NIH Radio
Radiation/Cancer-Vaccine Combination Therapy May Benefit Patients with Prostate Cancer
Brief Description:
A study that combined radiation therapy and a cancer vaccine may result in an alternative treatment for patients with localized prostate cancer.
Transcript:
Akinso: For the first time ever, scientists have combined radiation therapy and a cancer vaccine — resulting in a potential new form of treatment which could possibly benefit patients with prostate cancer. A study funded by the National Cancer Institute looked into the idea of a vaccine/radiation combination therapy, using mice as test subjects — according to Doctor James Gulley, Primary Author of the study.
Gulley: This study was designed to see whether this approach was feasible in combination with radiation therapy — also to see whether it was safe. Now, based on these findings that the majority of the patients did generate an immune response, we can then go on to a larger clinical trial — looking for clinical end-points — to see if this can decrease the likelihood of the cancer returning, by giving the vaccine in combination with radiation therapy.
Akinso: Doctor Gulley said this is the first step toward finding an alternative treatment for patients with localized prostate cancer. This is Wally Akinso, at the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
About This Audio Report
Date: 6/18/2005
Reporter: Wally Akinso
Sound Bite: Dr. James Gulley
Topic: Cancer
Institute(s):
NCI
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