Jan 17, 2006 5:10 pm US/Eastern
Vaccine May Stop Return Of Prostate Cancer
by Dr. Mallika Marshall
(CBS4)
Researchers are testing a new vaccine that may be able to prevent prostate cancer from coming back.
Les Heacock had his prostate removed after he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He had no detectable PSA in his blood for eight years.
"It began to rise very slowly and then on my 65th birthday, the physician told me that the cancer was back," said Heacock.
That's why Les decided to take part in a study testing a new vaccine designed to prevent recurrence of prostate cancer.
"I've been in the trial for two months and it's going very well," said Heacock.
Patients taking part in the study have had their prostate removed, but still show signs of PSA the blood. PSA a protein made by the prostate which is also a marker for cancer.
"If you remove the prostate, the PSA should be zero and remain so, if the PSA rises after a prostatectomy, it suggests that there's still cancer cells present," said cancer researcher Dr. Richard Alexander.
The vaccine is made from a modified piece of the PSA molecule. Researchers hope that it will stimulate the patient's own immune system to track down and kill any circulating prostate cancer cells in the body.
"If the tumors cells are being attacked by the immune system and being destroyed, then a man's PSA should fall," said Dr. Alexander.
About 20 percent of the men who have their prostate removed are at risk for recurrence. More than 30,000 men die of the disease every year, but experts are hoping that this new vaccine will help reduce that figure in the future.
(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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