TB vaccine improves immunity and reduces bladder cancer recurrence

A new study suggests that giving bladder cancer patients two doses of a tuberculosis vaccine after surgery could help their immune systems fight cancer and reduce the chances of recurrence. This pilot study involved 40 patients and found promising results. The initial findings from the RUTIVAC-1 Trial were shared at a recent congress in Madrid. In this study, researchers gave a non-live TB vaccine called RUTI alongside standard treatment. Patients who received the vaccine showed a stronger immune response, helping to prevent future tumors. Remarkably, every patient treated with RUTI was cancer-free five years later, with no serious side effects reported. Bladder cancer is the ninth most common cancer worldwide, with over 600,000 new cases reported in 2022. Patients usually receive a live Bacillus Calmette Guerin (BCG) vaccine after tumor surgery to help fight any remaining cancer cells. However, about half of these patients still face a chance of their cancer returning. Dr. Cecilia Cabrera, the lead researcher from Barcelona, aimed to see if RUTI could enhance the immune response triggered by BCG. Her team discovered that RUTI improved the immune response and led to better outcomes. In the RUTI group, all patients remained tumor-free after five years, while only 13 out of 18 patients in the control group achieved the same result. Dr. Cabrera was surprised by the significant improvements observed even with a small patient group. She noted that the RUTI vaccine was well tolerated, causing only minor reactions at the injection site. Experts emphasize the importance of finding new ways to prevent recurrence in bladder cancer. The study's results are encouraging, but researchers stress that larger trials are needed to confirm these findings before RUTI can be widely used for bladder cancer treatment.