The Philosophy

Crossing frontiers – between sciences, disciplines, and discourses: That is the challenge for modern oncology. Only then can new, innovative therapies emerge. Immunotherapy is a good example to show how interdisciplinary collaboration results in new treatment options.

Tumor immunology has been an area of great research interest worldwide over the last decades. The Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded for research in the field of immune oncology in 2011 and 2018, highlighting the importance of this discipline. The doctors and scientists at the Immune-Oncological Centre in Cologne (IOZK) have been working on the role of the immune system in cancer and chronic infectious diseases since 1985.

Over the years, we developed the IOZK Immunotherapy. Our experiences show that we are on the right path: with this treatment we can offer our patients a personalized therapy that offers the opportunity of a gentle treatment as well as the best possible quality of life.

The multi-layered approach of immunotherapy is important to us. Immunotherapy uses and strengthens the patient’s own immune system in the fight against cancer and sustainably activates it against new cancer cell growth. In contrast, surgery, radiation and chemotherapy aim to destroy the tumor through an operation or medication – this is often accompanied by serious side effects for the healthy cells and the immune system.

The successes we have observed with our treatment motivate us to further develop the IOZK Immunotherapy. We can already offer this form of therapy to our patients – even if it is not yet the standard treatment.

As an individualized treatment, the IOZK Immunotherapy is especially suited for those patients who want to take an active role in their own recovery. Patients who actively select their treatment method and identify with it, can directly influence the healing process and thus positively influence their recovery.

This vision of a natural and sustainable treatment of cancer is what motivates us every day.