First personalized cancer vaccine cuts risk of disease returning in major trial
A new personalized cancer vaccine given alongside a widely used immunotherapy drug has cut the risk of patients dying or their skin cancer returning by 42% in a major clinical trial.
TL;DR
- A new personalized cancer vaccine combined with immunotherapy reduced the risk of melanoma recurrence or death by 42% in a major clinical trial.
- The vaccine uses mRNA technology and is tailored to each patient's tumor to help their immune system recognize and attack cancer cells.
- The combination treatment also lowered the risk of melanoma spreading by 38% over two years compared to immunotherapy alone.
- Drug manufacturers MSD and Moderna are testing the approach for kidney, bladder, and lung cancer.
- While considered impressive, independent experts note that longer-term studies are needed to establish overall survival benefits.