Ovarian cancer vaccine: Is one in the works?

Is there a vaccine against ovarian cancer like there is for cervical cancer? A friend said she heard that scientists were working on an ovarian cancer vaccine.

- Karen / West Virginia

Answer

There is no vaccine that prevents ovarian cancer. Your friend may have read about a study published in October 2006 in which 18 women with recurrent ovarian cancer received an experimental ovarian cancer vaccine. The vaccine prevented cancer recurrence for an average of 19 months. Although it compares favorably with the use of chemotherapy to prevent recurrent ovarian cancer, the vaccine was not used to prevent the women from getting ovarian cancer in the first place. Much more research is needed to evaluate the potential role vaccines may play in preventing ovarian cancer.

The Food and Drug Administration has approved two vaccines that can help prevent cancer. One of these prevents infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV), which causes most cervical cancers. The other vaccine prevents infection with the hepatitis B virus, which can cause liver cancer. Many other vaccines that may prevent or reduce the risk of cancer, including ovarian cancer, are being tested in ongoing clinical trials.

RELATED

• Ovarian cancer
• Genetic testing for breast cancer: Who's it for?
• Prophylactic oophorectomy: Preventing cancer by surgically removing your ovaries

MayoClinic.com Bookstore

• 'Mayo Clinic Guide to Women's Cancers' (Hardcover)

Web Resources

• Treating and preventing cancer with vaccines, National Cancer Institute