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Debbie L. · 02-07-2010, 09:52 PM

I agree with Becky.

I'm underwhelmed (so far) with vaccine trials. They enthuse about being able to show "immune response" but then are not able to show clinical benefit. Yes, some women who have participated are NED. But some are dead, too.

I was initially very enthused about vaccines, especially as relates to HER2+. I had been accepted to a trial myself, when it was halted by GSK.

I attended NBCC's Project LEAD in Seattle in 2003, where Mary(Nora) Disis of UoW was one of the lecturers, and she graciously held a special extra lunchtime session for those of us who were interested in vaccine/immunity r/t breast cancer. A headline had appeared in the national news that week proclaiming that stress depleted the immune system (which may be true) and caused cancer (absolutely no evidence to support that one). She called that theory "bullshit" and won my heart.

Anyway, if you're interested in the potential of vaccines, watch a plenary that's now online, from December's SABCS - choose "Saturday, Plenary lecture3":
http://sabcs09.m2usa.com/sabcsol.html

I'm no expert, but Curiel's reasoning made good sense to me. I am not saying there's no hope in vaccine research. But I fear that like everything else, it's going to be incredibly complex and hard to figure out, especially without inducing auto-immune disease, which some would argue can be more misery-inducing than cancer.

Debbie Laxague, drawn out of lurkdom by one of my special-interest topics. I've been holding this list in my heart, with love and support - so many hard losses lately.

02-07-2010, 09:52 PM	#13
Debbie L. Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 463	Re: Dendric cell vaccine for breast cancer I agree with Becky. I'm underwhelmed (so far) with vaccine trials. They enthuse about being able to show "immune response" but then are not able to show clinical benefit. Yes, some women who have participated are NED. But some are dead, too. I was initially very enthused about vaccines, especially as relates to HER2+. I had been accepted to a trial myself, when it was halted by GSK. I attended NBCC's Project LEAD in Seattle in 2003, where Mary(Nora) Disis of UoW was one of the lecturers, and she graciously held a special extra lunchtime session for those of us who were interested in vaccine/immunity r/t breast cancer. A headline had appeared in the national news that week proclaiming that stress depleted the immune system (which may be true) and caused cancer (absolutely no evidence to support that one). She called that theory "bullshit" and won my heart. Anyway, if you're interested in the potential of vaccines, watch a plenary that's now online, from December's SABCS - choose "Saturday, Plenary lecture3": http://sabcs09.m2usa.com/sabcsol.html I'm no expert, but Curiel's reasoning made good sense to me. I am not saying there's no hope in vaccine research. But I fear that like everything else, it's going to be incredibly complex and hard to figure out, especially without inducing auto-immune disease, which some would argue can be more misery-inducing than cancer. Debbie Laxague, drawn out of lurkdom by one of my special-interest topics. I've been holding this list in my heart, with love and support - so many hard losses lately.