Cancer Treatment in Germany

A cancer diagnosis can sound like a death sentence. It is a serious pathology, but in countries with highly developed medicine, particularly in Germany, doctors successfully deal with malignant tumors. Equipment for ultra-precise diagnostics, a staff of qualified and caring specialists, treatment according to modern protocols — all these are the advantages of German medical centers specializing in fighting cancer. The effectiveness of therapy in Germany is 75%. This is higher than the effectiveness of cancer treatment in Israel (72%).

Description and types of cancer

Cancer is a disease caused by cell mutation. Normally, cells grow, divide, age and gradually die, being replaced by new ones. Sometimes, under the influence of unfavorable factors, failures occur in the genetic code — the mechanisms of division and error correction are simultaneously disrupted. Such cells do not die but begin to multiply uncontrollably. As a result, an atypical neoplasm forms — dysplasia. It can increase and spread to neighboring healthy tissues. In this case, we speak of an oncological disease.

A tumor from mutated cells can form in different organs. Based on this criterion, five main types of cancer are distinguished:

• carcinoma — damage to epithelial tissue;
• sarcoma — damage to nervous, supporting or connective tissues;
• melanoma — skin damage;
• lymphoma — damage to the lymphatic system;
• leukemia — damage to the circulatory system.

Cancer treatment will be more effective if the tumor is detected at early stages of development. This is the main problem of diagnosis and further therapy. Early stages of cancer development are usually asymptomatic. There are no complaints, and the patient can only learn about the disease during a comprehensive examination, which is rarely performed when feeling well.

Even in the absence of external symptoms, global changes occur inside. The DNA of affected cells continues to mutate. Some tissues change so much that doctors cannot determine their original structure.

A malignant tumor needs nutrition. Its cells synthesize and secrete special substances that promote rapid branching of the capillary network. This, in turn, provides unlimited access to resources, which provokes a high rate of atypical cell division and their growth into neighboring healthy tissues.

Furthermore, individual cells separate in the tumor, capable of detaching from the main focus and initiating the growth of neoplasms in a new environment. They move through the circulatory or lymphatic system and easily hide from the immune system, as they are not recognized as foreign bodies. This is how metastases form — secondary lesions. The more of them, the more complex and longer the cancer treatment will be.

Cancer symptoms

Cancer diagnosis based solely on clinical presentation is not performed. This disease does not have pronounced symptoms, however, doctors in German clinics always pay attention to the patient's condition. A combination of four signs may indirectly indicate the presence of a malignant tumor:

1. Unexplained weight loss (cancer cachexia). A loss of more than 5% of body weight or 2% with a BMI below 20 is considered an alarming symptom. The patient experiences muscle weakness, but adipose tissue is preserved. The body becomes flabby. Arms and shoulders become thinner. Appetite may remain or worsen.
2. Loss of energy. Weakness, depression, apathy — a condition familiar to many. It can be caused by an unbalanced diet, ordinary stress, or physical exertion. In these cases, reduced performance is successfully corrected by normalizing the diet, taking vitamin complexes, or after proper rest. If even a long vacation did not change the situation, it is worth thinking about a comprehensive examination. Prolonged depression is another reason for cancer diagnostics.
3. Hair loss, brittle nails, and pale skin. These are all signs of anemia — a frequent companion of cancer. Symptoms appear due to a drop in hemoglobin concentration and a decrease in red blood cells. Blood composition usually changes in the late stages of the disease when metastases penetrate the bone marrow — one of the main hematopoietic organs.
4. Body temperature fluctuations. This is an optional sign that occurs in half of patients with cancer. It is more common in lymphoma or leukemia. It is important to remember that daily fluctuations are also characteristic of other conditions, particularly hormonal imbalances, thyroid dysfunction, and pregnancy.

Not every type of cancer can be identified by external symptoms. Melanoma is the easiest to diagnose. With this disease, even in the early stages, atypical lumps can be found on the skin surface — sores, rough areas, dark or too light nodules.

During preventive examinations, other types of cancer are successfully detected at early stages:

1. Breast cancer. Lumps, asymmetry, and atypical folds can be noticed even during self-examination.
2. Genital cancer. In women, it is detected by an oncocytology smear, which is recommended once a year. In men, it is detected during prostate examination.
3. Rectal cancer. It is asymptomatic but easily detected during rectal examination — colonoscopy.
4. Throat cancer. It more often affects long-time smokers. The main symptom is sores in the oral cavity and on the nasopharyngeal mucosa.

Other types of cancer are more difficult to diagnose. Symptoms appear already at late stages when the tumor reaches impressive sizes and becomes inoperable. This group includes lung damage, which is not always possible to see during fluorography once a year.

Another difficult case is stomach cancer. The tumor can masquerade as chronic gastritis or peptic ulcer disease for a long time. Some types of cancer do not have specific symptoms. Thus, leukemia is diagnosed only with a biochemical blood test, and brain cancer — with an MRI.

Cancer diagnostics in German clinics

Cancer diagnostics in Germany is a complete set of examinations carried out in the shortest possible time. Based on the data obtained, treatment is prescribed. Available to patients:

• magnetic resonance imaging;
• computed tomography;
• positron emission tomography;
• full range of laboratory tests;
• instrumental methods of GI tract examination — fibrogastroduodenoscopy, colonoscopy;
• hysteroscopy;
• cystoscopy.

Cancer treatment in Germany is an individual plan for each patient with oncology. German clinic doctors study the examination results provided upon admission and, if necessary, conduct repeat diagnostics. German doctors accurately identify even rare types of tumors, which increases the chances of successful treatment.

Methods of fighting cancer

Treatment of malignant neoplasms in German clinics is a good chance for complete recovery. German medical centers use traditional methods of therapy — surgical excision of tumors and chemotherapy, however, the emphasis is on innovative methods that help avoid complications.

Surgical treatment

Sometimes excision is the only way to remove a malignant neoplasm. This is a radical but effective way to fight a tumor. In Germany, minimally invasive, safe operations are performed that help avoid long recovery and preserve the affected organ.

1. Endoscopy. This is a method of removing small tumors through the mouth, vagina, or anus.
2. Laparoscopy. This is a minimally invasive operation during which 2-3 small incisions are made on the patient's body through which the altered tissue is extracted.
3. Thoracoscopy. This is a type of endoscopic intervention that allows examining the condition of the lungs and removing small neoplasms from them. The device is inserted through a puncture in the chest.

All operations in German clinics are performed under medical sedation, so they are completely painless. Surgical treatment is monitored by a camera that transmits images to a monitor. Minimally invasive techniques can be used for cancer diagnostics. In this case, the doctor takes a small tissue fragment for further study.

Chemotherapy

Cancer treatment in Germany is carried out using effective drugs that suppress tumor growth and completely destroy neoplasms. The therapy regimen in German clinics is selected individually for each patient. A unique opportunity for those undergoing treatment in Germany is the use of experimental drugs within current protocols.

In most countries, anti-tumor drugs are administered intravenously. This method is effective but has many side effects. Active substances spread throughout the body, leading to unpleasant symptoms:

• weakness;
• nausea and vomiting;
• hair loss;
• dizziness.

Cancer treatment in Germany is an opportunity to undergo a course of gentle chemotherapy, when anti-tumor drugs are administered directly to the lesion for maximum effectiveness and reduced likelihood of side effects. Medical centers perform:

• chemoembolization — injection of medications into the hepatic artery when the tumor is localized in the liver;
• intrathecal chemotherapy — injection of drugs into the cerebrospinal fluid to overcome the blood-brain barrier in brain tumors;
• intraperitoneal hyperthermic chemotherapy — injection of a heated drug solution into the abdominal cavity after tumor removal surgery.

Gentle treatment receives good reviews from patients at German clinics. Many of them were able to get rid of malignant neoplasms without resorting to open surgery.

Innovative treatment methods

In Germany, preference is given to the latest methods of cancer treatment. Clinics are equipped with modern equipment, and all doctors are proficient in biotherapy, genetic engineering, and molecular genetic therapy methods.

Doctors at medical centers in Germany use radiation therapy methods that achieve high results. The following are used to fight cancer:

• 3D-CRT — treatment in which rays are directed at the lesion from different angles without stressing healthy tissues;
• IMRT — radiation with the ability to change the intensity of exposure;
• IORT — tumor irradiation during surgical intervention;
• moving arc irradiation — a method of treating breast cancer that excludes negative effects on the heart.

In addition to modern methods of radiation therapy, German clinics use alternative innovative methods for oncology, including DOTATATE therapy using radioactive isotopes that irradiate tumor cells, as well as photodynamic therapy that allows destroying pathological neoplasms using a laser beam.

Treatment directions

Intestinal cancer

Stomach cancer

Pancreatic cancer

Liver cancer

Prostate cancer

Uterine and cervical cancer. Ovarian cancer

Breast cancer

Lung cancer

Intestinal cancer

Stomach cancer

Pancreatic cancer

Liver cancer

Prostate cancer

Cervical and ovarian cancer

Breast cancer

Lung cancer

In Germany, you can receive treatment using the latest methods that are still rarely available in clinical practice.

Immunotherapy

Use of new drugs that "teach" the immune system to recognize and destroy cancer cells

Breast cancer radiation with moving arc method

Allows avoiding side effects and unnecessary heart radiation

DOTATATE therapy

A new method of nuclear medicine. Radioactive isotopes settle on the tumor and irradiate only cancer cells with minimal impact on healthy tissues.

Photodynamic cancer diagnosis and therapy

Technology based on the ability of special substances to accumulate in the tumor and destroy cancer cells under laser radiation. In diagnostics, the method allows very precise tumor visualization, removal, and metastasis prevention

Deep hyperthermia combined with chemotherapy and nanoparticles

Delivery of chemotherapy using nanoparticles precisely to cancer cells and enhancing drug action by local tumor heating under MRI control. Treatment effectiveness increases by 40%.

Immunotherapy

Use of new drugs that "teach" the immune system to recognize and destroy cancer cells

Breast cancer radiation with moving arc method

Allows avoiding side effects and unnecessary heart radiation

DOTATATE therapy

A new method of nuclear medicine. Radioactive isotopes settle on the tumor and irradiate only cancer cells with minimal impact on healthy tissues.

Photodynamic cancer diagnosis and therapy

Technology based on the ability of special substances to accumulate in the tumor and destroy cancer cells under laser radiation. In diagnostics, the method allows very precise tumor visualization, removal, and metastasis prevention

Deep hyperthermia combined with chemotherapy and nanoparticles

Delivery of chemotherapy using nanoparticles precisely to cancer cells. And enhancing drug action by local tumor heating under MRI control. Treatment effectiveness increases by 40%.

Treatment costs

Prices for treatment in Germany are always calculated individually for each patient. You can see approximate prices in the table. The final price is formed from several factors. The final amount is affected by:

• chosen clinic;
• treatment method;
• stage of cancer;
• length of stay at the clinic.

The price for cancer treatment will be known before arriving at the medical center. The payment estimate is issued after agreeing on the date of the trip to Germany. Please note that interpreter services at the clinic are already included in the final price.

Oncology clinics in Germany

Many clinics in Germany specialize in cancer treatment, but you don't need to spend your time searching for the best one. Read reviews about clinics, leave a request on our website, and we will contact you. Our company will select a clinic based on your medical history and preferences. We will provide assistance at any stage of treatment, from paperwork to obtaining discharge documents.

University

Ludwig Maximilian University Hospital Munich

9.7/10 from 40 reviews

📍Germany, Munich

29 specialized clinics, 12 specialized institutes, 50 interdisciplinary centers.

After Berlin's Charité, the Munich University Hospital with the Innenstadt and Großhadern campus is the largest maximum care medical complex in Germany.

University

Chief Physician:

Prof. Dr. med. Florian Bassermann

Technical University Clinic "Rechts der Isar"

9.8/10 from 70 reviews

📍Germany, Munich

Department of Hematology and Oncology

The Department of Hematology and Oncology offers a full range of diagnostic and therapeutic services in these fields. The highly qualified team of doctors provides patients with effective treatment of all oncological diseases, blood and lymph pathologies (e.g., leukemia, multiple myeloma).

Oncological

European CyberKnife Center

9.9/10 from 59 reviews

📍Max-Lebsche-Platz 31, 81377 München, Germany

Europäisches Cyberknife Zentrum München

The European "CyberKnife" Medical Center specializes in the treatment of malignant and benign tumors. Here the Cyberknife device has been implemented and successfully used - a progressive device for non-surgical treatment of oncology.

Multidisciplinary center

Harlaching Hospital

9.6/10 from 28 reviews

📍Sanatoriumspl. 2, 81545 München, Germany

Harlaching Hospital

According to FOCUS magazine, the hospital is among the 20 best medical institutions in Bavaria and 100 best in Germany.

Clinical Hospital

Neuperlach Municipal Hospital

9.7/10 from 32 reviews

📍Oskar-Maria-Graf-Ring 51, 81737 München, Germany

München Klinik Neuperlach

German Oncologists Union

German Oncologists Union Oncology Clinics

📍Germany

OncoUnion Clinics

OncoUnion offers a full range of services for the diagnosis and treatment of malignant oncological diseases, in accordance with international medical standards.

Multidisciplinary

Munich Municipal Clinics

📍München, Germany

5 separate clinics with common management

A network of multidisciplinary clinics located in five districts of Munich. They provide a high-class range of medical services. The municipal clinics are academic clinics of both Munich universities.

➤ Bogenhausen Clinic
➤ Harlaching Clinic
➤ Neuperlach Clinic
➤ Schwabing Clinic
➤ Thalkirchner Clinic