HITV Treatment Protocol
Scientific Basis of Dr Kenichiro Hasumi's HITV Treatment Protocol
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The diagram above outlines the new strategies being pursued to treat cancer, viz : |
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Remove the tumor's mask |
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Make the tumor less productive |
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Stack the immune system's deck |
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Build the right immune cells |
Dr Kenichiro Hasumi's HITV protocol is Strategies 2 and 3 in combination with conventional radiotherapy. This patient specific induced therapeutic cancer vaccine is believed to be effective in killing off microscopic and tiny nests of cancer cells, thereby preventing any future cancer recurrence.
Firstly, the intra-tumoral injection of immature dendritic cells followed by infusion of cytokine activated memory T cells results in induction of millions of cytotoxic T cells which have been trained to zero in on the cancer cells. |
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This is followed by radiotherapy a week later which causes DNA damage, protein damage and apoptosis of the cancer cells resulting in debulking of the tumour and release of tumour antigens. Radiotherapy also wipes out the regulatory T cells, thereby helping to break up the cancer's immune tolerance. |
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A second intra-tumoral injection of immature dendritic cells followed by activated memory T cells infusion allows the immune system to boost the induction of more cytotoxic T lymphocytes which will mop up all remaining cancer cells including those which could have undergone transformation or mutation. This patient specific induced therapeutic cancer vaccine is believed to be effective in killing off microscopic and tiny nests of cancer cells, thereby preventing any future cancer recurrence. |
Radiographic Evidence of Patient Response to Treatment :
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Figures A to C Computed tomography ( CT ) radiographs showing metastatic cancer sites ( solid arrows ) before and after treatment in two breast cancer and one gastric cancer patient, respectively. |
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Figure D PET-CT showing resolution of treated ( circled ) and un-treated metastatic sites ( open arrows ) in a patient with cervical cancer. Circled sites were injected with immature dendritic cells ( iDC ) followed by intensity modulated radiotherapy ( IMRT ) as per protocol and resolved as were untreated metastatic lesions ( open arrows ). |
[ Source : Figure 2, Page 11 “Therapeutic Response in Patients with Advanced Malignancies Treated with Combined Dendritic Cell–Activated T Cell Based Immunotherapy and Intensity–Modulated Radiotherapy by Kenichiro Hasumi 1, Yukimasa Aoki 1, Ryuko Watanabe 1, Kim G. Hankey 2 and Dean L. Mann”. Cancers 2011, 3, 2223-2242; doi : 10.3390/cancers3022223 ]
Ideal conditions for HITV Therapy :
HITV therapy has been found to be highly effective in the following patient conditions :
Solid tumors
HITV is applicable for any type of solid cancers and any stage. However, it is not suitable for hematopoietic cancers such as leukemia.
Tumors are localized in treatable sites
As intra-tumoral injection of dendritic cells is the hallmark of HITV, it is important that the tumor is located in sites which are accessible by needle.
Tumor size of less than 3 cm in diameter
This limitation is due to the standard beam diameter of Tomotherapy which is 3 cm. Dendritic cell vaccine is also ineffective when injected into the necrotic center of large tumors.
Less than 5 metastatic tumor lesions
Again the limitation is due to the adverse reactions to radiotherapy that may occur when multiple sites have to be treated in one sitting. However Dr Hasumi has experience in treating up to 40 lesions in one go.
No pleural or ascitic effusion
Pleural and ascitic effusion are typical signs of extensive cancer dissemination and the chances of success in such cases is greatly diminished.