Vaccine proves to be efficient in treating prostate cancer

Since in US, more than 200,000 new cases of prostate cancer are discovered every year a more effective treatment was desperately needed.

At the prostate cancer symposium in Orlando, co-sponsored by the American Society of Clinical Oncology, Eric J. Small, MD, UCSF professor of medicine and urology presented the findings of the study he led helped by other 19 US institutions, regarding an effective treatment for prostate cancer.

Scientists said that the rate of survival increased by four and a half months in those who were administered the cancer vaccine compared with those who got the placebo.

For the patients this is great news because it gives them hope that an even better vaccine could be discovered. This vaccine is not like the others that are designed to prevent a disease. This is made to treat advanced prostate cancer by increasing the immune system’s response to cancer cells.

The vaccine was well tolerated by patients and the side effects were mild: fever and chills. This is good news because chemotherapy and radiation gives a lot of unbearable side effects.

Small included in the study 127 patients suffering of asymptomatic metastatic hormone refractory prostate cancer (HRPC). 82 of them received the vaccine and 45 got placebo. They were administered three shots over six weeks. The treatment continued three years.

For those treated with the vaccine, the median rate of survival was 25.9 months. For those who got a placebo treatment, the overall of survival was 21.4 months.
The conclusions were that 115 patients of this group had progressive disease at the time of data analysis and all patients were followed for survival for 3 years.

Scientists do not know if the vaccine will work on patients suffering of early-stage prostate cancer and of explosive terminal cancer. The vaccine, called Provenge, does not cure cancer but at least it slows it down.

Other cancer vaccines are being developed for treating: leukemia, breast cancer, colon cancer, and kidney and pancreas cancer as well.

The human body is not able to recognize the cancer cells and that is why it can not fight them without help. The vaccine is designed to alert the body is cancerous cells are present. Provenge has been made out of a genetically engineered protein and a dendritic cell provided from the patient’s bloodstream. After getting the vaccine shots, the immune system will react and will activate immune T-cells to find and destroy the cancer cells.

This discovery is important not only for those who suffer of the disease but also for the field. This vaccine confirms what everybody denied, that vaccines can really work.

About Author: For more information about prostate cancer and about prostate cancer treatment please review this web site http://www.prostate-cancer-center.com

Article Source: ArticlesAlley.com

Treatment for Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer affecting men over the age of 75. Although it is rarely found in men younger than 40, African American men are likely to develop this type of cancer at any age. Besides men of African American descent, people exposed to Agent Orange and cadmium, farmers, painters, tire plant workers, and people subject to alcohol abuse are more at risk. Treatment for prostate cancer is varied and can range from surgery, radiation, therapy and even hormonal therapy. It also depends on the age of the patients; in patients with advanced age sometimes monitoring the cancer with PSA tests and biopsies may be the only option. Here are a few things that you ought to know about the treatment:

- Latest studies have revealed that those undergoing intermittent treatment or taking periodic breaks could risk shortening their lives. Continuous therapy is of vital importance to patients suffering from metastatic prostate cancer. This latest study presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology is absolutely against conventional belief, and its acceptance is likely to be widely debated.

- Another study found that the use of the drug Zytiga (produced by Johnson& Johnson) when used earlier in the course of treatment increases the chances of the patient living longer. This pill is often administered by physicians as the last alternative.

- Hormonal therapy is currently the most popular treatment available and an estimated 250,000 to 300,000 men use it. Side effects of this therapy include loss of libido, hot flashes, weight gain, etc. it is to control these side effects that physicians offer intermittent treatments. The study also found that people undergoing intermittent therapy had a median survival of 5.2 years, while those undergoing continuous treatment had a survival rate of 5.8 years.

- To treat or not to treat early prostate cancer seems to be a major question among physicians because surgery and radiation may cause long term impotence or other risks. Doctors often argue about the importance of such a measure to treat a very small and slow growth that may never cause any symptoms. They suggest constant monitoring. But on the other hand some argue that early treatment could kill tumors that are likely to be aggressive thereby increasing the chances of a person's survival.

- As earlier said, age is the most crucial factor. Surgery for men below the age of 65 extends their chances of survival, but for men above the age of 65, surgery causes least impact.

Remember that prostate cancer treatment problems are too complex and confusing to be sorted out in a simple article. It is important that you speak to your physician and discuss about what is best for you.

The Author of this article discusses about common types of cancer including their treatment. To know more visit, http://www.kcurology.com

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