25 Apr 2018 by AXXELIS

Eye implant made from stem cells could halt macular degeneration

Personalised vaccine could boost survival in late-stage ovarian cancer

An international team of researchers is working on a personalized vaccine to tackle late-stage ovarian cancer. During a small trial in 25 patients, they found that it was most effective when administered alongside a pair of approved cancer meds.

Only about 20% of ovarian cancers are found in the early, most treatable stage—most cases go undiagnosed until the disease has progressed, according to the American Cancer Society. If caught early, prognosis is good. But five-year survival rates drop as the cancer advances, from 90% for stage 1 to 17% for stage 4 ovarian cancer. The standard of care for advanced ovarian cancer is surgery and chemotherapy, but many patients end up relapsing and their cancer progresses.