A Woman from Florida Recovers from Breast Cancer with Trial Vaccine

A North Florida woman is the first to ever be treated for breast cancer using an experimental vaccine. Doctors at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville said Lee Mercker's tumour began to recede and her immune system responded to the vaccine. She still underwent a double mastectomy to ensure the cancer was completely removed. Two more women in the early stages of breast cancer have signed up for the trial. While not a cure, doctors say the treatment shows potential as a less-invasive option than surgery or chemotherapy.

How the Vaccine Works

The vaccine is injected under the skin and then it goes to work by drawing the attention of the immune cells, known as dendritic cells, to the vaccine injection site. Dendritic cells are the ones that send out the danger signals that arouse an immune response. Typically, dendritic cells don’t arouse the immune system when they encounter tumor cells because they don’t recognize the tumor cells as foreign. However, the breast cancer vaccine actually teaches the dendritic cells to recognize that tumor cells are different from normal cells and thus need to be attacked and destroyed. Using the vaccine in combination with chemotherapy enhances the vaccine’s ability to excite the immune system against cancer. Unfortunately, the science is not enough.