Researchers Are Working on an Ovarian Cancer Vaccine That Could Save Thousands of Lives. Here’s What We Know About It So Far

Scientists at the University of Oxford have just received funding to create the world’s first vaccine for ovarian cancer, a deadly disease that affects thousands of people each year.

The vaccine, called OvarianVax, will target two major DNA mutations that contribute to an increased risk of ovarian cancer: the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. Both are more commonly associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, but they are connected to ovarian cancer, too. In fact, people in the general population have about a 1 percent lifetime risk of developing ovarian cancer, but those with the BRCA mutation have up to a 46 percent lifetime risk of the disease, per Johns Hopkins Medicine.

This vaccine could be a major medical breakthrough in preventing the disease. Even though it’s somewhat rare, ovarian cancer is often under-diagnosed, misdiagnosed, and extremely difficult to treat once it’s progressed. (About 60 percent of ovarian cancer cases are diagnosed in late stages of the disease, per the University of Oxford.) This is largely because symptoms can be vague and mimic other benign health conditions—like bloating, poor appetite, and GI issues. Plus, there is no routine screening test for ovarian cancer like there is for cervical or breast cancer, according to MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Here’s what you need to know about the ovarian cancer vaccine development so far and how it’s different from other types of cancer-preventing vaccines out there, like Gardisil.

How will the ovarian cancer vaccine work?

This vaccine will be developed by observing the way the immune system recognizes ovarian cancer cells. Researchers will collect ovarian cancer samples from donors with the disease and examine them for common mutations that result in something called “abnormal proteins,” which the immune system can often recognize. With this information, researchers hope to make a vaccine that triggers the immune system to detect these “abnormal proteins,” per the University of Oxford’s recent news release.

“Teaching the immune system to recognize the very early signs of cancer is a tough challenge. But we now have highly sophisticated tools which give us real insights into how the immune system recognizes ovarian cancer,” says professor Ahmed Ahmed, PhD, lead scientist on OvarianVax project and director of the Ovarian Cancer Cell Laboratory at the University of Oxford.

If it’s successful, OvarianVax could become a preventive vaccine that trains a person’s immune system to attack abnormal ovarian cells as they come up.

How is this different from other cancer-preventing vaccines like Gardisil?

Another common vaccine that protects against cancer is called Gardisil. This vaccine is recommended in a course of three doses for most people with a uterus ages 15 through 26, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But how is this different from the proposed OvarianVax?

While Gardisil protects against strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV), which can lead to cervical cancer, OvarianVax will protect and fight against a buildup of faulty DNA cells that could lead to ovarian cancer, per the University of Oxford’s news release. Both work with your immune system, but the former fights a virus, while the latter fights mutated cells. And of course, the two vaccines target two different types of reproductive cancers.

We don’t know whether OvarianVax will become a recommended preventive vaccine the way Gardisil has.

When will OvarianVax be available?

Because OvarianVax is still in its beginning research phases, it may take several years before it’s available to the public. The vaccine will have to go through several clinical trials before it’s considered safe and effective. But we’ll keep our eyes out for updates on this incredible breakthrough that could potentially help save many people at an increased risk for the disease.

If you know you have the BRCA gene mutation or are experiencing symptoms like bloating, pelvic pain, poor appetite, GI issues, and unexplained weight loss, make an appointment with your OB/GYN to get checked out and screened for any potential cancers.