Researchers in Houston are testing an investigational cancer vaccine that may offer hope to men with advanced stages of prostate cancer.

The vaccine, developed by Dendreon Corporation, is being studied to determine if it may help men with advanced prostate cancer fight the disease by stimulating their bodies’ natural defenses.

“The new vaccine expands our therapeutic abilities and knowledge in an arena that we physicians believe holds the future for curing cancer,” said Dr. Brian Miles, professor of urology at Baylor College of Medicine. Miles serves as principal investigator of the study being conducted at Baylor and The Methodist Hospital in Houston, one of over 60 sites around the country participating in the pivotal study.

A patient with prostate cancer has traditionally had several treatment options, depending on the state of the cancer. Surgery to remove the prostate gland is intended to remove all cancerous cells, provided that early detection is made. Another option for treating localized prostate cancer is radiation therapy, which kills cancer cells or prevents them from dividing.

If cancer has spread beyond the prostate, hormone treatment, which hinders the production of testosterone, may prolong the patient’s lifespan, but it cannot stop the progression of cancer. Chemotherapy is also given to patients with advanced stages of prostate cancer.

The investigational vaccine is prepared from a patient’s cells obtained through a blood collection process. Two days following the initial blood collection, the patient receives either the vaccine, called Provenge®, or a placebo. The treatment process includes three doses and is completed in about a month. Two-thirds of the patients receive the vaccine with the remainder receiving a placebo. If a patient’s disease progresses during the course of the trial and he has been taking a placebo, the patient will have an option of receiving a product similar to Provenge®.

“Vaccine therapy for prostate cancer has been an area of intense interest and study at the Baylor Prostate Center for some time. This approach may finally allow us to bring this new strategy to advanced-stage patients who currently have limited choices for treatment,” said Dr. Kevin Slawin, director of the Baylor Prostate Center at Baylor and Methodist. “If successful, this study will prove that the concept of a vaccine strategy can effectively treat prostate cancer.”

Slawin, who serves on the advisory panel of Houston’s only test site, is planning a study on vaccination for prostate cancer using technology developed by Baylor researchers Dr. David Spencer and Brent Hanks.

“We hope this study will not only improve our patients’ lives but will also serve as the springboard for more advances in this area of basic and clinical research,” Slawin said.