“This trial could help thousands, if not millions, of people,” Elliot Phebve said.
- Father of four, Elliot Phebve is the first patient to benefit from an mRNA vaccine against colorectal cancer.
- “Participating in this experience fits my profession as a speaker and my personality. I am very invested in my community: so I want to have a positive impact on the lives of others and help them realize their potential,” he said.
- “If successful, this trial could help thousands, if not millions, of people. I wish they didn’t have to go through what I went through,” he added.
First patient to receive mRNA vaccine against bowel cancer spoke in the media.
“Participating in this experience fits my profession as a speaker and my personality. I am very invested in my community: I therefore want to have a positive impact on the lives of others and help them realize their potential,” said Elliot Phebve. “If successful, this trial could help thousands, if not millions, of people. I wish they didn’t have to go through what I went through,” he added.
mRNA vaccine against colorectal cancer: where does this project come from?
Father of four, Elliot Phebve is a 55-year-old British university lecturer who was diagnosed with colorectal cancer following a routine scan. He first had the tumour and part of his bowel removed, then underwent chemotherapy and was invited to take part in a trial set up by the “Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad“.
The Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad is a program that aims to allow people with cancer to participate in trials testing mRNA vaccines. The goal is to accelerate the development of these treatments that could one day be a game changer in cancer care.
mRNA vaccine against colorectal cancer: how does it work?
Already tested during the Covid-19 epidemic or on glioblastoma, mRNA vaccines can in fact be personalized according to tumors and patient profiles. Combined with surgery, radiotherapy and drug treatments, they aim to help the body eliminate residual tumor cells and reduce the risk of recurrence.
“As these trials are rolled out in hospitals across the country, our department will ensure that as many eligible patients as possible have the opportunity to access them.”explained Amanda Pritchard, CEO of NHS.
The UK government has partnered with drugmaker BioNTech and pledged to provide 10,000 patients with precision cancer treatment by 2030. There are plans to expand the programme to many types of cancer, including the highly virulent pancreatic cancer.
France: Colorectal cancer causes 50 deaths per day
“Causing 50 deaths per day, colorectal cancer is the third most deadly cancer in women in France and the second most deadly in men,” recalls the League against cancer.
Two factors explain this high mortality rate in France: low participation in screening and the very late appearance of the first symptoms of the disease.
