In countries with poorly developed medicine, stage 4 cancer often becomes a reason to switch to symptomatic treatment. But doctors abroad have many effective ways to fight cancer, even in advanced stages. Although the disease can rarely be completely cured, patients can live many more years after quality treatment. You can undergo stage 4 cancer treatment in Germany using the latest medical advances.
Can surgery be performed for the advanced stage
Many cancers can be treated surgically even in advanced stages. Examples include colon, ovarian, thyroid, etc. Not always, but in many cases, doctors are able to completely remove the primary tumor and its metastases.
If the cancer has spread to the abdomen, doctors perform cytoreductive surgery. They remove all the tumors they can find. Cytoreduction is considered complete when there are no visible tumors. It is also possible to perform optimal cytoreduction: removal of all tumor foci larger than 1 cm.
After surgery, doctors wash the abdominal cavity with a heated solution of chemotherapy drugs. It penetrates to a depth of 2-3 mm and destroys the remaining cancer cells. This method is called HIPEC.
For distant metastases in the liver, lungs or brain, physicians perform combined surgical procedures. They are performed in the presence of single metastatic foci that are subject to complete resection. The surgical interventions on different parts of the body are performed simultaneously by different surgeons. For example, an abdominal surgeon may remove the portion of the intestine containing the primary tumor, while a thoracic surgeon may remove a metastatic tumor in the lung. The five-year survival rate after such surgery is 60%.
Systemic treatments for advanced cancer
Once cancer has spread throughout the body, systemic treatments become the mainstay. In countries with poorly developed medicine, chemotherapy is often the only treatment. But developed countries also offer new treatments:
- Immunotherapy with checkpoint inhibitorsÂ
- CAR T-cell therapyÂ
- Cancer vaccinesÂ
- TIL therapyÂ
- High-dose chemotherapy with stem cell transplantationÂ
- Targeted therapyÂ
- Hormone therapyÂ
- Radionuclide therapyÂ
The latest treatments make it possible to eliminate all tumor foci or significantly reduce their size, allowing a person to live many more years of active life. There are cases of survival for more than 10-12 years after the use of innovative treatment methods, which in all likelihood means a complete cure of the cancer, even at an advanced stage.
Local treatment methods
While systemic therapies often work well, the largest tumors may not disappear completely with medication. They often cause complications and severe symptoms. To eliminate primary, recurrent, or metastatic tumors, physicians have at their disposal not only surgery, but also many other local methods of cancer treatment:
- Radiofrequency, microwave, and cryoablationÂ
- Chemoembolization
- Radioembolization
- Stereotactic radiation therapy
- High-intensity focused ultrasound
- Photodynamic therapy
To undergo stage 4 cancer treatment in Germany, you are welcome to visit the Booking Health website. On our website you can compare the cost of medical services in top-rated hospitals and book a medical care program at the best price. The company’s specialists will help you choose the most suitable clinic and doctor, and will take care of the full organization of your trip.
