Pittsburgh woman is 1st patient to receive new early-stage breast cancer vaccine

PITTSBURGH — In the race for a cure, a Pittsburgh woman is the first patient to receive a new vaccine for early-stage breast cancer.

It’s a decision that patient Maria Kitay said she made after watching loved ones get diagnosed before her.

“It is a personal decision and we really need to make sure more women survive breast cancer,” Kitay said.

The immunologist who invented the vaccine says it’s 30 years in the works and they have 49 spots open.

“We look forward to many more women signing up for this trial, this is a very innovative way to approach a breast cancer diagnosis, especially a pre-cancer diagnosis,” Dr. Olivera Finn said.

The vaccine is given in three doses, two weeks apart.

Anyone interested must be post-menopausal, stage zero, and willing to receive the vaccination a few weeks before surgery.

Surgical oncologist Dr. Emilia Diego will evaluate how well the patient’s immune systems respond to it, with hopes that this will eventually help women around the world.

“The intention is after we prove after the first 50 patients that it is a promising vaccine, that we will ultimately build a larger trial and people not just here in Pittsburgh getting vaccines but all over the country and all over the world,” Dr. Diego said.

“The long-term goal is to prevent cancer and the women who are participating in this trial are gong to help us do that once and for all,” Dr. Finn said.

Kitay told Channel 11 that she’s proud to be the first patient to receive the vaccine and knew it was the right decision when she told her PCP, who said she is in good hands: a team of hands hoping to be part of a cure.

“He said, ‘You’re in good hands, Maria,’ and I think that’s really true, and I’m really glad to be here today,” Kitay said.

The trial began thanks to a $100,000 grant from the Glimmer of Hope Foundation and a $2.1 million grant from the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

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