New Roswell Park Trial Doubles Life Expectancy For Cancer Patients

A breakthrough cancer vaccine trial has been rolled out at Roswell Park, and it’s increasing the life expectancy of several cancer patients. 

The new vaccine was created at Roswell Park, and it is called SurVaxM. The vaccine, SurVaxM, aims to extend the life expectancy of glioblastoma patients.

How Does SurVaxM Work?

SurVaxM is an experimental vaccine that targets the protein in cancer tumors. When you get rid of the protein, the cancer would be considered to be in remission.

Most recently, patients participating in the trials have doubled their life expectancy to “on average 26 months after diagnosis,” according to WGRZ. 

The development of this new vaccine trial is a big deal because glioblastoma treatment has not changed much in 20 years. 

The creator behind the cancer vaccine trial is Mike Ciesielski, who is an assistant professor of neuro-oncology at Roswell Park. He elaborated on glioblastoma treatments when talking with WGRZ. 

“The last approved drug for glioblastoma was in 2005, and that's what got us to the point of 15-16 months survival,” Ciesielski said. “So this is a milestone in terms of breaking through that wall and potentially getting closer to a cure.”

Once approved, the hope is that SurVaxM could soon be used to target other cancers, especially because the vaccine’s targeted protein is also present in almost 90% of other forms of cancer. 

Helping to extend these patients’ lives gives them more time with the people they love and what life is all about.