Promising lung cancer vaccine trial begins in UK

A 67-year-old man has become the first person in the UK to try what doctors hope will be a revolutionary new treatment for lung cancer: a vaccine that tells the body how to fight and kill the disease.

It uses the same mRNA technology as some Covid vaccines to give instructions to the immune system.

The preliminary trial involving Janusz Racz will verify that the vaccine is safe.

Some 34 research sites in seven countries, including University College London in the UK, will recruit 130 patients to try it.

The treatment is expected to specifically target cancer cells for destruction rather than healthy cells, which should result in fewer side effects.

It contains information about several markers on the surface of lung cancer cells to teach the patient’s immune system what to find and fight.

The BNT116 vaccine, made by German biotech company BioNTech, could be a game changer, experts say.

Professor Siow Ming Lee, clinical lead for the UK part of the trial, told the BBC’s Today programme: “We hope to launch this new era of mRNA vaccine treatment for lung cancer.

“We hope that in combination with the current standard treatment – ​​immunotherapy and chemotherapy – we can provide additional immune support.”

Mr Racz, from London, says he is open to trying new things.

“I hope this will help fight cancer cells. But I also thought that my participation in this research could help other people in the future and help make this therapy more widely available.

“As a scientist myself, I know that science can only progress if people are willing to participate in programs like this.”

Mr Racz, who works in artificial intelligence, was diagnosed with lung cancer after experiencing breathing problems he thought were asthma.

A medical examination (for an unrelated problem) revealed a tumor on his right lung.

Dame Cally Palmer, NHS England’s national cancer director, said jabs like this could be “game-changing” in vaccinating people against their own cancers to prevent the disease coming back.

“A cancer diagnosis is very scary, but access to breakthrough trials – and other innovations that help diagnose and treat cancers earlier – provides hope.

“We expect to see thousands more patients participating in trials over the next few years,” she said.

The trial will recruit people with early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) before surgery or radiotherapy, through to advanced disease or recurrent cancer – to receive the vaccine alongside standard immunotherapy.

Other participating UK hospitals are:

• Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
• Velindre University NHS Foundation
• Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust
• Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust
• Newcastle Upon Tyne NHS Hospitals Foundation

There are several other vaccines used against different types of cancer.

Unlike vaccines that are meant to protect us against infectious diseases, such as measles, cancer vaccines are meant for people who already have the disease.

Cancer vaccines help your body’s immune system recognize and attack cancer cells.

Some, like this one, are designed based on common markers that tend to show up only on cancer cells. Others are custom made or tailor made for a tumor specific to an individual.

Michelle Mitchell, Chief Executive of Cancer Research UK, said: “We are pleased to see another cancer vaccine trial launched in the UK, giving more patients access to cutting-edge therapies.

“The science that helped us emerge from the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to show promise as a potential treatment option for patients

“Although the study is still at a very early stage, we are eager to see how it progresses.”

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death worldwide, with an estimated 1.8 million deaths in 2020. Non-small cell lung cancer is the most common type.

There are usually no signs or symptoms at first, but things to see a doctor about include:

• a cough that does not go away after a few weeks
• a long-lasting cough that gets worse
• chest infections that keep coming back
• spit blood