Vaccine for Ovarian Cancer 'Encouraging'

A new vaccine for ovarian cancer has produced "encouraging" results in primary trials, the BBC reports. Ovarian cancer can be effectively treated with chemotherapy, but 70% of women with the illness die from a recurrence of the cancer within five years of diagnosis. There's "compelling evidence that the immune system has the capacity to recognize and kill ovarian cancer cells," said the lead researcher.

The vaccine contains a fragment of an ovarian cancer protein that provokes the creation of antibodies and T-cells which target cancerous cells, according to the study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The immunity-boosting cells were seen in the body 12 months after the vaccine, suggesting long-term benefits. (More cancer stories.)