Provide names of other journalists involved.
None
List date(s) this work was published or aired.
15-Feb-11
Provide a brief synopsis of the story or stories, including any significant findings.
The concept of therapeutic vaccines against cancer is tantalizing: Give the patient the right antigen, delivered with a suitable adjuvant, and you can train the immune system to recognize malignant cells as foreign. But not all cancers share the same targets, and marshaling the body’s defenses against melanoma in particular is a good bit trickier than getting it to raise antibodies against polio or smallpox, investigators say. A history of setbacks proves it.
Explain types of documents, data or Internet resources used. Were FOI or public records act requests required? How did this affect the work?
I used Medline searches, clinical reports from the American Society of Clnical Oncology annual meeting, ClinicalTrials.gov and the CRISP database of federally-funded research projects to identify clinical trials of therapeutic cancer vaccines, as well as individual vaccine researchers and pharmaceutical companies engaged in vaccine research.
Explain types of human sources used.
Vaccine researchers identified through database searches, and, in one case a pharmaceutical industry executive.
Results:
Unknown
Follow-up (if any). Have you run a correction or clarification on the report or has anyone come forward to challenge its accuracy? If so, please explain.
No corrections, challenges or clarifications have been required.
Advice to other journalists planning a similar story or project.
Cancer immunotherapy is a complex and diverse subject, and the pace of change is accelerating exponentially. It is essential that the journalist double- and triple-check sources to ensure that the information is accurate, up-to-date, and not biased by commercial considerations,.