A woman shares her experience participating in a triple-negative breast cancer vaccine trial

Triple-negative breast cancer is the most aggressive and deadliest form of the disease. Two years ago, researchers launched a first-of-its-kind trial to test a vaccine that could help prevent this type of breast cancer – and now the very first participant explains why she didn’t hesitate to take part .

“As far as we know, no one on my mom’s or dad’s side has had breast cancer, so it was quite a shock,” said Jennifer Davis, who is involved in the breast cancer vaccine trial. .

Davis has been on a roller coaster since being diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer in 2018.

“The first thing that made me go to the doctor was I found a lump in my left breast,” Davis said.

The mother-of-three sought treatment at the clinic in Cleveland.

“She went through very aggressive, typical chemotherapy,” said Dr. Megan Kruse, a breast oncology specialist at the Cleveland Clinic.

When Davis finished her treatment, she was offered the chance to take part in the hospital’s breast cancer vaccine trial – which aims to prevent triple-negative breast cancer by tricking the immune system into attacking the tumor and prevent it from developing.

“There is a window of time after a patient is diagnosed and treated for them to be eligible for this study, and luckily Jen was still within that window and actually became our first patient who enrolled. on trial and was treated with the vaccine,” Dr. Kruse said.

Fast forward so far, Davis hasn’t had any serious complications. She also remains cancer-free.

“The day I received the first vaccine, I was very excited. I really didn’t think about it. And I’ve had people say to me, ‘Well, weren’t you too nervous?’ and honestly, I wasn’t,” Davis said.

Davis is proud to know that the vaccine could help save lives in the future. “Eventually, a day later, it could completely prevent triple negative breast cancer. So to not have that again, I’m so hopeful,” she said.

The first phase of the trial tested the vaccine in women already diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer and the next phase began earlier this year, testing the vaccine in women without cancer, but at high risk for breast cancer. breast.