Mesothelioma, Hope Could Come from a Therapeutic Vaccine

The vaccine for non-small cell lung cancer showed a significant improvement in survival

The Mesothelioma is a cancer that originates in the mesothelium, the layer of cells that lines the serous body cavities: the pleura, peritoneum, pericardium, the vaginal cavity of the testicles. It is a rare tumor that affects men more frequently and in Italy represents 0.4 percent of all diagnosed cancers in humans and 0.2% of those diagnosed in women; is associated primarily asbestos exposure.

For years, several medical teams are committed to finding a vaccine for mesothelioma, which affects 3,000 people in the United States. A recent discovery, however, has rekindled hopes: the studied vaccine for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) showed a significant improvement in patients' survival.

In a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, the researchers of 'UC San Diego have indeed reported that the Belagenpumatucel-L, therapeutic vaccine derived from lung cancer cells cultured in vitro, can help the body determine an immune response that kills the tumor cells themselves.

This vaccine has been tested in a Phase II study of patients with NSCLC in the third or fourth stage, bringing a much higher survival rate after 5 years of follow up.

Encouraged by the results, the researchers say the next step is to conduct a Phase III study to evaluate the efficacy of L-Belagenpumatucel of about 500 patients.

According MesotheliomaHelp.net, US magazine, this study is particularly important for patients with mesothelioma, the disease is often not diagnosed until it arrives at the third or fourth stage.

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