To date, three countries worldwide are medical superpowers, which is worth considering when you think about treating lung cancer in hospitals abroad. These are the USA, Israel, and Germany.
It is not easy to get to the USA. Besides, the cost of medical care is very high there. Moreover, the payment for the part of the treatment not covered by medical insurance in America is higher than the cost of flight and therapy in Germany. Therefore, some Americans prefer medical treatment in Germany.
Israel has a relatively high level of medicine. However, this is a small country. And it has less narrow oncologists with extensive experience treating rare and complex cases.
Germany is one of the most popular countries for lung cancer treatment abroad. According to the Institute Bonn-Rhein-Sieg, patients from about 180 countries seek the help of German medicine every year. About 65% of foreign patients in German hospitals are citizens of European countries such as Denmark, Switzerland, Norway, and the Netherlands.
Lung cancer treatment in Germany
The best lung cancer hospitals in Germany involve a multidisciplinary approach. A team of doctors (oncologist, chemotherapist, pulmonologist, thoracic and oncosurgeon, and other narrow specialists) considers each case. Combining clinical experience, advanced research, and high medical technologies allow physicians to offer the most effective therapy.
The recommended treatment may include the following:
- surgery;
- radiation therapy;
- chemotherapy;
- photodynamic therapy;
- cryosurgery.
Usually, preoperative chemotherapy is first performed with several drugs, considering the tumor's sensitivity. That slows down the growth of lung cancer. Next, the operation is performed. It can be of various volumes, lung segments, lobe removal, or complete.
After the surgery, the patient undergoes repeated chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Modern irradiation technologies ensure healthy tissues do not fall under rays' influence. If surgical intervention is not possible, bloodless radiosurgery removes the tumor with Cyber or Gamma knives.
Innovative lung cancer treatment
The latest techniques in German hospitals are used together with the primary treatment types:
- Immunotherapy with dendritic cells. The cells are obtained from the patient's blood or bone marrow. Then they are cultured in the laboratory and injected back into the patient. After that, the immune system can fight lung cancer.
- Targeted therapy. It involves using drugs that selectively affect cancer tissues, almost without affecting healthy ones, including those that divide rapidly.
Liquid biopsy
Liquid biopsy is actively used in German hospitals, making it possible to determine lung cancer resistance to chemo- and immunotherapy. It can also detect a disease relapse and assess metastasis risks much earlier than traditional diagnostics. All this helps to increase the life expectancy of patients significantly.
The method is based on separating cancer cells circulating in the blood. Studying the blood sample makes it possible to obtain essential information about the patient's cancer status. In addition, the study can be repeated several times to track the progression of lung cancer. This approach is not possible when receiving tissue samples. Blood plasma, urine, stool, and pleural or cerebrospinal fluid can also be liquid biopsy material.
The best hospitals for lung cancer in Germany
There are a large number of private and public hospitals in Germany. They provide a wide range of treatment services. Among the best hospitals to treat lung cancer:
- Helios Hospital Berlin-Buch,
- Meoclinic Berlin;
- University Hospital Rechts der Isar Munich,
- University Hospital Ulm;
- University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden;
- University Hospital Aachen;
- University Hospital Ludwig-Maximilians Munich;
- Beta Clinic Bonn;
- Nordwest Hospital Frankfurt-am-Main;
- Hannover Medical School Hospital.
The cost of lung cancer treatment in Germany
The final price depends on many factors: the lung cancer stage and tumor localization, the patient's age, the need for long-term hospitalization, the volume and complexity of the surgery, the duration of rehabilitation, and many others.
Thanks to state regulation of prices, the cost of lung cancer treatment in Germany will be significantly lower than in the United States or Switzerland.
In Germany, doctors are not involved in the pricing process. And despite the many available techniques, German doctors never try to "heal" patients. Instead, each patient is assigned only the procedures and examinations necessary.
Use the help of AiroMedical to participate in clinical programs and lung cancer treatment in Germany using the latest techniques.
References:
- National Cancer Institute: Cancer Stat Facts
- BMC: Liquid biopsy, a step closer to transform the diagnosis, prognosis, and future of cancer treatments
- AiroMedical: Lung Cancer Treatment in Germany
- Frontiers: Dendritic Cell-Based Immunotherapy in Lung Cancer
American Lung Association: Targeted therapies for Lung Cancer
