Breast Cancer Vaccine

Margeaux

In the May 17th issue of the Houston Chronicle there is the following article about MDAnderson Cancer research, a vaccine which was tested on 201 patients, average age 50.
....reported positive results with an experimental BC vaccine...The vaccine, one of many now in testing, significantly decreased the recurrence rate of BC in women who had been treated for a common tumor type...If this vaccine and others continue to perform well in trials, they could change practice standards in BC...it will not take place of surgery, chemotherapy or radiation....researchers are in the dawn of a new era in which scientists are learning to manipulate the immune system to recognize cancer cells and prevent or treat the disease. The new vaccine triggers the patient's immunity against HER2, present to some extent in 75 to 80% of BC. It is best known when it it occurs in high levels, HER2+ BC. The vaccine reduced BC recurrence who had both, high and low levels of HER2.....On the average patients were checked for recurrence 22 months after the vaccine was administered. If the vaccine proves effective in later-stage trials, it likely will work in combination with Herceptin.....may prevent recurrence of other HER2-affected BC. The vaccine is delivered by injections once a month for 6 months. It is one of three undergoing MDAnderson trials.
Sounds wonderful - however here is the caveat (you knew there would be one, right?) The data is just coming in, the study is promising but needs more patients and longer follow-up, and it will be at least five years before it is in widespread use (provided the larger studies show it works).
Thought you'd like to know
Margeaux