August 24, 2007 (Insidermedicine) A new vaccine may be available- in the not too distant future-  for women with a particularly aggressive type of breast cancer, say researchers in a report published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

This is what we already know about breast cancer:
•    It is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women today. In the US, approximately one in eight women will develop breast cancer and a significant number of those under age 40 with the condition will die from it
•    About 20% - 30% of all breast cancers over-express a protein called human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 – or HER-2 - which promotes the growth of cancer cells. HER-2 breast cancer is less responsive to hormone treatment
•    A vaccine is being developed to target breast cancers that over-express HER-2, but it is not yet available for patients

A study of 18 women with breast cancer was done to assess if a vaccine called Neuvenge was safe. All women were previously treated with Herceptin, a drug that has shown to prolong survival in women with HER-2 positive breast cancer. Patients underwent a physical exam and laboratory testing at intervals, starting at the beginning of the study through 48 weeks.

The results showed stabilization or improvement of breast cancer in 4 of the 18 patients. While the treatment was generally well tolerated, over half of women developed fever and chills. The researchers say that this therapy is feasible in patients with advanced breast cancer, but more research is needed to determine if it can prolong survival.

If you have been diagnosed with HER-2 breast cancer, you will most likely be given the drug Herceptin, often in combination with chemotherapy. This treatment has been shown to extend survival in women with late-stage HER-2 breast cancer. The current vaccine is still experimental, but one day maybe useful in the treatment of breast cancer.

For Insidermedicine in Depth, I'm Dr. Petra Joller.