Trovax (also known as MVA 5T4) is a new experimental treatment that is being tested for several types of cancer including kidney cancer, bowel cancer and prostate cancer. It is a vaccine and is given as an injection into a muscle. Because it is experimental, Trovax is only available as part of a clinical trial.
The main treatment for kidney cancer is surgery to remove the tumour. Unfortunately, kidney cancer that has spread outside the kidney (advanced or metastatic kidney cancer) is more difficult to treat and can't usually be cured. Because of this, research is going all the time to find new treatments. Current treatments for advanced kidney cancer include interferon alpha (IFN), aldesleukin, sunitinib and sorafenib.
Vaccines are an experimental treatment for cancers. The aim of cancer vaccines is to stimulate our immune system to recognise and destroy cancer cells. They may be used to try to shrink or slow down a cancer or to try to reduce the risk of a cancer coming back after an operation to remove it.
The immune system protects us from microorganisms and cancers by attacking cells that it recognises as not belonging to our body. Proteins (antigens) on the surface of these cells help our immune system to identify them as harmful.
The Trovax vaccine is made with a protein or antigen called 5T4 that is found on the surface of some types of kidney cancer cells, but rarely occurs on normal cells. The 5T4 protein is combined with a harmless virus that stimulates the immune system to recognise and attack cells carrying 5T4 on their surface.
There have been some small studies looking at giving Trovax on its own or along with other treatments for people with metastatic kidney cancer. In these studies the cancer shrank or stopped growing for a time for some people. Because of these encouraging results a much larger clinical trial called TRIST (TroVax Renal Immunotherapy Survival Trial) will soon be taking place. It will test whether giving Trovax along with a standard treatment for kidney cancer that has spread is better than the standard treatment on its own.
Your specialist will be able to tell you if this trial is open and whether it might be suitable for you. Our trials search engine will have more information once the trial is available.