Metastatic Melanoma Patients Achieve Long-Term
Survival with Personalized Cancer Vaccine
One-year and projected five-year survival rates of
85% and 54%, respectively, are remarkable for metastatic melanoma
patients
July 28, 2009 Patients with metastatic melanoma,
who disease had been minimized by various therapies, achieved impressive
long-term survival rates when treated with patient-specific cancer
vaccines derived from their own cancer cells and immune cells. The
clinical study from Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterians also said the
vaccines were well tolerated.
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The study entitled "Phase II Trial of Dendritic
Cells Loaded with Antigens from Self-Renewing, Proliferating Autologous
Tumor Cells as Patient-Specific Anti-Tumor Vaccines in Patients with
Metastatic Melanoma," was published in the June 2009 issue of Cancer
Biotherapy and Radiopharmaceuticals and was sponsored by Hoag
Hospital Foundation.
"There is continued interest in developing new
therapies for melanoma patients with recurrent or distant metastatic
disease at the time of diagnosis because there are no systemic therapies
that can be relied upon to cure them," said Robert O. Dillman, M.D.,
F.A.C.P., executive medical and scientific director at the Hoag Cancer
Center and lead investigator for the study.
"Patients with metastatic melanoma are at high risk
for additional metastases and death."
During the study, 54 patients with regionally
recurrent or distant metastatic melanoma were injected with a vaccine
that included each patient's own immune cells (dendritic cells) and 500
micrograms of granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), an immune
stimulator, three times a week, and then monthly for five months, for a
total of up to eight injections.
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Melanoma is one of the rarer types
of skin cancer but causes the majority of skin cancer related
deaths.
More at
Wikipedia |
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About Melanoma
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Melanoma is the most
serious type of
skin cancer. Often the first sign of melanoma is a change in the
size, shape, color or feel of a mole. Most melanomas have a black or
black-blue area. Melanoma may also appear as a new mole. It may be
black, abnormal or "ugly looking."
Melanoma can be cured if
it is diagnosed and treated early. If melanoma is not removed in its
early stages, cancer cells may grow downward from the skin surface and
invade healthy tissue. If it spreads to other parts of the body it can
be difficult to control.
>>
More information at MedlinePlus
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The patient's dendritic cells were obtained from
their peripheral blood and mixed with a cell culture of the patient's
own melanoma cells that had been self-renewing and proliferating in the
laboratory. The patient-specific vaccine is designed to stimulate the
patient's immune system to react against tumor stem cells or early
progenitor cells that can create new depots of cancer throughout the
body.
Data showed that the projected five-year survival
rate is 54% at a median follow up of 4.5 years (range 2.4 to 7.4) for
the 30 surviving patients.
Although not a direct comparison, the results are
superior to those observed following vaccination with irradiated tumor
cells in 48 melanoma patients in a previous trial (64 vs. 31 months,
p=.016).
Eight patients in the dendritic cell vaccine study
experienced remarkable long-term, progression-free survival after
completing the vaccine therapy, even though they had widely metastatic
disease and/or repeated appearance of new metastases despite various
therapies.
The vaccine treatment was well-tolerated, with most
patients experiencing mild skin irritation and redness at the injection
site.
"The one-year and projected five-year survival
rates of 85% and 54%, respectively, are remarkable for melanoma patients
with documented metastatic disease," said Dr. Dillman. "This study is
extremely encouraging and shows the potential these types of
personalized cancer vaccines have for patients diagnosed with metastatic
melanoma."
About Hoag Cancer Center
Hoag Cancer Center is accredited as a
"Comprehensive Community Cancer Program" by the Commission on Cancer of
the American College of Surgeons, and provides a broad array of
innovative cancer treatments as well as patient-centered education and
support programs. As the highest volume provider of cancer care in
Orange County, Hoag Cancer Center manages approximately 2,000 newly
diagnosed cancer patients each year, providing the latest
state-of-the-art technology and treatment options. The center
participates in a variety of clinical trials, develops patient-specific
biological treatments in its cell biology laboratory, and provides a
wealth of complementary care programs for patients.
About Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian
Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian is a 498-bed,
not-for-profit, acute care hospital located in Newport Beach, CA. Fully
accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare
Organizations and designated as a Magnet hospital by the American Nurses
Credentialing Center (ANCC), Hoag offers a comprehensive mix of
services, including Centers of Excellence in cancer, heart and vascular,
neurosciences, orthopedics and women's health. National Research
Corporation has endorsed Hoag as Orange County's most preferred hospital
for the past 13 consecutive years. For an unprecedented 13 years,
residents have chosen Hoag as the county's best hospital in a local
newspaper survey. In order to meet the growing needs of Irvine and South
County residents, Hoag will open an Irvine campus in 2010. Hoag
continues to offer additional services to the community through the
seven Hoag Health Centers located throughout Orange County.
