Cancer Vaccine

If caught early, the skin cancer called malignant melanoma is curable. If not, it’s almost always fatal. But a new treatment under study at the John Wayne Cancer Institute in Santa Monica, Calif., appears at least to prolong lives. Researchers injected patients with a tuberculosis vaccine mixed with melanoma cells. Result: average survival went from seven to 23 months, with some staying cancer free for eight years. The doctors warn that an approved vaccine could take a decade.