Typically, cancer cells evade a person’s immune system because it is recognized as that person’s cells. Wagner developed a tumor lysate particle only (TLPO) vaccine that uses a person’s tumor cells to identify particular parts that are then presented back in the body using the vaccine in a way that can stimulate their immune system to gain the ability to detect these cancer cells like an infection, allowing the immune system to fight the cancer itself.
“People used to ask me the question, ‘When will there be a cure for cancer?’ And I’ve been doing this for 60 years and I could never answer that question,” Wagner said. “Until recently, until the last three or four or five years.”
Something to put this brutal-looking number in perspective: those stats are for people who survive and are disease-free. The writer didn’t mention the survival rate for people who survive stage 4 and still have it.
It’s totally possible to survive stage 4 melanoma, the 5 year survival rate is like 15-20%. Not super high, but not zero either.