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There’s no current vaccine for breast cancer. However, medical systems across the United States — including UPMC — are leading clinical trials of potential breast cancer vaccines.

In June 2024, UPMC began testing its breast cancer vaccine in human participants. UPMC researchers hope the vaccine promotes an immune response in people with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). DCIS is a noninvasive or preinvasive type of breast cancer.

UPMC’s study is one of several existing clinical studies of potential breast cancer vaccines in the United States. An approved vaccine is still years away, but these clinical trials are an important step in preventing and treating breast cancer.

Why a Breast Cancer Vaccine Is Necessary

A breast cancer vaccine could help prevent thousands of breast cancer cases and deaths. Breast cancer is the second most common cancer among women in the United States, behind only skin cancers.

The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2024:

• Over 300,000 women will get an invasive breast cancer diagnosis.
• Over 56,000 women will get a DCIS diagnosis.
• Over 42,000 women will die from breast cancer.

Breast cancer rates have risen steadily throughout the 21st century in the United States. Rates for women under 50 years of age have risen at a higher pace than they have for women over 50. That’s also according to the American Cancer Society.

A 2022 study in The Breast reported that breast cancer cases and deaths likely will continue to increase in the future. The study predicted worldwide breast cancer cases would rise 40% between 2020 and 2040, while mortality would rise 50%.

With breast cancer cases and deaths increasing, researchers have focused on developing vaccines as a prevention tool.

Is Breast Cancer Preventable?

Right now, there’s no way to completely prevent breast cancer. Current preventive methods focus on lowering risk factors for breast cancer. They can include lifestyle changes, medications, and even preventive surgeries like a prophylactic mastectomy.

The breast cancer vaccines in development aim to prevent breast cancer from developing and/or prevent recurrence.

Is There Any Vaccination for Breast Cancer?

There’s no current approved vaccine for breast cancer. Researchers are currently studying multiple different potential breast cancer vaccines in clinical trials.

A 2023 analysis of breast cancer vaccines in Pathology – Research and Practice said that one challenge in creating cancer vaccines is that the immune system is complex. There are also many different types and subtypes of breast cancer — another challenge in developing a vaccine.

That means developing different vaccine strategies might become necessary at times, the Pathology – Research and Practice analysis found.

The breast cancer vaccines currently under research target several different forms of breast cancer. Some could potentially prevent or treat multiple different types.

How Do Breast Cancer Vaccines Work?

In general, breast cancer vaccines work similarly to any other vaccine. After they arrive in the body, they would stimulate a response by the immune system. This would teach the body to recognize cancer cells. The immune system would then recognize and destroy cancer cells that appear in the future.

The vaccines currently in development all have their own specific methods for stimulating the immune system. They may have different delivery methods, dosages, and vaccination schedules.

There also are different types of cancer vaccination, according to an analysis in Diagnostics:

• Prophylactic — Prophylactic vaccines are for healthy people. They can prevent cancer or other severe outcomes.
• Therapeutic — Therapeutic vaccines are for people diagnosed with cancer. They can boost the immune system, help keep cancer from spreading, and help prevent recurrence.

When Will a Breast Cancer Vaccine Become Available?

As of 2024, a breast cancer vaccine is likely several years away from approval and widespread availability.

Multiple vaccine candidates are in the human phase of clinical trials. These trials will require testing the vaccine in many people before approval.

What to Know About UPMC’s Breast Cancer Vaccine

In June 2024, UPMC announced that the first patient in its breast cancer clinical trial had received her final dose of the vaccine.

UPMC’s vaccine is for patients with DCIS, which accounts for about 20% of new breast cancer diagnoses.

DCIS is a preinvasive cancer. People with DCIS have abnormal cells in the lining of the breast duct, but those cells haven’t spread to other breast tissue.

UPMC’s vaccine would teach the body’s immune system to recognize the precancer cells associated with DCIS. The immune system then would attack and destroy them before they became invasive.

As part of UPMC’s trial, patients diagnosed with DCIS would receive three doses of the vaccine. They’d also receive other recommended cancer treatments, including surgery.

The long-term goal of the study is an approved vaccine that would prevent breast cancer.