Treatment options for lung cancer, the number one killer in the U.S., have been limited, but researchers are studying a revolutionary treatment for cancer patients and those at high risk, like smokers, even if they are not yet showing signs of the disease.
Susan Roney is a successful attorney and a partner in her law firm. She also has a loving family. But seven years ago her life was forever changed.
"I was diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer in January 2009. I thought I had bronchitis, so it was an enormous shock," Roney said.
Roney said she didn't have any of the risk factors for lung cancer.
"I was otherwise healthy. I was a non-smoker. I was 50 years old," she said.
Now a revolutionary lung cancer vaccine may have the potential to significantly help people like Roney.
"Instead of going after the cancer directly it goes after the growth factor and prevents the cancer from growing with the idea of turning the cancer into a chronic disease," said Kelvin Lee, MD, the chair of immunology at Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, New York.
The vaccine, called CimiVax, was developed in Cuba, where it is already in use. Lee said the vaccine has already been shown to be effective.
"The vaccine is inexpensive. It's easy to give. It's given as a shot once a month. It has very little toxicity. Patients really do very well with it," Lee said.
As for Roney, the lung cancer metastasized to her brain in the summer of 2015, but she is responding well to treatment. She's encouraged by news of the potential vaccine.
"The one thing you need when you're diagnosed with cancer is hope because hope keeps you going," explained Roney.
The vaccine has also been approved for use in Paraguay and Peru and is expected to be approved soon in Colombia. Meanwhile, phase one clinical trials at Roswell Park in New York City could get under way by the end of this year.
The CimaVax vaccination is intended for lung cancer patients and for those at high risk for the disease, targeting a growth factor necessary for the cancer to survive.
This depletes the cancer's growth factor and starves it. As the cancer's progress slows, it prolongs the a patient's life.
The vaccine has been administered to 5,000 patients across the world, and expansive clinical trials have published data showing a mean survival of 18.53 months in vaccinated patients compared to 7.55 months for the unvaccinated patients.
The Cancer Institute at Roswell Park in Buffalo is hoping to gain FDA approval so the vaccine may be available to the public. They are also looking into testing similar treatments to aid colon, head and neck, prostate, breast, and pancreatic cancers.
