Immunotherapy in Hong Kong
What Is Immunotherapy?
Immunotherapy is a treatment approach that engages a patient’s own immune system to fight cancer. Clinically, it has been applied to target cancer cells, viruses, bacteria, and other abnormal cells. By enhancing or activating the immune response, immunotherapy equips the body’s defenses to more effectively identify and destroy cancer cells.
Treatment Methods
In practice, immunotherapy generally falls into two broad categories: cell-based immunotherapy and drug-based immunotherapy.
Cell-Based Immunotherapy
This approach uses a patient’s own immune cells, which are cultivated, modified, or activated outside the body before being returned to the patient. Common examples include:
1. CAR-T Cell Therapy
T cells are extracted from the patient, genetically engineered to target specific cancer cells, and then re-infused. Currently, CAR-T therapies are approved for only a few rare conditions and can be quite costly.
2. Dendritic Cell (DC) Therapy
Dendritic cells are collected from the patient and grown in a laboratory setting, where they are exposed to cancer antigens. Once reintroduced into the body, these “trained” dendritic cells mobilize other immune cells to seek out and suppress cancer cells. Often referred to as the “commanders” of the immune system, dendritic cells coordinate a broader immune response.
3. LAK (Lymphokine-Activated Killer) Cell Therapy
Lymphocytes—extracted from a patient’s blood—are multiplied by more than a thousandfold and then re-infused via an IV drip. Referred to as LAK therapy in Japan, this technique bolsters the body’s protective cells (including T cells, B lymphocytes, and NK cells) that naturally defend against cancer and viral threats.
Natural Killer (NK) cells are harvested, cultured, and activated in the laboratory, then administered back into the patient to aggressively target malignant or otherwise abnormal cells.
Drug-Based Immunotherapy
Drug-based immunotherapy leverages medications that stimulate the immune system to attack cancer cells. These medications generally include:
1. Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors
By blocking checkpoint molecules such as PD-1, PD-L1, or CTLA-4, these drugs release the “brakes” on the immune system, allowing immune cells to more effectively eliminate cancer cells.
2. Immunomodulators (Immune Boosters)
Agents like interferons or interleukins enhance the immune system’s capacity to recognize and destroy cancer cells.
3. Other Immunotherapeutic Agents
High Adaptability and Target Specificity
One of immunotherapy’s greatest advantages is its ability to be personalized based on the patient’s immune profile and the distinct nature of the tumor. Because immunotherapy selectively attacks cancerous cells rather than healthy ones, it typically poses fewer side effects and less damage to normal tissues.
Combining Immunotherapy with Conventional Treatments
Given its precision and adaptability, immunotherapy can be used alongside traditional approaches such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or surgery. For instance, patients often undergo conventional treatments to reduce tumor burden initially, followed by immunotherapy to activate a targeted immune response. This dual strategy can mitigate side effects while improving treatment success rates.
Immunotherapy in Hong Kong
While a variety of immunotherapy drugs—particularly checkpoint inhibitors such as PD-1—are available in Hong Kong, cell-based immunotherapy faces stricter regulations. Because these therapies involve cultivating and modifying human cells in the lab, local authorities require a high standard of facilities and trained personnel under the “Advanced Therapy Products (ATP)” ordinance. At present, no Hong Kong institution is approved for cell-based immunotherapy. Patients seeking such treatments must therefore consider established centers in regions like Japan, Taiwan, or the United States.
Japan’s Leading Expert in Immunotherapy
Dr. Yoichi Kato possesses over two decades of expertise in this field and has managed more than 2,000 immune cell therapy cases. His clinic is among the top in Japan for clinical experience with cell-based immunotherapies, boasting a 68% effectiveness rate in late-stage cancer patients—8% of whom have achieved complete tumor remission (CR).
For patients interested in pursuing treatment in Japan, Asia Immunotherapy provides a comprehensive service: from collecting medical reports and arranging online consultations with Dr. Kato, to booking travel and accommodation, as well as coordinating airport pick-up and professional interpretation support during treatment. This one-stop solution helps patients feel assured and well-supported throughout their care journey.
