November 29, 2024, 3:49 pm | Read time: 5 minutes
A groundbreaking development in cancer research could change the lives of thousands of women worldwide: Scientists at Oxford University are working on a vaccine against ovarian cancer. STYLEBOOK summarizes.
The project, known as “OvarianVax,” has the potential to combat ovarian cancer at an early stage using a vaccine, even before it can spread in the body. This active ingredient is designed to train the immune system. It recognizes and destroys cancer cells at an early stage. This is an approach that could mirror the success of the HPV vaccination against cervical cancer.
Overview
What is ovarian cancer?
Ovarian cancer, also known as ovarian carcinoma, develops in the ovaries. It also accounts for around a third of all malignant tumors of the female reproductive organs. This type of cancer primarily affects women aged 50 and over, with the average age of onset being 68.
In Germany, around one in 74 women will develop ovarian cancer in the course of her life. Despite a decline in the number of cases, the prognosis is often poor. This is because cancer is only discovered in many patients later. Around 76 percent of diagnoses are made in advanced stages III and IV, where the survival rate drops sharply.
There is no early detection for ovarian cancer, as Prof. Marion Kiechle, Clinic Director of Gynecology at the University Hospital Rechts der Isar of the Technical University of Munich, explained at Bild’s 1st Women’s Health Summit. This could make vaccination all the more important in preventing the disease.
Risk factors – from hormones to genetic changes
There are several factors that can increase the risk of ovarian cancer. These primarily include age and hormonal influences. Women who have not had children have an increased risk, while long periods of breastfeeding and multiple pregnancies reduce the risk. Hormone therapy after menopause, on the other hand, can increase the risk, especially if it contains only estrogen.
Genetic changes are another important risk factor. Women who are carriers of BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations have a significantly higher risk of developing ovarian cancer. This became known in the case of actress Angelina Jolie. She decided to have her ovaries removed as a preventative measure due to her genetic predisposition. For women with a BRCA1 mutation, the risk is almost 45 percent; with BRCA2 mutations, it is around 20 percent. This is compared to two percent in the general population.
Symptoms and early detection of ovarian cancer
Ovarian cancer often goes unnoticed for a long time as the symptoms are non-specific. The most common signs include
- Vague abdominal pain
- Flatulence and digestive problems
- Unwanted weight loss
- Loss of appetite
As these symptoms are often not immediately associated with cancer, the tumor is often only discovered at a late stage. There is currently no regular early detection, as there is for breast or cervical cancer, for example. This is one of the main reasons why the mortality rate for ovarian cancer is so high. However, if the cancer is detected early, the chances of survival are significantly better. In stage I, the relative five-year survival rate is 90 percent, while it drops to 44 percent in the later stages.
How does the ovarian cancer vaccine work?
The principle behind “OvarianVax” is simple but revolutionary. The vaccine teaches the immune system to recognize specific proteins on the surface of cancer cells that appear in the early stages of ovarian cancer. These proteins, known as tumor antigens, are characteristic of cancer cells and are not normally recognized by the body as a threat. “OvarianVax” is intended to close precisely this gap.
The Oxford research team led by Professor Ahmed Ahmed is concentrating on finding out which of these proteins are best recognized by the immune system. If these proteins are successfully identified, the vaccination could stimulate the immune system to fight even the smallest cancer cells. Long before they have the opportunity to develop further.
Prevention instead of surgery
The vaccination particularly offers a new perspective to women with a genetic predisposition to ovarian cancer. Women who are carriers of the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes have often been advised to have their ovaries removed as a preventative measure – a drastic procedure that leads to early menopause and loss of fertility.
The researchers hope that the vaccine will enable these women to reduce the high risk of cancer without having to undergo surgery. If the vaccine proves effective in clinical trials, it could also be used in the general population in the long term to minimize the risk of ovarian cancer in general.
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Research and funding of the ovarian cancer vaccine
The development of OvarianVax is still at an early stage, but the results so far are promising. The project is supported by funding of up to €714,000 from Cancer Research UK, one of the world’s leading cancer research organizations. The money will go towards researching the best targets for the vaccine and developing and testing laboratory models.
Clinical trials are expected to begin in the next few years, with researchers cautiously optimistic of seeing initial results within the next four to five years. If the vaccine is successful, it could be the beginning of a new era in cancer prevention – not just for women with genetic risk factors, but for all women.