New hopes for Breast Cancer Vaccine

from the BBC news service
American scientists say they have developed a vaccine which has prevented breast cancer from developing in mice.

The researchers - whose findings are published in the journal, Nature Medicine - are now planning to conduct trials of the drug in humans.

But they warn that it could be some years before the vaccine is widely available.

The immunologist who led the research says the vaccine targets a protein found in most breast tumours.

Vincent Tuohy, from the Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute, said: "We believe that this vaccine will someday be used to prevent breast cancer in adult women in the same way that vaccines have prevented many childhood diseases.

Unique challenge

"If it works in humans the way it works in mice, this will be monumental. We could eliminate breast cancer."

In the study, genetically cancer-prone mice were vaccinated - half with a vaccine containing á-lactalbumin and half with a vaccine that did not contain the antigen.

None of the mice vaccinated with á-lactalbumin developed breast cancer, while all of the other mice did.

The US has approved two cancer-prevention vaccines, one against cervical cancer and one against liver cancer.

However, these vaccines target viruses - the human papillomavirus (HPV) and the Hepatitis B virus (HBV) - not cancer formation itself.



We look forward to seeing the results of large-scale clinical trials to find out if this vaccine would be safe



Caitlin Palframan, Breakthrough Breast Cancer


In terms of developing a preventive vaccine, cancer presents problems not posed by viruses - while viruses are recognised as foreign invaders by the immune system, cancer is not.

Cancer is an over-development of the body's own cells. Trying to vaccinate against this cell over-growth would effectively be vaccinating against the recipient's own body, destroying healthy tissue.

Caitlin Palframan, of charity Breakthrough Breast Cancer, said: "This research could have important implications for how we might prevent breast cancer in the future.

"However, this is an early stage study, and we look forward to seeing the results of large-scale clinical trials to find out if this vaccine would be safe and effective in humans."

She added there were already steps women could take to reduce the risk of breast cancer, including reducing alcohol consumption, maintaining a healthy weight and taking regular exercise.

Cancer Research UK's professor of oncology, Robert Hawkins, said: "This very early study describes an interesting approach to the prevention of breast cancer.

"It will be several years before this vaccine can be tested fully to assess its safety and effectiveness as a way to stop the disease developing in women."

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK, affecting more than 45,500 women every year.

Thermography or Mammography?

LINK:
http://www.facebook.com/l/35120;www.breastthermography.com/breast_thermography_mf.htm

"While mammography, ultrasound, MRI, and other structural imaging tools rely primarily on finding the physical tumor, DII (thermography) is based on detecting the heat produced by increased blood vessel circulation and metabolic changes associated with a tumor’s genesis and growth. By detecting minute variations in normal blood vessel activity, infrared imaging may find thermal signs suggesting a pre-cancerous state of the breast or the presence an early tumor that is not yet large enough to be detected by physical examination, mammography, or other types of structural imaging (3,6,7,8,9).

Certain types of cancers will not be detected (approximately 20%) by mammography for various reasons(10), but some of these cancers will be discovered by DII (3,6,7,8,9).

Difficulties in reading mammograms can occur in women who are on hormone replacement, nursing or have fibrocystic, large, dense, or enhanced breasts (6,8). These types of breast differences do not cause difficulties in reading digital infrared scans."
LINK:
http://www.facebook.com/l/35120;www.breastthermography.com/breast_thermography_mf.htm

Breast Cancer and Music Therapy: What happens?

Music therapy is the use of live or recorded music to help provide distraction from symptoms and side effects and to promote relaxation. Using music in a therapeutic way can also ease communication for people who don't always feel comfortable expressing feelings.

Studies have shown that music therapy can help to:

increase feelings of well-being
reduce anxiety
reduce physical symptoms such as pain and nausea
What to expect in a typical music therapy session
A music therapy session can happen in a variety of settings, including hospitals, clinics, cancer centers, and in a person's home. No musical ability is required in order to experience a benefit.

A music therapist will ask questions about your unique situation and tailor the therapy to your emotional and physical needs. Sessions might involve:

playing music
listening to music
performing movements to music
writing songs
discussing what lyrics mean to you

If you've received a diagnosis of cancer, please consider using music therapy. It is a powerful intervention that can bring not only comfort but also healing.