Cohibas Cuba is known for exporting cigars, but it might soon be known for exporting a lung cancer vaccine researchers say can turn advanced lung cancer into a manageable chronic illness. M Turner via Wikimedia

From the island nation known for the quality of its cigars comes some pretty big news today: Xinhua reports that Cuban medical authorities have released the first therapeutic vaccine for lung cancer. CimaVax-EGF is the result of a 25-year research project at Havana’s Center for Molecular Immunology, and it could make a life or death difference for those facing late-stage lung cancers, researchers there say.

CimaVax-EGF isn’t a vaccine in the preventative sense--that is, it doesn’t prevent lung cancer from taking hold in new patients. It’s based on a protein related to uncontrolled cell proliferation--that is, it doesn’t prevent cancer from existing in the first place but attacks the mechanism by which it does harm.

As such it can turn aggressive later-stage lung cancer into a manageable chronic disease by creating antibodies that do battle with the proteins that cause uncontrolled cell proliferation, researchers say. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy are still recommended as a primary means of destroying cancerous tissue, but for those showing no improvement the new vaccine could be a literal lifesaver.

The vaccine has already been tested in 1,000 patients in Cuba and is being distributed at hospitals there free of charge. That’s a big deal for a country where smoking is part of the national culture and a leading cause of death. If it proves as successful as researchers say it is, it should give those suffering from lung cancer reason to celebrate--just not with a Cohiba.

[Xinhua]

28 Comments

Light 'em up!!!

even for non smokers... evry emprouvement, is a good emprouvement ! ^^

bored? lets go mine the stars... ^^

If this is legit, how long before the tobacco companies provide free lung vaccine clinics for current or ex-smokers who are in late-stage lung CA? Although it doesn’t get them off the hook for liability, this could be an early alternative which limits the amount they are sued for when a smoker dies from lung cancer.

Damn socialist medicine...

this is fantastic, ironic, and when it comes down to it, fantastic! wait i said that already, anyways, just about everyone in my extended family smokes or did smoke at some point in their life, i have to say this makes me fee great knowing that they have a chance away from the inevitable.

to mars or bust!

Too bad the U.S can’t benefit from this because of the trade embargo’s on Cuba. How Ironic, that a third world country can come up with the cure for cancer. But The corrupt U.S with all it’s cancer research institutes, and charities can’t make a dent.

BTW there are doctors in the U.S and Canada that have cured terminal cancer patients. But the medical industry doesn’t want you to be cured, they want to proliferate the disease. It’s a big money maker.

Wake up Sheep!!

@ALH not a cure a treatment, there are currently many treatments for many canacers that cuba still has not come close too. Another conspiracy debunked.

LOL! I'm going to have to be very skeptical. Until an outside medical authority can validate these claims I won't believe it.

one more drug you'll be able to get from canada since cuba and canada trade with each other everyday.

on a side note to all americans and others around the planet who by their pet's meds from canada for less than half the cost, DONT... It's not anywhere on there websites, and infact they'll represent themselves as selling within canada everyday.. but canadians can't order from these companies, they don't pay duty, or even taxes.. they can't even collect taxes to legally sell within the country.

the loop hole that allows them to do any buysiness is that the pet meds are available for human use in countries they sell to.

cheers, eh

@ALH
Yeah, I think people tend to lump cancer into one group and that since one person can have it cured by one means, then it must fix everyone else too. Some people can't be given certain treatments, some body systems react differently that others, you have the placebo effect, and how one body processes a material is different that how another does. Look at alcohol dehydrogenase and how it differs between populations.

Then there are some people you just can't kill. George Burns smoked cigars and drank copiously his whole life and died at 100.

What I see of your thought process in your posts:
1. Assumption: The is nothing positive brought into the world by governments and corporations. Short: They are EVIL
2. Small group makes claim contrary to majority and majority disagrees--> they are being repressed for having different ideas and everyone else is being manipulated (you know, sometimes people are just wrong)
3. Because you've already associated a negative result with a certain group, you've closed your mind to other potentials and you focus on the bits of evidence that support your original assumption to the exclusions of others.
4. Being David in the David and Goliath story begins to appeal to you because the ideas you disagree with are backed by the Goliaths and David is revered due to years of cultural ingratiation. In short, it makes you feel like a hero.
5. You begin moving to other causes that are even stranger and more unlikely than others as this will ensure that you are always the David in the and never a Goliath. (not saying this is conscious, the way you persist and defend things even when the evidence you demand is presented and proves you wrong suggests some denial going on)
6. When evidence is presented, you claim it is fake as it was manipulated to show things contrary to your idea. If this is true then how can we be sure your evidence is not fake and you are not just trying to manipulate us? How can any evidence be real?
7. I've got nothing else right now. I just had to do this to say I'd done it and could go to sleep knowing I'd tried to help someone leave paranoia behind and be happy.

P.S. There is bad stuff going on out there. You're just looking in the wrong spots.

Break out the cigars, we got celebrating to do :D.

I figure a few years from now Cancer is going to be as treatable as many other major illnesses. Each day we understand the microbiologies so much better than the day before. It is a awesome time to be alive, almost as good as in 100 years when you can get a shot (Completely painless and noninvasive of course) to fix that missing limb.

This is awesome! Anything to help prevent or get rid of cancer is great!!!

@Ianredneck there are many examples of Dr.'s curing cancer patients, from brain, lung, leukemia, breast etc. Look into the DR.'s from canada who cured cancer using modified HIV, or the Dr. from new mexico that has cured terminally ill cancer patients for 20. But these studies are shelved by big Pharma...look into it.

@Fear the Wabbit, thanks for the psychoanalysis, however you are reading into my comments too much. I'm just stating the facts. You can't deny the facts. Open your mind go down the wabbit hole and see the world for what it is. A bunch of filthy rich people scratching each others backs. The money generated from cancer flow into a wealthy few.

@ptv83 I'd advise every American to buy as much Canadian drugs and food as they can because Canadian parameters for safety are much more stringent than the FDA's. In fact the FDA seems to promote the most dangerous substances.....look around at your neighbors..are they a picture of health??

@B.V. most of the industrialized world has socialized medicine. Japan, UK, Canada, half if not more of the EU.
I am not saying its good or bad, but in japan I like it, but japan also put more money into than the US is planning on doing. anyway. I know you were just making a joke. at least I think you were.

How come a third world country came up with a cancer vaccine and US did not?
This has prompted me to ask the age old question which i had in my mind,

Given the amount of money and resources involved in Cancer treatment,will any market based economy reveal a cancer cure if found???
probably not.

════════════════════════════════════════════
why, mr. Anderson, why, why do you persist?
Because I Choose To...
Regards
════════════════════

I hope this is legit. It looks like it has been successful tested on humans already. If this truly works US should end the trade embargo just for this alone.

@inaka_rob,

It was indeed a joke :)

@Fear the Wabbit,

You might like to read http://klugethebook.com/

I think ALH has a much stronger confirmation bias than most ppl, which would explain why so many of his comments are off the wall.

ok, slightly off topic but, it's not the tobacco that causes the medical problems. This is why Mr. Burns lived as long as he did, he smoked Cigars. There are massive differences between Cigarettes and Cigars. Namely, there isn't a single thing in a cigar that isn't tobacco(unless you are smoking flavored or infused cigars) Cigarettes contain tobacco, but they also contain 599 different chemicals that are added to the tobacco.

quitsmoking.about.com/cs/nicotineinhaler/a/cigingredients.htm

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_additives_in_cigarettes

I'm a cigar smoker, and it just bugs the crap out of me when all these stop smoking laws get forced on ALL tobacco, pipe and cigar tobacco is just tobacco, cigarettes contain so much more that I find it hard to even call it tobacco. That's like calling a cereal "Whole Wheat" when it only contains 5% wheat because they used the whole wheat plant they can get away with the term.

But alas, the United Sheeple of America keep buying up what they are being sold without any actual research. If someone in a position of power tells you it's true, then it must be, they would never lie to you. Learn to live your own life before you tell others what to do. Learn the truth, not just want you parents told you was truth. There is far too many lies out there, the truth needs to breathe. Santa Claus is fake, the Tooth Fairy is fake, the Easter Bunny is fake, you can't go blind by masterbating or sitting too close to the TV, the list goes on and on and on.

I feel bad for the future of this world. With each generation losing it's free thinkers, soon, we won't have any left.

Playing Devil's Advocate since 1978

"The only constant in the universe is change"
-Heraclitus of Ephesus 535 BC - 475 BC

Before you guys all try to sound all smart, it helps to know that countries are called third world because they are communistic, not poor.

@butters Before you trying to sound smart, you should know that Cuba is socialist. Don't get offended, just wanted to point it out. As for this news, I'm going to buy a cigar :D.

You could easily still get this drug for you or loved ones if needed. An embargo cannot stop a motivated human being.

We hope this drug really works!

Brady Soule
Director of Marketing
Helios Airships

This story shows some very important things.
1) Cuba Isn't just all talk after all.
2) A small research budget can achieve great results.
3) The term "Third world country" has no useful meaning.

@Aldrons Last Hope

you tell 'em brother!!! theres just way to much money in cancer that curing would be bad for profit.

_________________
The people of the world only divide into two kinds, One sort with brains who hold no religion, The other with religion and no brain.

- Abu-al-Ala al-Marri

@Butters actually 2nd world countires are communist, 3rd are no affiliated, or neutral

Awesome, I head Regenerative Cellular Therapy is now offering a Peptide Cancer Vaccine. This is exciting, check it out www.rctherapy.net

Oh yes, Cuba is a model for us to follow. The US is far too stupid to adopt their humane policies. Castro and his regime are thugs, and have abused their people for decades. This (vaccine) is a great achievement, but using it as an example of benefits of a totalitarian government is stupid. Take a poll (if it was allowed)... how many Cubans would come live under the tyranny of America vs loving Cuba...? I think you'd be surprised.

America is ripe with problems, but sucks a lot less than most other places. One positive thought though, if we could adopt Cuban-style policies, I think we'd end our immigration problem.

That would be a boon for those people who smoke continuously and suffer from lung disease. Well smoking also affects the sexual health along with that and day by day the number of people suffering from erectile dysfunction also increases. This would be a revolution.

Regards - www.genericpharmacyrx.net



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