Smallpox used to be a life-threatening disease, until it was eradicated from the globe with the use of vaccine. Now, smallpox vaccine is showing promise in treating advanced liver cancer. In a small trial, 30 patients with liver cancer were treated with either high or low doses of the vaccine. Two-thirds of those who received a high dose survived for at least a year, compared to less than one-fourth of those who got the low dose. The shot often causes flu-like symptoms such as fever and aches. The next step will be to test the vaccine in 120 liver cancer patients who have stopped responding to the chemotherapeutic agent Nexavar. Perhaps the vaccine alerts the immune system to attack hard-to-treat cancer cells. Similar trials are underway for other types of cancer that have not responded well to conventional treatment.
[American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, Nov. 2011]
