Treatment Procedure of Immuno-Cell Therapy is a cycle of "Blood Collection, Cell Cultivation, and Infusion"
Our treatment cycle consists of following processes:-
- Blood collection at clinic
- Cell cultivation in Cell Processing Center ("CPC")
- Infusion of Immuno-Cell Therapy at clinic
For example, blood for cell cultivation is collected when you have the first doctor consultation. Then, such blood is transferred for cell cultivation in the CPC. (The cell cultivation takes 2 weeks.) When you have the second doctor consultation, such cultivated immune cells are reinfused back to the body. This cycle of "Blood collection, Cell Cultivation, and Infusion" is repeated 6 times at every 2 weeks for 3 months.
After the first course of Immuno-Cell Therapy, we consult subsequent direction of treatment strategy with you, and will decide how often you need to receive Immuno-Cell Therapy by your health condition.
Besides medical treatments of Immuno-Cell Therapy, we provide a counseling program of clinical psychologist. Such counseling program is available at following clinics: Seta Clinic Tokyo, Seta Clinic Shin-Yokohama.
1. We recommend you to consult with your primary doctor before visit.
Prior to your visit, we recommend you to consult with your primary doctor about your future treatment strategies, including whether you may receive Immuno-Cell Therapy or may not.
After the consultation of your primary doctor, it is necessary to prepare for the following documents available and to submit all of them when you come to our clinic at the first time. (When you have the consultation with your primary doctor, please ask your primary doctor to prepare for following documents.)
It is necessary to bring following documents available at your initial visit.
- Report of Present Illness Specific Information;-
- ①Diagnosis or Primary site
- ②Clinical stage
- ③Primary/Recurrence/Metastases
- ④Performance Status
- ⑤Previous Treatment
- ⑥Treatment Strategy (Planning) of Your Primary Doctor
- X-ray Image etc.
- History of Medications (Anamnesis)
We believe that it is very important for you to understand your own condition and historical medication of cancer treatment as well as appropriate information related to cancer treatments against their own cancer. Without your understanding of own conditions and treatments, we believe that it will not lead the best treatment against cancer. Therefore, we consult on treatment strategy with you along your condition and historical medication, and will recommend not only receiving Immuno-Cell Therapy but also combination therapy with other standard therapies by your condition.
2. Doctor Consultation: Informed Consent before Treatment
Communication with you is the first step throughout all steps of cancer treatment.
Seta Clinic Group believes that one of the most important factors in the treatment of the disease is interactive communication among doctor, nurse, you and your family. Without such communication, the treatment will not produce efficient treatment outcomes, even though the treatment, itself, can have some effect against the disease. Therefore, in case of advanced medical treatments such as Immuno-Cell Therapy, this interactive communication is essential through out the treatment process as well as medical treatment itself.
Our doctor consultations are made by appointment only. After making an appointment, you have a consultation on treatment strategy, including Immuno-Cell Therapy, at your initial visit. In order to expect better treatment outcome with the Immuno-Cell Therapy, we would like to understand your conditions and situations; for example (1) whether you come to our clinic by yourself or with your family members, (2) whether you are already told that you have a cancer, and (3) whether your health condition is severe. Therefore, we schedule maximum of only 8 appointments for each doctor per a day in order to ensure efficient and sufficient consultation time for each patient.
After obtaining informed consent of treatment strategy and procedure on Immuno-Cell Therapy, you will start our treatment.
In addition, before visiting us, we recommend you to sit down and talk about what you wish to do with your family, because it is necessary for you to have full support and understanding of your family members on your considerations toward treatment.
3. Treatment: Total of 6 Infusions (Collection and Infusion at Interval of 2 Weeks)
We collect your blood at your first visit, and then will cultivate lymphocytes or monocytes for 2 weeks.
Two weeks later, you come back for receiving the initial infusion of cultivated immune cells as out-patient based treatment. Infusion of the cultivated immune cells takes 30 minutes, and you may relax on bed. Once second blood collection is over, drip or injection of cultivated immune cells are carried out. (You also make appointment of your next visit during doctor consultation.)
This treatment procedure is repeated 6 times for 3 months as one course. After completing each course, your future treatment strategy and treatment schedule are discussed according to your health condition and treatment outcome, and will be decided among you, your family, and doctor.
Adverse Reaction (Minimal Adverse Reaction)
Minimal adverse reactions, such as slight fever or allergic reaction, may be occurred after infusion of immune cells. Treatment practice is only in blood collection and infusion of immune cells, so that you can keep your physical strength and high QOL while being treated.
Out-Patient Based Treatment (No Need for Hospitalization)
In general, Immuno-Cell Therapy is out-patient based treatment. However, it may compound physical deconditioning as an excessive physical burden for clinic visit. If you have severe symptoms, please contact us before your visit.
Method for Cultivation of Immune Cells
The method of blood collection is by either 1) blood collection tube (22.5~75cc) or 2) apheresis (leukapheresis,) depending upon types of the Immuno-Cell Therapy. For example, if type of the Immuno-Cell Therapy is either αβT-cell Therapy or CTL Therapy, the blood collection is 22.5 cc by blood collection tube. On the other hand, if type of the Immuno-Cell Therapy is either γδT-cell Therapy or DC vaccine Therapy, the blood collection is 67.5-75cc by blood collection tube. In some cases, blood collection by apheresis is conducted for DC Vaccine Therapy.
Method of cultivation is also varied among types of the Immuno-Cell Therapy. For example, lymphocytes are separated from peripheral blood for αβT-cell Therapy, γδT-cell Therapy, and CTL Therapy. Then, such lymphocytes are activated and expanded through culturing process for 2 weeks. On the other hand, monocytes are isolated from peripheral blood for DC vaccine therapy, and are differentiated to DCs. Then, such DCs are co-cultured or electroporated with either proteins extracted from your cancer tissue or synthesized peptides in order for DCs to present antigens on their surface.
αβT-cell Therapy, γδT-cell Therapy, and CTL Therapy
In general, activated lymphocytes are infused intravenously in your arm, and it takes 30 minutes to drip such activated lymphocytes. We may conduct regional infusion of lymphocytes into cancer tissue, by direct injection into the tumor or intrarterial infusion through a port etc. if possible. (Regional infusion of lymphocytes is considered to have better efficacy.)
DC Vaccine Therapy
DCs.are injected subcutaneously or intradermally. Non-pulsed immature DCs are injected into the tumor.
