Breast Cancer Vaccine To Be Rolled Out Soon; Here's What To Know

Scientists have made a breakthrough in the development of a vaccine for breast cancer. The biotechnology company Anixa Biosciences, in collaboration with the Cleveland Clinic, recently announced the successful completion of Phase 1 clinical testing for the groundbreaking vaccine. According to the announcement, this breast cancer vaccine may help stop the formation of cancerous cells altogether.

Amit Kumar, CEO of Anixa, told Vogue India, "The vaccine is designed to mobilise the patient’s immune system to find, recognise, and destroy breast cancer cells for primary prevention. If a patient is vaccinated, and [their] immune system is trained to destroy the cancer cells, the vaccinated immune system will destroy the cells before they can grow into a cell tumour."

The Science Behind This Breakthrough

Vaccines train the immune system to recognise and eliminate infectious agents, offering protection from deadly diseases like smallpox and polio. However, developing vaccines to prevent cancer has proven challenging. Traditional vaccines target pathogens, foreign invaders easily recognised by the immune system.

Cancer, by contrast, originates from the body’s own cells, making it harder for the immune system to distinguish malignant cells from healthy ones. This challenge is compounded by the natural weakening of the immune system with age.

Recent breakthroughs in immunotherapy have shown promise. These therapies don’t attack cancer directly but instead stimulate or guide the immune system to fight it. The ultimate goal is to train the immune system to eliminate cancer cells before they form tumours, offering true prevention.

Researchers working at the Cleveland Clinic have identified a promising target for a cancer vaccine. The protein is alpha-lactalbumin, which is normally found not only in lactating breast tissue but also present in many forms of breast cancer, including aggressive Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC). Vaccines targeting these proteins could train the immune system to recognise and eliminate early cancer cells without harming normal tissue. 

Reports state that the vaccine, which comes in a set of three shots given to patients two weeks apart, trains the immune system to recognise and destroy a protein called alpha-lactalbumin, which is normally only found in the body during breastfeeding but shows up again in many cases of triple-negative breast cancer.

For now, the world watches with cautious optimism as this pioneering work moves into its next phase of clinical trials.

The Impact Of Breast Cancer

Breast Cancer is one of the most common cancers in women. On average, one woman is diagnosed with breast cancer every four minutes in India, according to a 2020 study by Globocon. This translates to roughly 178,000 new cases diagnosed each year. It is also one of the most fatal cancers, claiming a woman's life every eight minutes in India, resulting in about 90,000 deaths annually. 

The symptoms include: 

• A lump or thickening in or near the breast or underarm area.
• Changes in the size, shape, or appearance of the breast.
• Skin changes on the breast, such as redness, dimpling, or puckering.
• Nipple changes, including pain, discharge, or inversion.
• Persistent breast pain that is not related to your menstrual cycle.