Cancer vaccine with minimal side effects nearing Phase 3 clinical trials
Cancer vaccine with minimal side effects nearing Phase 3 clinical trials
Melanoma cancer vaccine with minimal side effects nearing Phase 3 in clinical trials, according to experts.
Each shot would be completely personalized to the patient.
...
Wagner's TLPO cancer vaccine has been tested in hundreds of patients with advanced forms of melanoma in Phase 2 clinical trials.
The most recent data presented at an academic conference showed nearly 95% of people given only the vaccine were still alive three years after starting treatment and 64% were still disease-free. Among the most advanced forms of melanoma, disease-free survival after three years for people with stage III disease was 60% in the vaccine-only group, compared to about 39% in the placebo group. Disease-free survival for those with stage IV disease was about 68% in the vaccine-only group, and zero in the placebo group.
The most common side effects were redness or pain at the injection site, fever and fatigue after the injection – similar to other vaccines that stimulate an immune response.
You're viewing a single thread.
Placebo group for stage 3 cancer? How does it work? Is not it unethical?
While I don't know the case for this specific study, but you're assuming the vaccine is safe and works.
Generally though if it is shown to help they'll get it asap
Disease-free survival for those with stage IV disease was about 68% in the vaccine-only group, and zero in the placebo group.
The placebo group will not be getting the vaccine.
Edit: The people not in Stage 4, may well get the advanced treatment.
Exactly, and I thought there are alternative treatments in case of melanoma. Not giving those is clearly unethical. Stage 4 melanoma 5 year survival rates are not that bad, and clearly more than zero with treatment.
You are right about the survival rates.
The paper is short, but a number of the patients had prior immunotherapy treatments (not all, and the rates are broken out by treatment, not by cancer stage.) The paper also does not seem to include the 0% survival rate for the Stage IV placebo group. (Or I missed it.)
I am making up things, but it is possible that other treatments had already failed and this was a "hail marry" for the Stage IV people.