Medicine is making leaps in treating melanoma, one of the most deadly forms of skin cancer. Trailblazing tests have unveiled a highly promising mRNA cancer vaccine, custom-made for melanoma patients, which halves the chances of the illness recurring or proving fatal, a result that medics have labelled as “remarkably promising”.
Annually, melanoma victimises over 150,000 individuals across the globe, as cited in the 2020 report from the International World Cancer Research Fund. The experimental personalised vaccine, known by its code mRNA-4157 (V940), is prepared individually for every patient. It’s designed to intrinsically instruct the patient’s body to put an end to the remaining cancer cells and avert a recurrence. The vaccine employs an innovate method to guide the human body in producing a protein to stimulate an immune response without using a live virus.
The procedure commences with a tumour cell being extracted during the patient’s surgery, which is later followed by a DNA sequencing and Artificial Intelligence application to concoct an anti-cancer jab distinct to the patient’s tumour. Among the various establishments testing the jab’s effectiveness is the UK’s NHS.
Commenting on the study, Prof. Georgina Long, an expert oncologist, mentioned that the average chance of recurrence post-surgery for advanced cancer patients stood at 50%. By administering the novel jab, alongside immunotherapy Keytruda, to 157 participants suffering from high-risk melanomas, the risk of recurrence reduced to just 25%. However, Prof. Long cautioned that the results were only preliminary, suggesting a larger trial is needed to better comprehend its full impact.
Delegates at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Chicago were informed the jab combined with Keytruda resulted in a 74.8% recurrence-free survival rate over 2.5 years. This rate contrasted significantly with the 55.6% rate for Keytruda alone.
These exciting advancements were reinforced by Kyle Holen, Moderna’s head of development, therapeutics and oncology who exclaimed, “We see these promising outcomes as a clear affirmation of our dedication to furthering this innovative therapy.”
The University of Vienna conducted a second trial which was shared at ASCO, revealing that cancer vaccines could importantly enhance the survival rates for post-surgery breast cancer patients. Involving 400 early stage breast cancer patients, the study divided them evenly. Half of the group were administered a vaccine intended to invigorate their immune system prior to surgery. Seven years post-trial, the survival rate, free of breast cancer, was 81 per cent for those who received the vaccine, noticeably higher than the 65 per cent for those who underwent common care. Dr Christian Singer, who led the study, stated, “This marks the very first significant and substantial long-term survival advantage of an anticancer vaccine in breast cancer patients that’s been reported so far.” According to the Guardian.