Patients with advanced skin cancer will soon be able to test a new vaccine as part of a drive to speed up the development of new treatments.
The NHS Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad (CVLP) said they hope to accelerate access to mRNA vaccine clinical trials for people with different types of cancer.
The programme has already given thousands of patients better access to a personalised vaccine for bowel cancer and is now expanding to include a trial for melanoma.
New melanoma skin cancer cases are set to increase from 20,800 cases in the 2023 to 2025 period, to an average of 26,500 cases between 2038 and 2040, according to Cancer Research UK. That’s a staggering rate of 33 cases per 100,000 people.
Despite the projection, the UK charity revealed last year that it believes around 17,000 melanoma cases every year are preventable, with the majority of cases caused by too much ultraviolet (UV) radiation.
The CVLP aims to provide up to 10,000 patients in England with personalised cancer treatments in the UK by 2030.
Faster recruitment to the trials and having them run in more NHS sites means they should be able to progress faster and produce results quickly.
The new melanoma vaccine, known as iSCIB1+ (Immunobody), helps the immune system recognise cancer cells and better respond to existing immunotherapy treatment.
By working to help the body recognise, attack and ‘remember’ cancer cells, it can help stop the disease from returning.
Around half of melanoma patients respond to immunotherapy, but those who do not are at higher risk of their cancer getting worse.
The vaccine is being trialled by needle-free injection into the skin or muscle, and the CVLP, working with UK life-sciences company Scancell, hopes to expand the number of patients taking part by October.
Melanoma is the fifth most common cancer in the UK, accounting for around 4% of all new cancer cases.
NHS national cancer director, Professor Peter Johnson, said: ‘Skin cancer can have a devastating impact and we know that cancer vaccines have the potential to revolutionise cancer care for patients in this country and across the world – and to save more lives.
‘It’s incredibly exciting that the NHS is expanding its world-leading programme so more patients with different types of cancer could benefit from the development of new vaccines that could stop their cancer coming back.’
Grandfather-of-four Paul Thomas, 63, from New Milton, Hampshire, was first diagnosed with advanced skin cancer in 2017, and the disease kept returning following treatment.
Last year, Mr Thomas, who owns a window cleaning business, was given the opportunity to be part of the skin cancer vaccine trial.
‘Thankfully I was still quite fit and since I’ve been on it, my tumours have all shrunk,’ he said.
‘Every time I go for a scan they seem to be shrinking, which is really exciting. I’m really hoping for total eradication of my cancer, as opposed to being put in remission, and I’m feeling optimistic.
‘The care I’ve had so far has been fantastic and the team that have looked after me have been superb, along with amazing support from my family, I’m so thankful.’
Dr Nermeen Varawalla, chief medical officer of Scancell said the ‘tumour-targeting’ cancer vaccine is delivering strong results.
Susanna Daniels, chief executive of Melanoma Focus, said: ‘Melanoma skin cancer can be deadly and it’s sadly on the rise in the UK.
‘As well as continuing to call for urgent action on prevention, we’re delighted to see progress in innovative treatments and very much welcome the expansion of this vaccine trial.’
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: ‘This kind of innovation is nothing short of life-saving and I want to see more of these world-leading treatments being developed in the UK.’
Colon cancer is one of seven cancers recognised by the World Health Organisation as being linked to increased alcohol consumption.
Comedian Katherine Ryan recently revealed a new skin cancer diagnosis after returning to the doctors for a second opinion on a mole she felt ‘uneasy’ about.
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