Patient FAQ — Cancer Immunotherapy Treatment Coordination in Japan

Japan regulates advanced cell-based medicine through a dedicated legal framework, overseen by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and the PMDA. Pathways such as Advanced Medical Care (Senshin Iryo) and the Act on the Safety of Regenerative Medicine let licensed clinics offer certain therapies outside a clinical trial, under defined safeguards. That is why some approaches are routinely available in Japan while they are still trial-only elsewhere. It does not mean they are right for everyone — that is a separate question. Through our medical concierge services, we review health records and diagnostic history provided by patients to identify the most relevant clinical paths. We help connect patients with authorized specialized clinics in Japan best equipped to evaluate each patient's situation and provide the appropriate treatment protocols for their specific case.

Most Japanese specialized clinics do not accept international patients directly. Japan Medical Assist bridges this gap by acting as your official administrative coordinator. Here is how we help you successfully secure treatment:

• Overcoming language barriers: Japanese medical facilities communicate exclusively in Japanese. We handle all official correspondence and provide professional document translation services for your records.
• Complex record preparation: clinics require strict, specific health record formats and preliminary screening protocols. We organize your medical history to meet precise Japanese standards.
• Multi-clinic network: treatment protocols vary widely, and clinics frequently decline cases. We leverage established relationships with multiple facilities to find the best match for your specific diagnosis.
• Expedited registration: Japanese oncology centers can be overwhelmed with inquiries. We present your case as a "ready-to-review" medical case, bypassing administrative delays to fast-track your intake.
• On-site interpretation support: to ensure safety and clear communication during your medical appointments, we provide in-person interpretation services at the clinic when necessary.

Document preparation and clinic matching, including the initial case review by our coordination team, are free and come with no obligation. Doctor's consultations and clinic services are billed separately by the clinics themselves, and you will see those figures before you commit to anything.

Broadly, four families. This is a summary — each one has real clinical depth behind it:

• Dendritic cell vaccines — your own dendritic cells are collected, prepared in a lab to recognise cancer markers, and given back as a personalised vaccine. Includes WT1, multivalent, and tumour-lysate versions.
• Immune cell therapies — NK cells, NK/NKT/gamma-delta T combinations, or LAK cells are grown and activated from a blood sample, then returned by infusion.
• Targeted and molecular approaches — used where genetic or pathology testing finds something specific to aim at.
• Local and supportive therapies — hyperthermia, photoimmunotherapy, sonodynamic therapy, tumour treating fields, and supportive options such as high-dose vitamin C.

They work on two different halves of the immune system.

• A dendritic cell vaccine works with your adaptive immunity. It shows the immune system specific cancer markers so it learns to recognise and remember them. Specific, but it needs a target to teach.
• A NK cell therapy works with your innate immunity. Natural killer cells act on abnormal cells without needing to be taught a particular marker first. Broader, but less targeted.

Often, yes — and clinics generally prefer it that way rather than treating these approaches as a replacement. But the sequencing matters and it is genuinely technical. Timing gaps are sometimes required between certain drugs and cell therapy, and chemotherapy can affect how many usable immune cells a blood draw yields. This is exactly the kind of thing the consultation is for. Please do not stop or change your current treatment based on anything you read here — talk to your own oncologist first, and keep them involved throughout. During the consultation, the certified Japanese specialist will review your records and advise on what is safe and appropriate for your case.

Most solid tumours are considered, and cases are looked at both for active disease and after surgery. Certain blood cancers are generally outside what these particular approaches address, and brain metastases usually need careful individual review. Rather than guess from a list, the honest answer is that the clinic reads your records and tells you. That is what the initial case review is for.

We cannot tell you that, and you should be wary of anyone who does. These approaches depend on your own immune system, and results vary with the type and stage of disease, your general health, and what treatment you have already had. No clinic in our network guarantees an outcome, and neither do we. What the consultation can give you is a specialist reading your actual records and telling you honestly what they think is realistic in your situation. Doctors are happy to share prior experience with similar cases, but they cannot promise that your case will respond the same way. The consultation is the only way to get a realistic assessment of what is appropriate for your individual case.

Yes. Clinics want to speak with you before agreeing to anything. Once a clinic accepts your file, we arrange a video consultation at a time that works across your time zone and theirs, with a medical interpreter on the call.

As much as you already have. Doctors would rather see too much than too little:

• A recent summary of your diagnosis and treatment so far.
• Imaging — CT, MRI, PET-CT, X-rays.
• Blood work and pathology reports.
• A list of current protocols and medications.

Yes, and plenty of people do exactly that. A second-opinion consultation is a specialist reviewing your diagnosis and current plan and telling you what they think. It is booked separately from a treatment consultation because it needs different preparation. If you cannot join yourself, a family member or representative can usually attend for you. Tell us what you need and we will set it up.

No. A consultation is a specialist looking at your case and giving you their view. It is not a guarantee of eligibility, availability, a particular treatment, or any medical result. Sometimes the honest outcome of a consultation is that this is not the right path for you.

Yes, for the consultation and for your appointments in Japan. We confirm the language arrangements with you beforehand.

Study the available therapies on ImmunotherapyJapan.com beforehand to understand what might be relevant to your case and what is important to discuss with the doctor. Write your questions down before the call. People forget them under pressure, and the interpreter makes the conversation slower than a normal appointment. Cover what worries you most, what you are having now, timing, and what you are hoping to find out.

What they are actually proposing and why, what evidence sits behind it, the risks, what the alternatives are, what it costs, how many visits it needs, and what follow-up looks like once you go home. If an answer is vague, ask again.

You upload them into your encrypted patient workspace. Only the coordinators working on your case and the clinical team reviewing it can see them. We can also request records from your current care team on your behalf and pass them on securely.

There is no need — it may be expensive, time-consuming and you may translate the wrong things. Send them in the original language and we will take care of documents translation and preparation for the clinic review.

Yes. Send the link and whatever is needed to open it, and we will retrieve the files and pass them on securely.

Send what you have and tell us what is missing. The clinic will say whether anything else is genuinely required before they can review the case. Incomplete records are normal and not a reason to delay getting in touch.

We check first that the file is complete and formatted the way clinics expect. Then an independent clinic decides whether it will review the case. That second decision is entirely theirs.

We usually prepare a complete document package within one to two working days. Japanese clinics often respond within the same week, though it varies with their schedule and how complex the case is. Once a clinic accepts, the consultation is typically booked within a week depending on the specific doctor's availability.

You get a written summary of your discussion with the specialist. If you decide to go ahead with a visit, we assist with logistics — scheduling, visa guidance where it is needed, travel, accommodation and so on.

It happens, and it is not the end of the road. Each clinic assesses independently, and a decline from one does not mean a decline from all — this is the main reason we work with several rather than one. We will tell you plainly if we think no clinic in our network is likely to take the case, rather than keep you waiting.

Yes. Nothing here replaces your existing care plan, and you should keep your local oncologist involved throughout. Please talk to them before making any decision about treatment abroad.

We prepare and translate your records, present your case to clinics, arrange consultations and interpreters, and organise the practical side of getting you to Japan and back. That is the whole scope.

Only the licensed doctors at the independent clinics. Diagnoses, eligibility, treatment decisions and care recommendations come from them, never from us.

No. Every clinic decides independently based on your records. If one declines, we look at others in the network.

Not until your clinic schedule is confirmed and you have seen the costs. On-site appointments are usually set for one to three weeks after the consultation. Once the dates are fixed we can help with travel and suggest places to stay near the clinic.

It depends on what the doctor recommends, but it usually falls into one of two patterns:

• Two-three trips — roughly 7 to 14 days first, visiting the clinic daily for appointments of about 30 to 60 minutes, then a second stay of 7 to 14 days after a two to three week gap.
• Single longer trip — combining both phases into a single stay of about 4 to 5 weeks, which many people prefer for simplicity.

Usually not. Most of these protocols are outpatient and fit within 4 to 6 weeks, which sits inside the standard 90-day short-stay limit — so an ordinary short-term visitor entry is normally enough.

• Standard Short-Term Stay: Sufficient for stays up to 90 days, covering the full duration of most cellular and supportive treatment cycles.
• Legal Clarification: This regulatory point has been verified directly with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan through our legal immigration counsel.

Yes, and most people bring someone. Family members or an authorised representative can attend appointments with you, and we will make sure they have what they need to help.

No — these are outpatient treatments and the specialist clinics generally do not have overnight beds. We can help you find accommodation nearby. If travelling daily would be difficult for you, the clinic can introduce an affiliated hospital where a stay can be arranged.

Anything urgent must be handled by your local medical team — we are not an emergency service and cannot treat you. The clinic can share records and coordinate timing with your local oncologist, which is why keeping them involved from the start matters.

Document preparation and clinic matching are free and carry no obligation. Clinic costs come after the clinic has reviewed your file, because they depend on what is actually being proposed — anyone quoting a treatment price before reading your records is guessing. You will get a full breakdown before deciding anything. Online consultation with a doctor is billed separately by the clinic, and you will see that cost before booking. Often, the consultation cost is credited toward the treatment cost if you go ahead.

Usually not. These are private treatments at independent clinics and most policies do not reimburse them. Check with your insurer directly. Depending on where you live, the costs may qualify for a medical expense tax deduction.

Clinical follow-up instructions will originate from licensed medical professionals, i.e., the independent Japanese facility providing your care will be responsible for tracking progress and issuing medical recommendations.

We will stay in touch with you before, during and after your visit. Please use the secure client portal or contact your coordinator directly for ongoing account management, document updates, or scheduling help. Our team remains available to facilitate follow-up communication with clinics, bookings or secondary consultations.