New approach to treat advanced melanoma

Jan 19 2009

Skin cancer patient Debra Gardocki receives an injection from oncologist Dr. Sanjiv Agarwala as part of a study exploring a new approach to treat advanced melanoma -- an often fatal form of cancer for which there are limited effective treatment options.

The study -- which is taking place at up to 25 centers across the United States and Canada -- includes combining a therapeutic cancer vaccine along with more traditional immune therapies.

Therapeutic cancer vaccines are uniquely designed to stimulate the body's own defenses -- the immune system -- to find and fight cancer cells. The vaccine is designed to treat existing cancer rather than prevent it from developing. Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of sanofi-aventis Group, has invested more than five years of work to develop this vaccine regimen and bring it to clinical trials.