Oncologists are looking at Dendritic Cell Therapy for the treatment of prostate cancer. This is based on several clinical trials which are underway to establish a confirmatory success rate.

“As far as safety profile is concerned, Dendritic Cell Therapy has minimal toxicity and has the capacity to control the disease giving the improved quality of life and survival benefit. Right now, the only approved Dendritic Cell Therapy is ‘Provenge’ specifically approved for prostate cancer. It has shown encouraging results with regard to extension of survival and improved quality of life, stated Dr P P Bapsy, Sr. Consultant – Oncology, Apollo Hospitals, Bengaluru.

Dendritic cells (DC) are specialized subtype of white blood cells and are antigen presenting ones having a capacity to eliminate tumour cells. It also helps to stimulate the patient’s natural immune system to destroy the cancer. Therefore the Dendritic Cell Therapy is derived from patient’s own blood cells referred to as autologous. These are separated from the cancer patient and cultured in a specialized and sophisticated lab in the presence of patient’s own tumour tissue to produce the matured dendritic cells. The matured DCs are particularly specific to the patient’s tumour and mimic the natural defence mechanism. They recognize the cancer antigens and destroy them when injected back into the same patient, she added.

The treatment is different from the conventional therapeutic modalities like surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, as it is highly customised and tailor-made for individual patients and it amplifies the patient’s natural body defence mechanism. Since it is completely autologous it is safe and does not produce toxicity which is generally associated with other therapeutic agents, informed Dr Bapsy.

DC therapy may have the potential to clear cancer when the disease just sets in and also in advance stages. Further the therapy can destroy disseminated cancer cells, thereby preventing the development of metastases, slowing the spread of the cancer, and help to extend the life expectancy. It can be a complementary strategy for the treatment of cancer. According to the current knowledge, however, DC therapy is not a substitute for conventional treatment methods like surgery, chemotherapy, or radiotherapy, she said.