A major step forward in cancer treatment? New vaccine delivers promising results

A 75-year-old man who took part in a personalised skin cancer vaccine trial at Addenbrooke’s Hospital has described the findings as “groundbreaking” after results showed the treatment combination reduced the risk of melanoma returning or death by 42%.

Tony Chapman, from North Northamptonshire, was diagnosed with stage three melanoma in 2019 and had a tumour removed from his chest. Four years later, a lump under his armpit led to further surgery to remove lymph nodes.

Chapman was one of more than 1,000 patients with high-risk melanoma who took part in an international phase three trial testing the personalised mRNA vaccine Intismeran alongside Keytruda, an immunotherapy drug.

The trial found the combination reduced the risk of melanoma spreading by 38% over two years compared with Keytruda alone.

Neither Chapman nor the researchers know whether he received the vaccine or a placebo, as part of the double-blind trial. He completed treatment last year and remains cancer-free.
Pippa Corrie, a consultant medical oncologist at Addenbrooke’s Hospital and the trial’s principal investigator at the site, said the vaccine is designed using genetic sequencing of a patient’s tumour to target remaining cancer cells after surgery.

The full trial results are due to be presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology conference in Madrid. The findings have yet to be peer-reviewed, and regulatory approval would be required before the treatment could be made available on the NHS. (NHS/Newswire)

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