Is a Breast Cancer Vaccine in Our Future?

Could there be a vaccine to prevent the formation of breast cancer in women in our future? Recent studies on mice have shown promising results, and now testing needs to be done in human trials. Recognizing the limitations of the vaccine will be important if it can be shown to prevent breast cancer in women. The vaccine is now awaiting funding in human trials.

Who would get the breast cancer vaccine?

This particular vaccine would target a protein found around cancerous cells in breast tumors. However the targeted protein is also found in the normal tissues of lactating mothers, and may prevent them from being able to breastfeed. Therefore, women who were planning to have children and breastfeed would be unlikely targets for this vaccine.

Women who are at high risk of developing breast cancer would benefit the most from this vaccine. If the vaccine is administered at the end of childbearing age, it would reduce the risk of interfering with breast milk production. In the clinical trials with mice, the vaccine was able to stop the progress of present cancer cells. Whether this protection carries through to human trials remains to be seen.

How many cases of breast cancer occur each year?

In the US in 2007, the year for which the most recent information is available, there were over 200,000 women diagnosed with breast cancer, and over 40,000 women who died as a result of breast cancer according to the CDC. If this vaccine proves to work for women as well as mice, it would significantly reduce the number of women who die from breast cancer in the US each year.

Which women are considered high risk for breast cancer?

Women who are over forty and those who have BRCA mutations are at highest risk. Women with BRCA have a 60% risk of developing breast cancer over their lifetime, compared to 12% of all women. Some cases of cancer occur in younger women, and this vaccine may show promise at slowing the growth of these tumors. Most breast cancers in younger women are more aggressive.

Caution is always recommended for any new medication or vaccine to the market. In the initial years of production, this vaccine should only be targeted to a specific group of women who are at high risk of the most dangerous cases of cancer. If it is shown to be both effective and safe, then it could be marketed toward all women over childbearing age.
Sources:

CDC- Breast Cancer Statistics

Voice of America News- Researchers Develop Promising Breast Cancer Vaccine

Fox 8 News- Cleveland Clinic Doctor Finds Possible Breast Cancer Vaccine

CBS News- Breast Cancer Vaccine Shows Promising Results