FAQs
WHERE DO I FIND A CLINICAL TRIAL?
The first place to go is your oncologist. It is important that you discuss all options with your care team and bring up any trials you are considering. CVC will keep you updated with the trials we are funding ( although we do not give medical advice or recommend specific trials ) and spread word about other promising research. Clinicaltrials.gov and breastcancertrials.org have many trials listed. This is the #1 question we get and we understand the urgency. CVC is doing everything in our power to accelerate the trial process without cutting any corners. We want safe, effective vaccines to patients as soon as possible.
HOW DO CANCER VACCINES WORK?
Vaccines mobilize our body’s own defenses. Unlike a virus, which the immune system easily recognizes as an invader, cancer comes from our body’s own cells. These cells mutate and multiply quickly in a sophisticated way of evading our immune system. Essentially, our bodies don’t recognize cancer cells as cells that shouldn’t be there. For that reason, it’s hard for the immune system to distinguish between cancer cells and healthy ones. Therefore, our bodies fail to mount a big enough immune response to get rid of the cancer cells. This allows cancer to spread undetected.
Over the past 20 years, doctors have discovered certain proteins on breast cancer cells that can be used to trigger our immune systems and turn our T-cells into cancer destroyers. Cancer vaccines can be used in a few different ways:
Therapeutic: Cancer vaccines may be used to eliminate active disease.
Preventative to recurrence: Cancer vaccines may be used to intercept disease and prevent recurrence. This would be used in patients who have already been diagnosed with breast cancer and gone through traditional treatments. It’s a way for individuals' bodies to fight off microscopic cells that may have been missed with other treatments.
Preventative: Cancer vaccines may be used to intercept disease and prevent cancer from ever forming. These vaccines would be used for individuals who have not yet been diagnosed with breast cancer.
HOW CAN CANCER VACCINE COALITION ACCELERATE THE CLINICAL TRIAL PROCESS?
Cancer Vaccine Coalition is bringing key players together for collaborations that will move science forward faster. These key players include doctors, scientists, researchers, biotech and pharmaceutical companies, government officials and individuals who will help accelerate the process. In addition to increasing awareness about cancer vaccines, your donations are providing the necessary funding for clinical trials. It can take 25 years to get a vaccine or drug into clinical practice. Clinical trials can cost millions of dollars to run. By providing financial support and raising awareness we can initiate and enroll trials faster and work with government agencies to streamline the process.
WHY SHOULD I DONATE TO CANCER VACCINE COALITION INSTEAD OF DIRECTLY TO THE HOSPITALS RUNNING THE TRIALS?
Cancer Vaccine Coalition was built in collaboration with the doctors, scientists and researchers based on what they want and need to move the science forward faster. Donating to CVC ensures the key players are building on and learning from each other’s research rather than working independently. We are bringing the clinicians and hospitals out of their silos to get vaccines to the people who need them faster. If there is a trial in a specific breast cancer subtype or at a specific institution you would like to see funded, we can work with you on earmarking your donation to that research while helping create an ecosystem where all research thrives. A win in any subtype can be a win for all of us!
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A PHASE I, II, AND III CLINICAL TRIAL?
Phase I: A phase I clinical trial is the earliest stage of a trial. This phase is to discover if the vaccine or drug is safe. So far, the vaccines in clinical trials we are working to fund have been found to be well tolerated and safe.
Phase II: A phase II clinical trial usually seeks to answer the question “is this drug effective in this particular disease?” Early data from breast cancer vaccine phase two trials have very promising results and that data is one of the many reasons the doctors, scientists and researchers that are part of CVC believe we are at the tipping point for cancer vaccines.
Phase III: A phase III trial enrolls the largest number of patients and is often“blinded“. That means participants and/or investigators may not know what treatment or drug is being given; it’s randomized and the patient could be getting the standard of care treatment or the new vaccine or medication is being tested. By doing it this way, researchers are able to see which treatment works the best.
It costs a lot more money to do a phase III trial because of the number of patients needed to fill the trial. Early phase trials are usually funded by grants or philanthropy, but because of the big jump in cost from phase II to phase III, it can take a long time to fund phase III trials, regardless of the promising data that comes out of earlier research. This is what’s known as the valley of death for vaccines. CVC is is working to eliminate these delays to get vaccines to those who want them ASAP.
ARE CLINICAL TRIALS SAFE?
There are a lot of protocols in place to make sure clinical trials are safe. Before entering a clinical trial, talk to your care team to gather all the necessary information to make an educated decision. Once you know you’re eligible for a trial, you will need to sign an informed consent. The consent forms allow you to fully understand the goals of the trial as well as potential side effects and benefits. It is always your choice whether you enter a clinical trial. Your care will never be negatively impacted if you don’t enroll in a clinical trial.
IS MY DONATION TAX DEDUCTIBLE?
YES! Cancer Vaccine Coalition is a 501(c)3 so your donation is tax deductible. We will send you a receipt upon getting your donation. Please contact us for more information on all the ways you can give info@cancervaccinecoalition.org