Ovarian Cancer

• According to Medline Plus, ovarian cancer is the fifth most common among women, resulting in a larger number of deaths than any other cancer of the female reproductive system. Symptoms include localized discomfort in the abdomen, feelings of heaviness in the pelvis, abnormal periods and bleeding from the vagina.
  
  

Ovarian Cancer Treatment

• The preferred method of treatment for ovarian cancer is surgery, used to fully remove the ovaries and any surrounding tissue which may be affected. This may be an undesirable result for the patient, as her reproductive capability is permanently impaired. Following surgery, chemotherapy and radiation are used to ensure that all traces of the cancer are gone.
  
  

Vaccine Therapy Theory

• According to an article published in ScienceDaily, vaccine therapy was first proposed as a treatment for ovarian cancer in humans in a 2004 clinical trial. The idea behind vaccine therapy is to inject the body with a genetically engineered vaccine that would serve to stimulate the immune system. This, in turn, would result in the immune system recognizing and targeting the cancerous cells.
  
  

Vaccine Therapy Results

• According to Dr. Timothy Moynihan of the Mayo Clinic, vaccine therapy prevented the recurrence of ovarian cancer for a period of 19 months on average. Despite this generally favorable result, Dr. Moynihan cautions that further research is needed to determine its long-term viability as a permanent weapon against ovarian cancer.
  
  

Considerations

• As of the publishing of the April 2008 article in ScienceDaily, research into improving the effectiveness and viability of vaccine therapy for widespread use is still ongoing. This research is being conducted at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute, led by Dr. Kunle Odunsi.