| Provenge, the first therapeutic vaccine, has been | | | | person" and in this case it refers to therapy |
| approved by the FDA for metastatic prostate | | | | treatment derived from the patient's own |
| cancer and will be available within the next year to | | | | immune cells. This treatment is not meant to |
| patients who meet the criteria for advanced | | | | replace other treatments for advanced prostate |
| prostate cancer. The vaccine is different from | | | | cancer but to support other treatments the |
| preventive vaccines which are given to stimulate | | | | patient may be receiving. As mentioned, the |
| the immune system to protect people from | | | | treatment is reserved for metastatic prostate |
| getting a disease. A therapeutic vaccine is given | | | | cancer but it may be that the drug can be |
| to help boost the body's immune system in order | | | | administered sooner in the disease process to |
| to fight specific cancer cells - in this case prostate | | | | more quickly harness the body's immune system. |
| cancer cells. | | | | So how effective is the vaccine? Well Phase III |
| The process involves tailoring the the vaccine to | | | | trials (see my article on melanoma that explains |
| each individual. Specifically, some white blood cells, | | | | the4 phases of clinical trials ) conducted at cancer |
| (the cells responsible for our immune system), are | | | | treatment centers across the country showed |
| removed from the patient's body and exposed to | | | | patients survived an average of 4.1months longer, |
| a protein found on prostate cancer cells. This | | | | had an improved 3 year survival rate of 38% and |
| primes the white blood cells to recognize and | | | | had a reduction in the overall risk of death of |
| attack this specific protein when the vaccine is | | | | 22.5%. Because the injections are tailored to each |
| reinjected into the patient's body. Then the | | | | individual, the cost of the treatment will be about |
| patient receives a series of 3 injections in a one | | | | $50,000 to $100,000. |
| month period. | | | | Here's a link to the FDA article about Provenge's |
| This treatment is referred to as "autologous | | | | approval. In addition, the FDA has written a handy |
| (awe-TALL-o-gus) cellular immunotherapy". | | | | Q&A sheet about Provenge. |
| Autologous simply means "coming from the same | | | | |