VIENNA, Austria .- One of the key studies presented here at the 29th Congress of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO, according to its acronym in English) offers promise in treating lung cancer, a disease that kills every year more than one million people and leads, with 12%, the fateful list mortality.
It is a therapeutic vaccine, ie applicable to the disease already produced, tested in a pilot study among 171 patients from 17 centers in Canada and the UK, suffering from lung cancer in stages IIIb and IV, with large tumors (inoperable). The first stage has a better prognosis than the latter, which has metastasized.
The results obtained by Dr. Charles Butts, the Cross Cancer Institute in Edmonton, Canada, indicate that the group receiving the vaccine had a median survival of 4.4 months longer than those who did not receive 17.4 to 13.
“It is an encouraging result, although very preliminary, a small number of patients, the investigator said cautiously. But as the results were especially good among patients in stage IIIb, next year will test the vaccine in a large trial worldwide. Involved several thousand lung cancer patients, and Butts said the game will surely be of Argentine patients “because they have very good level of cancer in your country,” he told La Nacion.
The scientific and measuring more than eight feet “when he was young,” recalls, “was a very good basketball player – he said that patients in the 171 cases had received chemotherapy and / or radiation therapy (no surgery, because the their cancers at diagnosis were advanced, as occurs in 60% of cases, and therefore unresectable) and showed a steady response.
“It would have been of interest to apply the vaccine in poor responders at this stage of the disease because it indicates that there are few prospects for survival,” the doctor said.
A promise
“First,” said Butts, tested safety and tolerability, and then applied in more patients, divided into two groups. Half received clinical support (control symptoms and chemotherapy if the disease progressed) and the other half the same, but also immunization. ”
The vaccine in question, whose name is now L-BLP25 is a synthetic version of a glycoprotein called MUC-1 is present on the surface of many cells in the body, but altering their genetic structure when expressed in tumor cells.
“The vaccine is a lipopeptide, or a small lipoprotein, which incorporates 25 amino acids of the sequence of the MUC-1, composed in a form called liposome transport pharmacist who to ‘wrap’ in turn with a lipid layer that the system facilitates immune recognition of cancer antigen and start working, “said the scientist. arguably serves as the” awakening “the immune system T cells act against its target, MUC-1 glycoprotein in cancer cells.”
Among the study population, survival at two years was 43.2% of those treated with the vaccine, while 28.9% reached in the untreated group. Quality of life was assessed through the overall fitness and the presence or absence of symptoms such as pain. “Those who received the vaccine quality of life remained stable for 31 weeks, the other group experienced a decline in their general condition from the beginning, but, especially after the 19th week,” added the scientist.
According to the investigator, the adverse reactions were minimal: swelling at the site of injection (subcutaneous), some lines of a case of fever and pain. The vaccine was applied once a week for two months followed by maintenance doses every six weeks. The survival time than recorded in the same patient was 3.5 years: received immunization for 43 months.
The vaccine achieved better results in those suffering from lung cancer in stage IIIb, ie when the disease is still contained in the level of the lungs: 60% had reached 24 months of survival (overall average was 17, 4 months). “So I will convene in patients with lung cancer in stage IIIa and IIIb for the next study, to be much higher,” said Butts-How much will the vaccine? We have no idea. We’re investigating. ”
The scientist added that candidates for the large clinical trial “are an important group, 30 or 35% of patients with lung cancer. But we are realistic: sadly, the therapeutic alternatives available so far, 85% of these patients will die from the disease. Our goal is to prolong their lives with the best quality possible.