- Melanoma patients received the injection along with the immunotherapy drug Keytruda
- They were 49 percent more likely to live compared to those taking Keytruda alone.
- The vaccine is custom designed for people using the genetic makeup of their tumor.
Results show that a skin cancer vaccine being tested by the NHS can halve the risk of dying or the disease returning.
In the longest study of the treatment so far, melanoma patients who received the customized injection along with the immunotherapy drug Keytruda were 49 percent more likely to be alive three years later, compared to those who took Keytruda alone, the current standard of care.
Experts said they “fully expect” similarly impressive results in vaccine trials against other cancers, including breast and bowel cancer.
Developed by pharmaceutical giants Moderna and MSD, the vaccine is custom-designed for people using the specific genetic makeup of their tumor, giving it the best chance of a cure.
Injected into patients after they have undergone surgery, it works by telling the body to look for cancer cells to prevent the deadly disease from returning.
The trial, presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) conference in Chicago, involved 157 patients with stage 3 or 4 of the deadliest type of skin cancer.
Melanoma patients who received a customized injection along with the immunotherapy drug Keytruda were 49 percent more likely to be alive three years later, compared to those who took Keytruda alone.
Iain Foulkes, executive director of research and innovation at Cancer Research UK, said the findings complement the “exciting and developing landscape of cancer vaccine research”.
A second trial presented in Chicago found that vaccines can significantly improve the survival of breast cancer patients after surgery.
Led by a team at the University of Vienna, the vaccine (tecemotide) increased survival by 16 percent in 400 patients with early-stage breast cancer.
Lead author Dr Christian Singer said: “This is the first profound long-term survival benefit of a cancer vaccine in breast patients.”
Injected into patients after they have undergone surgery, the vaccine works by telling the body to look for cancer cells to prevent the deadly disease from returning.
