Pancreatic cancer vaccine extends survival

In a long awaited positive development, an experimental pancreatic cancer vaccine seems to be extending survival rates higher.

Pancreatic cancer is an aggressive, often-fatal malignancy for which there are few treatment options.

According to the results of a phase II trial, the use of the vaccine improves the 2-year survival of patients who have surgery to remove the tumor from about 42 percent to 76 percent.

The authors of the study at Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center in Baltimore, however emphasize that the findings are preliminary and further follow-up is needed.

The vaccine, which has shown encouraging results in an initial phase I trial, is designed to boost the patient's immune responses to pancreatic cancer cells that may be left behind after surgery and chemotherapy and radiation.

In the phase II trial, the vaccine, which was given to 60 patients with surgically removed pancreatic cancer, and 1- and 2-year survival rates of 88 percent and 76 percent, were seen respectively.

Previous studies have shown comparable survival rates of 63 percent and 42 percent.

Dr. Daniel Laheru, one of study investigators cautions that while the findings are potentially good news for patients with early stage disease, only about 15 percent to 20 percent of patients with the malignancy fit into this category.

Apparently the majority of patients have advanced disease when diagnosed, but he says his group completed a study last year using a similar vaccine in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer and have just submitted the results for publication.