Active immunotherapy enhances the patient's antitumor immunity and serves as an effective adjunct to the surgical treatment of stomach cancer.
In stomach cancer, surgery performed in time can lead to full recovery. The difficulties begin at advanced stages: once the tumour can no longer be removed radically, chemotherapy alone is usually not enough.
Immunotherapy strengthens the patient's antitumour immune response and is used in addition to surgical treatment.
In stomach cancer much depends on how early treatment begins. The tumour gives no specific complaints for a long time, and by the time the diagnosis is made the disease is often already advanced. Hence the place of immunotherapy: not an alternative to surgery, but support after it and a systemic option when the tumour can no longer be removed radically.
The state of the patient after gastrectomy or resection has to be taken into account separately. Weight loss, iron and vitamin B12 deficiency and dumping syndrome are the usual companions of such surgery, and they directly affect how treatment will be tolerated. So before a course the doctor looks at nutritional status and blood counts, not only at scans: a depleted patient responds worse to any therapy, immune therapy included.
Vaccination triggers immune reactions against tumour cells and helps keep the disease under control after surgery.
Includes 10 subcutaneous vaccinations and takes approximately 3 months. Treatment is performed on an outpatient basis.
Includes 10 subcutaneous vaccinations and takes approximately 3 months. Treatment is performed on an outpatient basis.
During the first 24 hours after vaccination, a temperature rise up to 38°C and flu-like symptoms may occur — a sign of immune activation.
During the first 24 hours after vaccination, a temperature rise up to 38°C and flu-like symptoms may occur — a sign of immune activation.
Vaccine-induced immune processes destroy tumor cells and impede relapse development.
Vaccine-induced immune processes destroy tumor cells and impede relapse development.
Further regimens are prescribed individually, depending on the stage of the disease and the patient's condition.
Further regimens are prescribed individually, depending on the stage of the disease and the patient's condition.
Nutritional status and weight trend, haemoglobin, iron and B12 after resection or gastrectomy, blood protein, patency of the anastomosis. Any deficits found are corrected before treatment starts — otherwise the immune response forms poorly.
Nutritional status and weight trend, haemoglobin, iron and B12 after resection or gastrectomy, blood protein, patency of the anastomosis. Any deficits found are corrected before treatment starts — otherwise the immune response forms poorly.
Monitoring is by CT of the abdomen and chest, endoscopy as prescribed, blood counts and weight. Stabilised lesion size and regained body weight count as a meaningful result in advanced disease.
Monitoring is by CT of the abdomen and chest, endoscopy as prescribed, blood counts and weight. Stabilised lesion size and regained body weight count as a meaningful result in advanced disease.
A clinical effect lasting at least 6 months is achieved in a significant portion of patients with stage IV stomach cancer.
Patient I., 54 years old
Poorly differentiated stomach adenocarcinoma, lung metastases
Baseline
Started treatment in moderate condition: weakness, fatigue, periodic vomiting, subfebrile temperature. During therapy — temperature rose to 38.5°C.
After 3 months
Lymph nodes in the porta hepatis, epigastrium, and retroperitoneum were not visualized. Blood tests showed ESR normalization and an increase in hemoglobin.
Observation period
All subsequent examinations revealed no pathological changes. 2.5 years after starting vaccine therapy, no signs of disease progression were observed.
No progression — observed for 2.5 years
Patient I., 44 years old
Signet ring cell carcinoma of the stomach post-gastrectomy
Baseline
Two months after gastrectomy and a course of polychemotherapy, progression was noted: enlarged lymph nodes in the porta hepatis and retroperitoneum. Vaccine therapy was initiated in an intensified regimen.
Dynamics
Tolerated the treatment well. Pain and redness at the injection site subsided after a few hours.
Observation period
Two years after the start of vaccine therapy, her condition is satisfactory, with no complaints.
Satisfactory condition — observed for 2 years
Timing matters a great deal, and so does the condition after surgery: weight, blood counts, patency of the anastomosis.
After gastrectomy or gastric resection with a high risk of recurrence; advanced disease where radical surgery is impossible; progression after chemotherapy. A clinical effect lasting at least six months is achieved in a substantial share of stage IV patients.
The HER2 status of the tumour and, if tested, MSI and PD-L1: in HER2-positive stomach cancer the standard regimen includes a targeted drug and that is where to start. The centre's immunotherapy does not replace standard lines.
Acute infections, bleeding from the tumour, unresolved postoperative complications, outlet obstruction, decompensation of severe concomitant disease, pregnancy, conditions with deliberate immunosuppression.
With marked loss of body weight and protein the course starts only after nutrition is corrected. This is not a formality: nutritional status directly determines whether the body can build the immune response the treatment is for.
The induction course is 10 subcutaneous vaccinations over about three months, on an outpatient basis. The further schedule is set individually by stage and condition. For patients from other regions, visits are planned with travel in mind.
The immunorehabilitation course for tumour diseases costs from 285 000 ₽ and can be paid in stages. A consultation with the professor costs 10 000 ₽, with the oncologist 7 000 ₽.
Immunotherapy is viewed as an effective complement to surgical treatment, enhancing antitumor immunity.
A clinical effect has been seen in some patients at stage IV as well.
Treatment is administered on an outpatient basis and is not accompanied by the severe toxicity associated with chemotherapy.
As an addition to surgical treatment and as standalone therapy, helping restore the body's ability to recognise and destroy tumour cells.
It is the initial stage of the programme, which builds the antitumour immune response; the doctor sets the further schedule by the response. There are clinical examples of long stabilisation.
The effect on healthy tissue is gentle, so the method is tolerated more easily than aggressive regimens, and quality of life is usually preserved.
Yes. The centre is next to Moscow (Khimki, Skhodnya) and accepts patients from other regions; the first consultation can be done remotely from your documents.
The histology report with HER2 status, the operation protocol and discharge summary, recent CT of the abdomen and chest, endoscopy results, blood tests and data on how your weight has changed.
The doctor decides by condition: usually it is necessary to wait for the anastomosis to heal, weight to stabilise and anaemia to be corrected. Rushing gains nothing — a weakened body builds an immune response less well.
The course costs from 285 000 ₽ and can be paid in stages. The centre issues the contract, receipts and a certificate of payment for medical services for a tax deduction.
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