Every patient is unique – so is each tumor

Previously it was thought that tumor diseases were all very similar and that each type of cancer (e.g., breast or prostate cancer) could be treated with the same method for all patients suffering from it. New analytical methods make it possible to examine the genetic and molecular characteristics of tumors. This has shown that each tumor has unique characteristics that influence the success of a treatment and the progression of the disease. This can even change during the course of treatment and so, for example, a hormone or chemotherapy that initially seems effective, can become ineffective as the disease progresses.

From a statistic to each individual case: The IOZK Immunotherapy

This fact explains why the results of extensive clinical studies cannot simply be transferred to an individual: At most they can indicate a statistic probability, they cannot make a claim about an individual patient. That is why extensive research is being conducted on molecular markers that can predict the success of a certain treatments. The answer is personalized medicine. This is the approach we follow at the IOZK: The IOZK Immunotherapy is tailored to the needs of each individual patient and is based on the use of the patient’s own immune cells and tumor antigens.

“It is becoming ever more apparent that there is no ‘the tumor’ or ‘the patient’ in the treatment of tumor diseases. Standardized approaches, that do not take into consideration the individual circumstances, are only of limited use.”

Dr. med. Katharina Sprenger