Are Breast Cancer Vaccines Real?

Breast cancer killed an estimated 5 lakh women in 2011. Despite the advancements in this field, around 58% breast cancer deaths were found to occur in less developed countries, as per a WHO report.

The efforts to develop a way to get your body to kill the cancerous cells have been in the works for many years. However, cancer is not a disease, but an umbrella term for many different kinds of diseases. Currently, a vaccine, as well as a cure, seem unlikely at best.

It is important to keep in mind that cancer vaccines and immunotherapeutic applications in the area are extensively studied subjects. But having a real vaccine changes a lot on the global map of people living with breast cancer.

The Cleveland Study on Breast Cancer Vaccines-2009

Back in 2009, Ohio’s Cleveland Clinic was the talk of the country. It had claimed progress on a breast cancer vaccine with some favorable results.

The researchers had been able to prevent breast cancer tumor from getting larger in mice. They’d focused their trials around an injectable formula based on a protein that’s found in around 805 cases of breast cancer.

Breast Cancer Vaccine Studies of 2017

In March 2017, Mayo Clinic Researchers were granted a fund of a $3.7 million for the second phase of HER2 trials. The TPIV 200 vaccine, which has proven its worth in treating triple-negative breast cancer, is also a product of Mayo Clinic. However, HER2 is more focused on establishing immunity against breast cancer.

You may have heard of HER2 targeted therapies, as it's a relatively popular trial drug used for breast cancer treatments. TPIV 110, the experimental drug under scrutiny at present, is expected to cover a larger patient group than HER2 did, approximately 90% of the HER-2-affected cancers.

Vaccines and Immunotherapy- the Future Holds Hope

Right now, a lot of HER2 positive breast cancer patients are getting the benefits of clinical trials. Be it the Mayo Clinic Research, or the Moffitt Cancer Centre Research, HER2 has received a lot of exposure. But for patients who don’t have this kind of breast cancer, the treatment options vary from surgery in early stages to mastectomy in later ones.

Ferrier Institute, a part of Victoria University, has come up with a theory that aims at preventing cancer from metastasizing. Ibrance, a drug that showed promising results when used for ER+ breast cancer(the most common kind) is another successful development. But, where Ferrier’s drug is too theoretic at present, Ibrance is too costly to be widely used.

Breast cancer vaccines, once developed, will be incredibly appreciated by the breast cancer patients and their families. However, by the looks of it, we are still a long away from a successful, all-around drug to prevent or lower the risks of breast cancer.