Study breast cancer vaccine shows effect

Study: Breast cancer vaccine shows effect

03/12/2014

In the US, researchers have developed a breast cancer vaccine and tested it on patients for the first time. The study showed that in many of the participating women the tumor did not grow after vaccination.

Vaccine tested for breast cancer
US scientists have developed a breast cancer vaccine and tested it on patients for the first time, she says „Rheinische Post Online“ (RP). According to the information, the drug prevented further training of tumors in almost all participants. For the study, researchers led by William E. Gillanders from the Washington University School of Medicine at Saint Louis administered the vaccine to 14 patients, who teach the body to recognize cells that make up the protein Mammaglobin-A.

Only mild side effects noted
This protein is produced by breast cancer cells in the tumor and also in the metastases. As „RP Online“ The vaccine could be of benefit to a large proportion of patients because it is found in tissue in 80 percent of breast cancer cases. In the trade magazine „Clinical Cancer Research“ The scientists report that there were mild to moderate responses to the vaccine in the Phase 1 study. Some of the patients had rash, tenderness or flu-like symptoms. However, heavier side effects did not occur.

Low number of participants
In the year following the vaccination, half of the patients had no further progression of the tumor disease. In the control group, in which there were also twelve women, however, already: In this group, only two women stopped the growths. However, because of the small number of subjects, it is not possible to say exactly whether the successes are really due to the vaccine. The US researchers are now planning a new, larger study to be attended by patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer.

Vaccination right after the diagnosis
The best time to administer the vaccine, according to the scientists, is right after the diagnosis of the disease. So before surgery and chemo. Because then the immune system is still well able to learn to effectively fight the cancer cells, the researchers suspect. According to figures from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), more than 70,000 women in Germany are diagnosed with breast cancer each year. Around 17,000 women die from it each year. Although many types of cancer can be treated well if they are diagnosed early, still many people in this country do not go to the check-up. This was also made clear by a DAK Health Survey recently published under the headline: „Fear of cancer: every second person without precaution“ was reported. (Ad)