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Breast Cancer Prevention Could be a Simple Vaccination

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Most women know someone who has fought breast cancer. In 2006, the most recent year of available statistics, more than 191,000 women in the U.S. were diagnosed with breast cancer and began treatment. For some it was a losing battle; this insidious disease currently claims over 40,000 lives per year. Apart from non-melanoma skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in women and is the #1 cause of death in Hispanic women.

Recent reports released to the public claim that a drug has now been developed which not only attacks breast cancer tumors but could be used as a preventative method to stop tumors ever appearing. Best of all, this drug can be administered as a simple jab.

This pioneering discovery was developed by Dr Vincent Tuohy at the Cleveland Clinic Hospital in Ohio. “We truly believe that a preventive breast cancer vaccine will do to breast cancer what the polio vaccine has done to polio,” he said. “We think it will provide substantial protection. Our view is that breast cancer is a completely preventable disease.”

The vaccine works by targeting the alpha-lactalbumin protein which can be found in breast cancer tumors. The vaccination stimulates the body’s immune system, prompting it to destroy the alpha-lactalbumin as it appears, thereby preventing tumors from forming. When used on those already diagnosed with breast cancer, studies suggest it will shrink the pre-existing tumors by up to 50%, making it an effective treatment as well as a preventative vaccine.

In the same way it is hoped to find similar proteins in other cancer cells, such as in bowel or prostate tumors so that vaccines can be developed for other diseases.

Trials of the breast vaccine are scheduled to begin on women in 2011 to establish dosage and long-term effects. Larger scale clinical trials on wider numbers of patients unfortunately may take up to 10 years to complete, putting the vaccine on the horizon for most older women.

In the meantime women are encouraged to do all they can to lower their risk of breast cancer, by having mammograms as recommended and by regularly performing a self-examination to check for lumps. Reducing alcohol consumption, maintaining a healthy weight and exercising regularly have all been shown to lower the risk of breast cancer, which rises sharply in women during their mid-40s and increases with age. 8.62% of women aged 50 now are likely to develop breast cancer over the next 30 years, but hopefully this will be dramatically reduced when the new drug is released.