New prostate cancer vaccine

TOPIC: PROSTATE CANCER VACCINES EXTEND LIVES
REPORT: MB #3152

BACKGROUND:
According to the National Cancer Institute, more than 186,000 American men learn they have prostate cancer each year. It is the second most common type of cancer among men in the United States. Only skin cancer is more common. While doctors do not know the exact cause of prostate cancer, research has shown men with certain risk factors are more likely than others to develop the cancer. Some of these risk factors include being over age 65, having a family history of the disease, being African American, and having a condition that causes abnormal prostate cells. However, having a risk factor doesn’t mean that a man will develop prostate cancer. Most men who have risk factors never develop the disease.

SYMPTOMS:
A man with prostate cancer may not have any symptoms. However, some common symptoms include not being able to pass urine, having a hard time starting or stopping the urine flow, needing to urinate often, having a weak flow of urine, or experiencing pain or burning during urination. Other symptoms may include difficulty having an erection, blood in urine or semen, and frequent pain in the lower back, hips or upper thighs. Many times, these symptoms are due to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), which is an enlarged prostate gland.

VACCINES:
There are now two vaccines in development that may help patients with prostate cancer. These are:

Provenge: This is the first FDA-approved vaccine to treat metastatic, hormone-resistant prostate cancer. Provenge uses a patient’s own cells to stimulate the body’s immune system against prostate cancer. In a study, it improved three-year survival by 38-percent. Doctors say that’s a significant benefit for men with advanced disease who traditionally live less than a couple of years. Medical experts say the vaccine will serve as an addition to current medical treatment and will not be a replacement.

Prostvac-VF: This vaccine is made up from a small pox-related virus. Doctors believe it could extend the lives of men who are only given a couple of years to live. In a three-year study, 30 percent of patients who received it were alive versus 17 percent who received a placebo shot. The vaccine will soon be in phase III of testing.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

Robbin Ray, Senior Media Specialist
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Boston, MA
(617) 632-4090
Robbin_Ray@dfci.harvard.edu