Status: Effective vaccine, DCVax, for aggressive brain cancer.
Original Article:
Sources of claim: The Guardian, NHS
Quotes:
"Trial researchers found that newly diagnosed patients who had the vaccine survived for 19.3 months on average, compared with 16.5 months for those who received a placebo."
"The vaccine is a form of immunotherapy, in which the body’s immune system is programmed to track down and attack the tumour. It is the first developed to tackle brain tumours."
“The vaccine is produced by combining proteins from a patient’s own tumour with their white blood cells. This educates the white cells to recognise the tumour."
"The vaccine “was shown to prolong life and interestingly so in patients traditionally considered to have poorer prognosis”, such as older people and people for whom surgery was not an option, he added."
My opinion: Any potential cure or treatment for brain cancer that has a success rate warrants further study, but this one appears to have strong evidence of efficacy. Hopefully they can safely make a move to market. Immunotherapy, yet again, is revealing itself as the key.
Note: This blog does not provide medical advice and only seeks to catalog claims of potential cures / treatments that litter daily news sites. For medical advice, please contact your primary care physician or other licensed medical doctor.
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