
• Weakness
• Muscle ache
• Joint pain
• Nausea or vomiting
• Headache
• Trouble breathing
• Fatigue
• Low or high blood pressure
• Allergic reaction
• Tingling reaction
• Sensitivity

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