Breast Cancer Vaccine Takes a Big, Encouraging Step Closer to Reality

on November 9, 2011 at 3:57 PM

Breast cancer duck Exciting news on the women's health front this week: a vaccine that shows promise in halting the progress of breast and ovarian cancer and increasing the survival rates of women with advanced cases of the disease.

Hooray!

Although the study exploring the effects of the PANVAC vaccine, conducted at the Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Biology at the U.S. National Cancer Institute, was small, the effects were dramatic. Twenty-six women were treated (all of them with breast or ovarian cancer that had already spread to other organs) with the vaccine. In four women, the disease was brought to a halt. One woman experienced what sounds like a miracle: Her cancer just totally disappeared.

What's more, side effects were extremely mild: The women were given the vaccine via monthly shots. Their complaints were no worse than a minor reaction at the site of the injections, which, to me, doesn't sound like anything more dramatic than you might get from a flu shot!

Researchers are hopeful that, if administered earlier and on women with less advanced forms of cancer, the vaccine could prove even more effective.

Clearly, in an area that so many of us women have been thirsting for progress, the results of this study comes as more than welcome news. But of course, we shouldn't get too far ahead of ourselves. Further, larger-scale studies will be needed to verify the results. And it can take a long time for a treatment to make the journey from the clinical-trial phase to widespread use.

Still, solutions to women's most pressing health problems like breast and ovarian cancer will be found one step at a time. And this step sure sounds like a promising one that -- one hopes -- is headed in the right direction.

Are you excited about the prospect of a breast and ovarian cancer vaccine?

Image via jdsmith1021/Flickr

About the author Amy Reiter

is a freelance writer living in Brooklyn, New York, with her husband/work spouse, two kids, and very demanding laptop computer.

Filed Under: cancer, breasts, illness, medicine, obgyn

Comments (25)

Facebook comment from Stephanie Colvin Scott

on Nov 9, 2011 at 4:34 PM

THIS MAKES NO SENSE! WE HAVE A VACCINE TO SAVE LIVES NOW, BUT WE HAVE TO WAIT BECAUSE OF MORE TRIALS!THIS WORLD DOES NEED TO END, CAUSE EVERYTHING IS SO MESSED UP ON EVERY LEVEL!

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Facebook comment from Patti McNeal

on Nov 9, 2011 at 5:05 PM

This is what I am waiting for, please don't make me wait to long. As everyone know those of us with stage 4 don't have an extended amount of time.

micheledo

on Nov 9, 2011 at 5:06 PM

It doesn't seem right to call it a vaccine. If it is given AFTER you get cancer - wouldn't it be more like medicine? A vaccine is to prevent a disease from occuring.

If it halts the cancer or gets rid of it, that is great! However I would be nervous about it being marketed as a vaccine - give to every women before she has cancer.

colins_mom

on Nov 9, 2011 at 6:41 PM

This is leaps and bounds in the right direction, and @stephinie, it is still in trials because they have to watch for 7 years for long term effects. They have to check to see how many of the woman will relapse. My mom was part of a trial for a breast cancer medicine 6 years ago and still has to go to the doctor. The medicine she was given has recently been approved by the FDA and it saved my moms life :)

Nonmember comment from michelea

on Nov 10, 2011 at 2:56 AM

i agree with what micheldo said. and..."What's more, side effects were extremely mild: The women were given the vaccine via monthly shots. Their complaints were no worse than a minor reaction at the site of the injections, which, to me, doesn't sound like anything more dramatic than you might get from a flu shot!"...EXCUSE ME??? these don't sound "dramatic" enough to you? these adverse reactions have been reported for FLUVIRIN: anaphylactic shock and death, Vasculitis (in rare cases with transient renal involvement), transient thrombocytopenia. febrile convulsions; Guillain-Barré Syndrome; myelitis (including encephalomyelitis and transverse myelitis), paralysis (including Bell’s Palsy), Dyspnea, Stevens-Johnson syndrome...

Crimsonia

on Nov 10, 2011 at 7:48 AM

Or y'all could hope for it to be fast tracked..... like Gardasil was. 2 short years from development to market! Woo Hoo.... How awesome is that....

OH WAIT... THAT'S right... Gardasil is the single most dangerous and deadly vaccine to date!!!!!

You're right Stephanie Colvin Scott... we DO have a pretty messed up system! I wonder if they'll end up fast tracking this breast cancer "vaccine" just like they did Gardasil.... I hope for the sake of our pre-teen daughters....(because that's who will be targeted with this vaccine... mark my words on that)... they don't!!

Mama2ETA

on Nov 10, 2011 at 10:29 AM

I say NO. I say they need to continue this research for YEARS. Like PP said about gardasil! Let's be patient. It needs to be treated as a drug being studied for YEARS and those who choose to use it need to be aware of the UNKNOWNS.

seksen

on Nov 10, 2011 at 10:30 AM

I think they definitely need to take their time on something like this, we all know of have heard of how dangerous cancer really is. If they can slow or stop it - amazing! But things look like they are headed in the right direction. Hopefully it stays going this way!!

Queen_Bree

on Nov 10, 2011 at 10:47 AM

I would never take a vaccine to prevent something that can be prevented by partaking in good healthy living. There are piles and piles of evidence thatstate that the best way to aviod cancer of anykind is healthy living, good food, vitamins and exercise and avoiding fast foods and toxins.