Therapeutic Cancer Vaccine Trials

Category: Cancer News
Thursday, July 05, 2007 at 2:58:33 PM
 Font Size 
Ongoing therapeutic cancer vaccine trials have yet to show evidence of vaccines spurring a patient’s immune system to shrink tumors -- yet patients who receive these vaccines in trials tend to live longer and respond better to subsequent treatment.


In the July 1 issue of Clinical Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, a team of National Cancer Institute researchers asks a fundamental question: are we looking at cancer vaccine trials the wrong way".

In a review of five prostate cancer vaccine trials, NCI researchers offer evidence that patients who receive vaccines may respond better to subsequent chemotherapy or hormone treatment.

The specific results – or endpoints – of these clinical trials, however, were not the long term survival of patients, but rather the degree to which the vaccine caused tumors to shrink. According to the researchers, since they didn’t achieve their primary endpoints, these vaccines may be abandoned as dead-ends, despite their real therapeutic value in terms of prolonging patient survival.

“Clinical data are providing evidence that patients are living longer following vaccination, de-spite the fact that trials do not show the vaccines can induce the immune system into shrinking tumors,” said Jeffrey Schlom, Ph.D., chief of the Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Biology at the National Cancer Institute.

“The data suggests that the scientific community and regulatory committees ought to rethink the design of clinical vaccine trials and our current approach to measuring the effectiveness of a cancer vaccine.”
Page 1 Page 1 | 2  Next
       Email Email      RSS Feeds RSS Feeds      Print this page Print      Save this page Save      Link Link      Syndicate Syndicate      Comments Comments
  
Comment & Contribute
Be the first to comment
* Your comment can be maximum of 2500 characters
Notify me when reply is posted   

Cancer Related News

.
Ultra-Sound Therapy Offers 'Non-Invasive' Treatment For Prostate Cancer
.
Higher Birth Complications Risk Seen in Cancer Survivors
.
Mole Removal by GPs Under Scanner in UK
.
Early Cancer Detection can be Improved by Finding New Biomarkers
Read More

Related Links

Medindia on 'Hen Factories' To Synthesize Cancer Drugs
A groundbreaking venture has been initiated by a group of researchers, whereby therapeutic proteins, essential in cancer-treatment, are mass-produced in the egg white of a certain breed of hen.

Read More...

For More Information
Cervical Cancer Vaccine for the 12 Year Old
HPV Vaccine – Should It Be Mandatory for Girls?
500 + Health news categories
Latest Health News From Leading Resources
Updated every 30 minutes
Cancer
Complete Medindia Resources
Latest Headlines
Australia To Hold 'Harmony March' In Solidarity With Indian Students (8 hrs ago)
Rare Sheep Perfect Blood Donors for Diagnosing Infectious Disease in Developing World (8 hrs ago)
Intensive Dietary Advice Improves Blood Sugar Control In Type 2 Diabetes (8 hrs ago)
Spanish Winemakers Look To Higher Ground (8 hrs ago)
Doctor Advises 'Skinny' Courtney Love To Start Eating (9 hrs ago)
Women Flocking Australian Town Craving for Nicole Kidman's 'fertility Water' (9 hrs ago)
Gazans Brave Nasty Rashes For A Dip In Poisoned Beaches (9 hrs ago)
All Latest News
Popular News Topics
News Archive
Date :
Category :
Keyword :
Medindia Special Reports
Benefits-Fasting.jpg
world-health-day-2009.jpg
world-asthma-day-2009.jpg
interview-Dr-srinivasan.jpg
world-no-tobacco-day2009.jpg
Web Medindia  Advanced Search
Feedback
Last Updated - - Designed & Content Managed by Medindia Health Network Pvt Ltd. Hosted & Technical Support by FrontPoint Systems
DisclaimerThe contents of this site are for informational purposes only. Always seek the advice of a qualified physician for any doubts.
To Read full Disclaimer Click Here!
Best viewed with resolution 1024x768 px.
Advertise with us |  Medindia Copyright |  Privacy Policy |  © All Rights Reserved 1997 - 2009