Dendritic cell therapy -
Kidney cancer (renal carcinoma / RCC)
Traditional treatment methods & modern immunotherapy
Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is one of the most common urological tumors. It is often discovered incidentally because the disease causes few symptoms in its early stages.
Treatment depends on tumor size, location, metastasis, and the patient's overall health.
In addition to established conventional medical therapies, immunological approaches such as dendritic cell therapy (DZT) are increasingly coming into focus – as a complementary option to strengthen the immune system.
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Classic treatment options for kidney cancer
1. Operation (nephrectomy / partial resection)
Surgery is the most important and often curative form of therapy for locally confined kidney cancer.
Typical procedures:
Radical nephrectomy (removal of the entire kidney)
Partial nephrectomy (tumor-preserving surgery, nephron-sparing)
Goal: complete tumor removal while preserving maximum kidney function.
2. Ablative procedures (for smaller tumors)
Minimally invasive procedures can be used in certain patient groups or for small tumors:
Radiofrequency ablation (RFA)
Microwave ablation (MWA)
Cryoablation
These methods destroy tumor tissue locally, without major surgical interventions.
3. Systemic therapies for metastatic kidney cancer
Since kidney cancer is largely resistant to classical chemotherapy, other modern forms of therapy are used today.
a) Targeted Therapy
They affect tumor growth, angiogenesis and signaling pathways:
Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI):
e.g. E.g. sunitinib, pazopanib, cabozantinib, axitinibmTOR inhibitors:
Everolimus, Temsirolimus
b) Immune checkpoint inhibitors
They have revolutionized the treatment of RCC:
Nivolumab
Pembrolizumab
Ipilimumab
Combinations of immunotherapy + TKI
They aim to remove the immune system's inhibitory mechanisms and make T cells work more actively against tumor cells.
4. Combination therapies
Modern guidelines often recommend combinations of:
Immunotherapy + TKI
Dual immunotherapy (e.g., nivolumab + ipilimumab)
Surgery + systemic therapy
Dendritic cell therapy – a complementary immunological approach
Dendritic cell therapy (DZT) is a personalized immunotherapy designed to specifically activate the immune system against tumor cells.
Dendritic cells are the most important antigen-presenting cells of the immune system.
They determine whether T cells can trigger a targeted tumor response.
Procedure of dendritic cell therapy
Blood draw from the patient
Isolation of monocytes
Cultivation in a GMP laboratory
Loading with tumor antigens (e.g., tumor lysate)
Maturation into activated dendritic cells
Return via intradermal injections
The goal is to activate tumor-directed T cells.
DZT as a complement to classic cancer therapy
DZT is frequently used as a complementary treatment in renal cell carcinoma – especially in metastatic cases or after stressful systemic therapies.
Possible combinations:
• DZT + targeted therapies
TKIs reduce tumor mass – DZT can additionally activate the immune system.
• DZT + immune checkpoint inhibitors
The approaches differ biologically and can complement each other (medical evaluation is necessary).
• DZT + Infusion-based immune system restoration
e.g. E.g. glutathione, resveratrol, artesunate, selenium
→ Aims to stabilize and support the immune system.
• DZT + ablative procedures
Additional tumor antigens are generated after local tumor destruction.
Goals of dendritic cell therapy in renal cell carcinoma
Activation of specific T cells
Improvement of immune surveillance
Complementing other therapies
Supporting the immune system during stressful therapy phases
Strengthening the body's defense system
Reactions are individual and depend on the tumor type and immune status.
Dendritic cell therapy is a patient-specific immunological approach.
No promises of healing are made.