New vaccine technology might treat cancer

CLEVELAND -- VOANews -- Researchers at the Cleveland Clinic have found a way of making a vaccine that could both treat and prevent breast cancer without triggering an unwanted immune response. Led by Dr. Vincent Tuohy, at Cleveland Clinic's Lerner Institute,  the researchers say the experimental vaccine works by stimulating the immune system to protect the body against the development of breast cancer.  Until now, the major hurdle for researchers working on cancer vaccines has been finding ways to avoid setting off auto-immune responses in cancer patients.  Autoimmunity occurs when the body's immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue or organ systems. Continue reading	Reseachers are working to develop cancer vaccines. (photo courtesy of the National Institutes of Health)

New vaccine technology might treat cancer

CLEVELAND -- VOANews -- Researchers at the Cleveland Clinic have found a way of making a vaccine that targets cancerous breast tumors without triggering an unwanted immune response, that could both treat and prevent breast cancer.

Led by Dr. Vincent Tuohy, at Cleveland Clinic's Lerner Institute,  the researchers say the experimental vaccine works by stimulating the immune system to protect the body against the development of breast cancer.  Until now, the major hurdle for researchers working on cancer vaccines has been finding ways to avoid setting off auto-immune responses in cancer patients.  Autoimmunity occurs when the body's immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue or organ systems. Continue reading

New data shows promising results for enhanced chemo

CHICAGO – (CancerDigest) – Cell Therapeutics, Inc (CTI) announced updated clinical trial data for its lead enhanced chemotherapy drug OPAXIO(TM) showing  15 of 40 patients (38%) with advanced esophageal cancer achieved a  complete response when treated with the drug in combination with cisplatin and radiation. A complete response is usually defined as no sign of the cancer in tissues examined under a microscope for 4 weeks or more.

Bone drug may prevent breast cancer spread

ST. LOUIS – Cancer Digest – The osteoporosis drug, zoledronic acid may prevent metastatic breast cancer when given before surgery, say researchers. Led by Dr Rebecca Aft, of the Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine, the research team found that fewer women in their study who were given the drug in addition to chemotherapy had breast cancer cells in their marrow at the time of surgery to treat the breast cancer, compared to women who only underwent chemotherapy prior to surgery. Such cells are called disseminated tumor cells, or DTCs. Their findings appear in the May issue of The Lancet Oncology.These are breast cancer cells taken from a patient's bone marrow. The cancer cells are stained to make them easy to spot among the normal cells of the bone marrow.		These are breast cancer cells taken from a patient's bone marrow. The cancer cells are stained to make them easy to spot among the normal cells of the bone marrow.