Vaccine trials for hormone-negatives?
Meet the Experts
Kathy D. Miller, M.D. is associate professor of medical oncology at Indiana University, and a Sheila D. Ward Scholar.
Marisa Weiss, M.D. is a radiation oncologist specializing in breast cancer and the founder, president, and guiding force behind Breastcancer.org.
Jennifer Armstrong, M.D. is a breast cancer oncologist at Paoli Hematology-Oncology Associates in Paoli, Pa., with a special interest in physicians' communication skills.
Question from CK: Can you give us an update of any breast cancer vaccine trials? Are there any for receptor-negative, non-metastatic, or metastatic patients you can point us to? What are these trials trying to demonstrate? Thank you.
- Answer —Jennifer Armstrong, M.D.: There are many vaccine trials currently in progress, and the Web site www.cancer.gov that Dr. Miller just referred to is indeed an excellent resource that can help. Many vaccines are being studied in exactly the situation of patients who have completed their adjuvant therapy. The rationale behind this is the thought that the immune system might be most potent in patients who are in a state of minimal residual disease. Other vaccine studies, however, are certainly ongoing in patients with metastatic disease. Patients whose tumors are hormone-receptor-positive or negative are often included. Some trials are trying to demonstrate safety. Some trials are trying to demonstrate that the immune system can be stimulated. Other trials are trying to demonstrate efficacy.
On Wednesday, November 19, 2005, our Ask-the-Expert Online Conference was called Hormone-Receptor-Negative Breast Cancer. Kathy D. Miller, M.D., Marisa Weiss, M.D., and moderator Jennifer Armstrong, M.D. answered your questions about a wide range of issues related to hormone-receptor-negative breast cancer.
The materials presented in these conferences do not necessarily reflect the views of breastcancer.org. A qualified healthcare professional should be consulted before using any therapeutic product or regimen discussed. All readers should verify all information and data before employing any therapies described here.
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