According to the CDC, breast cancer is the second most common type of cancer for women in the U.S. One in eight women develop breast cancer in the U.S, and it is the most common cancer at a global level. The statistics are not encouraging, and pharmaceutical companies and medical experts are trying to find new ways to combat this cancer. A new breast cancer clinical trial began at a Cleveland Clinic.
More on the breast cancer vaccine
The trial will include 18 to 25 women who underwent treatment for triple-negative breast cancer. The triple-negative breast cancer, known as the deadliest form of breast cancer, is the least respondent to treatments. The researchers behind the vaccine trial at Cleveland Clinic are hopeful and want to determine if the breast cancer vaccine is efficient in preventing aggressive types of breast cancer. Although the selected participants do not show signs of cancer, they have a high risk of recurrence. The participants will not become pregnant nor breastfeed during the trial.
What happens during Phase 1 of the trial?
The vaccine will provide women with an immune response against alpha-lactalbumin. This protein is present when a woman is lactating, but it can also be present if the woman has triple-negative breast cancers. The goal is to create a vaccine that prevents breast cancers and inhibits the growth of tumors in patients who have the disease. The participants will receive different doses of the vaccine in three jabs, sources mention.
The Cleveland Clinic will collaborate with Anixa Biosciences for phase 1, and if the results are positive, a new vaccine could prevent the death of many women worldwide. Triple-negative breast cancer has a high recurrence rate, and it affects Black women more than white women. It might take several years until the vaccine in its final form is approved and released, but it can save many lives.