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- Tsuyoshi Takara
“Forget oneself and act for the benefit of others.”
Tsuyoshi Takara
Director
Takara Clinic, Seishin-Kai Medical Corporation
Website：https://www.takara-clinic.com/
A surgeon known for developing the original TCTP Therapy, integrating radiation and immunotherapy for cancer treatment.
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- Tsuyoshi Takara
A Journey Shaped by Global Experience
I graduated from St. Marianna University School of Medicine in 1985 and began my career as a surgeon treating cancer patients. Early on, I faced a hard truth: there were patients I could not save through surgery or chemotherapy alone. To overcome those limits, I turned my attention to new treatment possibilities grounded in immunology.
I later moved to the Montreal Children’s Hospital in Canada, where I conducted research on liver and small-intestine transplantation. In transplantation medicine, it is essential to suppress the immune system to prevent rejection and to induce immune tolerance. However, I learned that immunity can also be enhanced and utilized, depending on the situation. That realization sparked my deep interest in tumor immunology and cancer immunotherapy.
After returning to Japan, I focused my clinical research on gastrointestinal cancers, exploring the practical applications of tumor immunology. In 2002, I opened a clinic dedicated to cancer treatment. Four years later, in 2006, it was reorganized as Takara Clinic under the medical corporation Seishinkai. There, I established a system for providing multidisciplinary treatments tailored to cancer patients.
A Philosophy of Restoring Hope
One of the most common questions patients ask me in the consultation room is, “What’s going to happen to me?” It’s a natural expression of anxiety about the future, but I try to reframe that question as, “What would you like to happen?”
Rather than dictating a treatment plan unilaterally, I believe patients themselves should take an active role in their treatment decisions. In my experience, when patients realize that “there is still something I can do” and engage in treatment with that mindset, their overall condition often improves, and their response to therapy becomes stronger.
At our clinic, all consultations are by appointment only, allowing ample time for each session. We discuss every aspect in detail—from explaining the condition and presenting treatment options to weighing risks and benefits, and even exploring practical ways to improve daily habits and quality of life. I believe this process is the first step toward restoring hope in cancer care.
The “TCTP Comprehensive Treatment Protocol” for Controlling Cancer
Drawing on years of clinical experience, I developed what I call the Total Cancer Treatment Protocol (TCTP)—an integrated immunological approach that combines “local control” and “systemic control.” This multidisciplinary framework extends therapeutic possibilities even for patients whose cancers have not responded to standard treatments.
For local control, we employ intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). This precise form of radiation therapy disrupts the immunosuppressive barriers within the tumor microenvironment (TME) and exposes tumor antigens. By making the tumor more visible to immune cells, IMRT enhances not only the direct effect of radiation but also its synergy with immunotherapy.
Systemic control involves immune cell therapy. We extract dendritic cells (DCs), macrophages (Mφ), and T lymphocytes (ATs) from a patient’s blood, culture and activate them, and then administer them back into the body. By injecting DCs and macrophages directly into the tumor, we promote antigen presentation and induce tumor-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs). These CTLs circulate throughout the body, targeting and attacking cancer cells, including micro-metastases.
Through this two-step approach, we achieve both local tumor control and systemic immune activation. Clinically, we have seen remarkable decreases in tumor markers, improved overall condition, and even cases of patients returning to normal social activities. I am confident that the TCTP offers a meaningful new treatment option for patients once deemed “untreatable.”
A Facility Dedicated to Comprehensive Cancer Care
At Takara Clinic, many patients come from Japan and abroad seeking new treatment options after completing standard therapies. Our mission extends beyond tumor control to include relapse prevention, immune maintenance and enhancement, and lifestyle improvement. Guided by the spirit of mōko rita—to forget oneself and act for the benefit of others—we strive to support patients and their families so they can move forward with confidence and regain a life that feels truly their own. It is our continuing mission to present sound, evidence-informed options in cancer care.
