Having Autologous Immune Enhancement Therapy at Tokyo Clinic
What is Autologous Immune Enhancement Therapy? (AIET)
AIET is a type of immunotherapy that uses your own blood, so side effects are very, very rare. It boosts your immune system so your own body can attack your cancer.
AIET has been found to extend the life, and improve the quality of life, of cancer patients. In some cases it has helped cure “incurable” cancers.
AIET works with other cancer treatments you are having but it’s also useful if your cancer is not responding to other treatments.
AIET, unlike other cancer therapies, has been shown to target “Cancer Stem Cells”(CSCs) It’s believed that CSCs cause cancer to spread (metastasis) and also to return (relapse) if you cancer has been successfully treated. CSCs seem to be very resistant to chemotherapy.
Your doctor at Tokyo Clinic will help you decide the best timing for your treatment, related to any other treatments you are having such as surgery, radiation therapy or chemotherapy. Also, your doctor may recommend you have AIET with hyperthermia therapy and/or low-dose chemotherapy.
What happens during Autologous Immune Enhancement Therapy?
There are 3 steps:
1) A small amount of your blood is taken at Tokyo Clinic.
2) Next, your blood is taken to a laboratory where the white blood cells are “expanded”. This takes about 3 weeks and the number of white blood cells is massively increased.
3) Finally, you come back to Tokyo Clinic to have your own blood returned to you via a drip. This usually takes 30-60 minutes depending on the condition of your blood vessels.
Before having AIET you will have an Immunological Blood Test. The results will be ready after about a week. Your doctor will discus the results with you and give you a detailed report to take home.
We will telephone you the day before you return to Tokyo Clinic to confirm that you can come. This is very important because the white blood cells need to be fresh so they will be prepared shortly before you arrive at our clinic.