Herptin Vaccine Trials looking very promising!

[julierene]

The statistics look great. Can any of you give your own experiences with the Herceptin Vaccine Trial?


http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/517601
HER2/neu Vaccine May Curb Breast Cancer Recurrence




By David Douglas

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Nov 22 - A vaccine based on a peptide from the HER2/neu protein prompts a specific immune response and may prevent clinical recurrences in certain disease-free patients who have been treated for node-positive breast cancer (NPBC), according to researchers.

"While our results are preliminary," lead investigator Dr. George E. Peoples told Reuters Health, "we are encouraged that this type of trial, evaluating cancer prevention as opposed to cancer treatment, will ultimately reveal the power, and appropriate future use, of cancer vaccines."

In the October 20th issue the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Dr. Peoples of Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, DC and colleagues note that E75 is an immunogenic peptide from the HER2/neu protein that is highly expressed in many breast cancers. "Our clinical trials are investigating E75 mixed with GM-CSF as a simple vaccine strategy," the researchers explain.

The team used the vaccine in 24 HLA-A2+ patients with NPBC, while a further 29 HLA-A2- NPBC patients acted as controls. Vaccinated patients showed clonal expansion of E75-specific CD8+ T cells, which lysed HER2/neu-expressing tumor cells.

At 22 months' median follow-up, the only two deaths that had occurred were in the control group. Disease-free survival was 85.7% in the vaccinated group and 59.8% in controls. The recurrence rate was 8% in the vaccinated group and 21% in controls.

Dr. Peoples pointed out that the "reduction in recurrences in our vaccinated breast cancer patients is similar to the recent reports using Herceptin - trastuzumab - a monoclonal antibody, that targets the same HER2/neu protein as our vaccine."

He added: "Preclinical data suggest that the two may be synergistic, and, therefore, the combination of Herceptin and our vaccine may be even more effective in preventing recurrences in high risk breast cancer patients."

In an accompanying editorial, Drs. Lupe G. Salazar and Mary L. Disis of the University of Washington, Seattle, call the study data "provocative" and note that it remains to be determined which patients might benefit most from vaccination.

J Clin Oncol 2005;23:7536-7545.