Dendritic cell therapy -
Lung cancer / lung carcinoma
Traditional treatment & modern immunotherapies
Lung cancer is one of the most common tumor diseases worldwide and is divided into two main types:
Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) – approx. 85%
Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) – approx. 15%
The two forms differ significantly in biological behavior, aggressiveness, and treatment options.
The following section presents the most important conventional medical therapies – as well as dendritic cell therapy (DZT) as a complementary, immunological approach.
Classic treatment options for lung cancer
1. Operation
In early stages of NSCLC, surgery is often the most effective therapy.
Goal: complete removal of the tumor and, if necessary, the affected lymph nodes.
Surgical procedures:
Wedge resection
Segmental resection
Lobectomy
Pneumonectomy
Surgery is usually not possible in cases of advanced or metastatic tumors.
2. Radiation therapy
Radiation therapy is used:
if surgery is not possible
for local control
in the case of metastases (e.g. in the brain, bones)
in combination with chemotherapy
Modern techniques (IMRT, SBRT, proton therapy) enable precise and gentle treatment.
3. Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy has a systemic effect throughout the entire body and is part of many treatment plans.
Typical schemes include:
Platinum-based drugs
Pemetrexed
Taxane
Chemotherapy is a key component, especially in SCLC, because the tumor grows quickly and often responds well .
4. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (modern standard therapy)
Immunotherapies are now an established treatment for non-small cell lung cancer.
Medications used:
Pembrolizumab
Nivolumab
Atezolizumab
Durvalumab
They block certain immune brakes (PD-1/PD-L1), allowing T cells to be more active against tumor cells.
Efficacy depends heavily on PD-L1 status, mutations, and tumor type.
5. Targeted Therapies
For patients with certain mutations, state-of-the-art medications are available:
EGFR mutation → EGFR inhibitors
ALK/ROS1 translocation → ALK/ROS1 inhibitors
KRAS G12C mutation → KRAS inhibitors
MET, BRAF, RET etc.
Molecular diagnostics is therefore an important component of lung cancer diagnosis.
6. Combination therapies
Surgery, radiation therapy, immunotherapy and chemotherapy are often combined to achieve the best possible tumor control.
Dendritic cell therapy for lung cancer – a modern immunological approach
Dendritic cell therapy (DZT) is a personalized immunotherapy that specifically activates the body's own immune system.
How it works
Blood draw from the patient
Isolation of monocytes
Cultivation and differentiation into dendritic cells
Loading of these cells with tumor antigens (e.g., tumor lysate)
Maturation into highly active immune cells
Return to the body via intradermal injections
Dendritic cells present tumor characteristics to T cells – this allows the immune system to target cancer cells more effectively.
DZT as a complement to classic cancer therapy
In lung cancer, dendritic cell therapy can be used as a complementary approach:
• DZT + Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy reduces tumor mass, DZT strengthens the tumor-directed immune response.
• DZT + immune checkpoint inhibitors
DZT can broaden the spectrum of activated T cells (medical evaluation required).
• DZT + radiation therapy
Radiation therapy releases tumor antigens that DZT can use as a complementary measure.
• DZT + Infusion-based immune system restoration
e.g. B. with glutathione, selenium, artesunate or resveratrol
→ Stabilization of the immune system during stressful therapies.
Treatment goals of the DZT in lung cancer
Activation of specific T cells against tumor cells
Improvement of immune surveillance
Supporting traditional therapies
Stabilization of the general condition
Strengthening the body's own defenses during stressful therapy phases
The reaction is individual and depends on the type of tumor, its stage, and the immune status.
Dendritic cell therapy is a patient-specific immunological approach.
No promises of healing are made.