13
May
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A large-scale clinical trial to verify the effectiveness of a vaccine against the most common form of lung cancer has been launched.
the other half receive a placebo treatment.
In this way, scientists can verify their effect.
Other forms of cancer
The vaccine was developed in the UK with the support of the Cancer Research Association and the technology was provided by the Canadian company, Biomira.
Vaccines for a specific purpose are a way of interesting approach, which can provide potentially new treatment options for different types of cancer
Keith Blundy, of Cancer Research
Dr Keith Blundy, chief operating Reserarch Cancer Technology, the commercial arm of Cancer Research, said that "the vaccine for a specific purpose are a way of interesting approach, which can provide potentially new treatment options for different types of cancer .
Other scientists are investigating the potential that the same vaccine may have to treat other forms of cancer.
The vaccine works by causing the immune system to attack a chemical called MUC-1, which is found only on the surface of cancer cells.
Once this happens, the body should be able to kill cancer cells without touching healthy cells.
More years of life
Testing on a smaller scale, in which 171 patients took part in which conventional treatments were successful, demonstrated that the vaccine may be beneficial for some people with cancer.
Again, doctors divided the group into two, about the vaccine were applied and the other a placebo.
During the following years, scientists monitored the group.
In the group receiving the placebo, half of the patients survived for 13 months or more. In contrast, half of patients in group that was given the vaccine survived for 30 months or more.
If the test is taking place currently provides similar results, the vaccine could then be made available to a larger number of patients with lung cancer.
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