Skin cancer treatment in Germany

Skin cancer treatment in Germany is carried out using modern, gentle techniques unavailable in many countries. Here, special attention is paid to studying skin cancer and developing new treatment technologies.

According to the German Association of Dermatologists and Oncologists, the number of skin cancer cases has increased by approximately 60% over the past ten years. This is 5% of all cancer diagnoses. Germany has a national program aimed at the prevention and early detection of skin cancer. It provides mandatory screening every 1.5-2 years for at-risk people.

Skin cancer treatment in Germany is distinguished by a high level of quality, safety, and an individual approach to each patient.

Germany has the lowest mortality rate from skin cancer – 1.3% of all detected cases. Such high results were achieved thanks to many factors:

1. There are many university clinics in Germany where new drugs and methods for treating skin cancer are developed and introduced. These medications are not available in other countries. Patients with terminal melanoma are getting a chance to be cured thanks to experimental therapy programs. The leading German Clinic Charité in Berlin treats over 1,000 skin cancer patients yearly, providing therapy based on the latest clinical research.
2. Doctors perform diagnostics using the latest-generation equipment. This makes it possible to detect a tumor at an early stage, which conventional devices do not show.
3. Treatment of melanoma in Germany is carried out according to the European protocol using original drugs. Their effectiveness is significantly higher than that of generics produced and prescribed in other countries.
4. Skin cancer treatment in Germany is carried out by leading dermato-oncologists constantly improving their knowledge and skills. For example, at the University Hospital Essen, leading expert Dirk Schadendorff treats melanoma. He is president of the German Association of Dermato-Oncology (DeCOG) and head of the European Organization for the Treatment of Skin Cancer and Melanoma (EORTC).

According to patients, skin cancer treatment in Germany is effective and safe. It is characterized by a low risk of relapses and complications and allows for complete recovery or improved quality of life.

Skin cancer is a malignant disease that arises from skin cells and can affect other organs and tissues. According to WHO, more than 200,000 cases of skin cancer are registered every year worldwide. Most often, doctors identify:

• basal cell carcinoma (basal cell carcinoma) – 80% of all cases;
• squamous cell skin cancer (papillary) – 16%;
• melanoma – 4%.

The most aggressive type is malignant melanoma, which spreads quickly and tends to metastasize, which can be fatal aggressively.

Oncologists call UV radiation the main factor causing skin cancer. Also note:

• prolonged contact with carcinogenic substances;
• genetic predisposition;
• hormonal disbalance;
• loss of natural immunity.

At particular risk are people who love sun tanning, abuse the use of solariums, and those with white skin type.

Symptoms that require consultation with a doctor:

• change in the appearance or size of a mole, wart, birthmark, or other skin lesion;
• the appearance of new moles or other formations on the skin, predominantly black in color with uneven edges and an asymmetrical shape;
• an ulcer or wound on the skin that does not heal within several weeks;
• lump or lump under the skin.

Leading oncologists in Germany are confident that early diagnosis and proper therapy using modern methods have a favorable prognosis and a high chance of cure.

German clinics are equipped with powerful diagnostic equipment, which allows for the identification of all types of skin tumors with 100% accuracy. The doctor takes a medical history and prescribes a set of studies, which may include:

1. Dermatoscopy – examination of the pathologic area of the dermis using a microscope with 12x magnification. Using the latest generation dermatoscope, German dermatologists perform various examinations, including:

• chemiluminescence microscopy using a special transparent gel that improves light penetration and reduces reflection;
• fluorescence studies using special dyes (photosensitizers) that accumulate in tumor cells and emit light when illuminated with an ultraviolet beam.
  

2. Doctors also perform computerized analysis of all the digital images obtained from the dermatoscope to help diagnose skin cancer.

3. Pre-cancerous skin disease screening. The doctor takes pictures of different areas of the patient’s skin and performs dermatoscopy. All the results are stored for a long time; this allows you to compare the images and detect the slightest changes when you are examined again.

4. biopsy – taking a fragment of a suspicious mole or skin area for examination in a laboratory to detect cancer cells and determine their type and stage of cancer. If metastases are suspected, a sentinel (neighboring) lymph node biopsy is performed.

5. Thermodifferential testing. Measuring the temperature difference between normal and tumor skin using a particular device. 

6. Skin ultrasound – allows you to examine all layers of the dermis and subcutaneous fatty tissue. Use scanners made in Germany DUB-TPM, which are distinguished by increased accuracy. If metastases are suspected, the patient is prescribed CT, MRI, or PET-CT. 

7. Complex blood analysis.

German clinics pay special attention to the quality of diagnostics. Therefore, European and Asian patients turn to doctors in Germany for an accurate diagnosis.

The choice of treatment methods is determined by many factors: the size, stage and location of the tumor, the presence of concomitant pathologies, and the patient’s health status. Main methods of treatment:

1. Operation MOHS (Mohs) – micrographic excision of layers of skin with careful analysis of tissue under a microscope. Allows you to carefully remove the tumor to prevent relapses. The technology allows the patient to completely get rid of skin cancer pathologies.
2. Photodynamic therapy. Introduction into the body of a photosensitive drug that accumulates in tumor cells and is activated when illuminated by a special device.
3. Radiation therapy. Modern gentle types of radiation therapy are used, for example: stereotactic radiosurgery, intensively modulated radiation therapy. They allow beams to be precisely directed at the tumor and minimize damage to surrounding tissue. 
4. Cryotherapy. Freezing a tumor with liquid nitrogen or another refrigerant that causes necrosis (death) of cancer cells.
5. Electronic brachytherapy. Inserting thin needles with electrodes into the tumor, which deliver high-frequency and high-voltage electrical current to kill cancer cells. Allows you to control the depth and intensity of irradiation, and is effective when the tumor is located in a hard-to-reach place.

Melanoma is one of the most dangerous types of skin cancer, which requires timely and high-quality therapy. Germany and Israel are recognized as world leaders in treating melanoma. Technologies have been developed and implemented here that can increase the chances of a cure and improve patients’ quality of life. At an early stage of the disease, doctors achieve complete recovery in 97% of patients.

Treatment of melanoma in Germany meets international standards. The person’s age, type of tumor, degree of localization, and presence of concomitant diseases are considered. Among the available methods:

1. Surgical removal. In the early stages, an excisional biopsy is performed, in which only the affected tissue is completely removed; in the later stages, a wide excision is performed, including healthy tissue, to avoid the development of metastases.
2. Radiation and chemotherapy to reduce the size and growth of the tumor.
3. Targeted therapy. They use drugs that block specific molecular targets responsible for the growth and survival of cancer cells. According to research from German clinics, the drugs are especially effective for mutations of the BRAF, NRAS, and C-KIT genes. To achieve this, genetic tissue testing is conducted at the CeGaT Genetics Laboratory in Tübingen. This allows doctors to select the most effective drugs based on the patient’s characteristics and genomic changes in the cancer. Oncotest significantly increases the chances of recovery.
4. Laser therapy. The doctor injects a drug that accumulates in the affected cells and, after some time, acts with a laser. The tumor gradually disappears over several months. The drug is used intravenously or in the form of applications. The uniqueness of the technology is that the drug does not enter healthy cells, and they do not suffer. The technique is considered an alternative to surgery.
5. Immune therapy uses drugs that target and fight cancer cells. At the IOZK Immuno-Oncology Center Cologne, treatment is carried out using monoclonal antibodies, an individually created IO-VAC vaccine from the patient’s dendritic cells. The therapy aims to activate T-lymphocytes, which recognize and destroy malignant cells throughout the body.
6. Adaptive T-cell therapy. Immune T cells are isolated from the patient’s blood and multiplied in the laboratory. Once introduced into the body, they successfully attack cancer cells.
7. Isolated perfusion. It is based on the introduction of high doses of chemotherapy into the tumor and disconnecting it from the bloodstream. They are used to impact cancerous lesions locally.
8. Hyperthermia is the destruction of tumor cells by raising the temperature to 40-45°C using various heat sources (ultrasound, microwaves, radio frequencies, infrared radiation).

According to the Robert Koch Institute, treatment of melanoma in Germany allowed overcoming the 5-year survival rate in 94% of patients.

Patients who were treated for melanoma in Germany note:

• high quality of services;
• comfortable conditions;
• fast and accurate diagnosis;
• modern equipment;
• individual approach;
• the opportunity to undergo treatment with innovative drugs;
• psychological support and rehabilitation.

On the Experts Medical website you can find honest reviews about treating melanoma and other types of skin cancer in Germany in different medical centers.

The Experts Medical team monitored German hospitals and studied patient reviews about the treatment of melanoma and other types of skin cancer in Germany. The following medical centers demonstrate good results:

1. Clinic Dermatologicum in Berlin. A highly specialized hospital where advanced methods of diagnosing and treating all malignant skin pathologies are available. Specialists recognized by the Focus publication as the best in the country practice here. Among them are Professor Uwe Trefzer, Laureate of the American Academy of Dermatology, and Dr. Rainer Ruprecht, who has performed over 10,000 surgical procedures to remove skin cancer. Doctors place particular emphasis on diagnostics, targeted and immune therapy, and surgical removal of melanoma.
2. University Hospital in Cologne. Specializes in the development of innovative procedures and drugs for targeted chemotherapy. Patients can participate in clinical trials and be the first to receive advanced therapy.
3. University Hospital Freiburg. Doctors use exclusively proven treatment methods and patented medications.
4. Asklepios Clinic in Hamburg. Recognized as the No. 1 clinic in the world for foreigners. Skin cancer treatment is carried out in the specialized advanced Dermatology Center named after—Eduard Arning, which is certified by the German Cancer Society (DKG). Complex therapy is successfully used for metastases in the lungs and liver.
5. Clinic Nordwest in Frankfurt. The German Cancer Society included the hospital’s Cancer Center in the TOP 20 in 20202. The hospital is especially recommended for immunotherapy for patients with end-stage melanoma. The treatment is carried out by Professor Elke Jäger, an oncologist with 30 years of experience and head of the immunological laboratory at the Ludwig Institute.

For more detailed information about other medical centers for treating skin cancer in Germany, you should call the coordinating doctors of Experts Medical. They have complete information about the features of treatment of melanoma and other types of skin cancer in Germany. They will recommend the best medical center, considering the nature of the disease.

The price of skin cancer treatment in Germany depends on many factors, the main of which are:

• type and stage of the disease;
• selected treatment regimen;
• status of the clinic and the attending physician.

Estimated cost of treatment for melanoma in Germany:

• consultation with a dermato-oncologist – from €500;
• general blood test + analysis for tumor markers – from €480;
• biopsy – from €2500;
• PET-CT – from €1800;
• melanoma surgery (excision) – from €10,000.

To pre-determine the cost of melanoma treatment in Germany, contact Experts Medical coordinating doctors. They will help prepare and transmit medical documents to doctors: biopsy results, x-rays, and disks with examinations (MRI, CT). Based on this information, the doctor will announce the preliminary treatment price.

To take advantage of the benefits of German medicine, just leave a request to the consultants of Experts Medical. The coordinating doctor will promptly contact you and recommend choosing a clinic and treating dermato-oncologist. The patient will be helped to organize treatment for skin cancer in Germany as soon as possible.

Experts Medical company guarantees that the patient will undergo skin cancer treatment in Germany in a comfortable and safe environment.