Human cancer is comprised of more than 200 different diseases. All of them account for approximately one fifth of all deaths in the industrialized countries in the Western World. One out of three will be treated for a severe cancer in their lifetime. Since the incidence of most cancers increases with age, these figures are going to rise, as life expectancy continues to increase.1

Four carcinomas are particularly important with regard to incidence as well as mortality. Cancers of the lung, colon, and rectum are the most significant problems in both genders, together with breast cancer in women and prostate cancer in men.2

In laymen’s terms, it is known that when dendritic cells infiltrate (go into) a tumor there is a good outcome. However, dendritic cells cannot tell the difference of the various cells. We must do it for them. That is the basis of our ECP and DC therapy.

The number of therapeutic options available for the treatment of malignancies has increased rapidly in recent years. There are new immune and biological therapies, such as unique cytotoxic and specific target chemotherapeutic agents. However, the majorities of cancer patients who undergo conventional treatments go into remission but have the risk of a relapse due to Minimal Residual Disease (a small part of the disease left in the body after treatment that can not be detected). End stage disease patients are left hopeless because their cancer has developed a resistance to conventional treatments. Our ECP therapy addresses this resistance.

The combination of Extracorporeal Photopheresis (ECP) with Dendritic Cell vaccine (DCs) has substantial potential to manage life-threatening or debilitating antigenic cancers and T-cell mediated disorders. This is an improvement of the FDA approved treatment for Cutaneous T-cell Lymphoma thanks to the research of Richard L. Edelson, Yale University.4