11 Oct Behind the Scenes with a Study Coordinator for a Potential Breakthrough Breast Cancer Vaccine

The Association of Clinical Research Professionals

In recognition of October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month, ACRP recently went behind the scenes with a clinical research coordinator on the study team for a bold Cleveland Clinic investigation of a vaccine aimed at preventing triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), the most aggressive and lethal form of the disease.

Emily (Esakov) Rhoades, PhD, Multisite Investigator Initiated Trial (IIT) Program Manager for the Cleveland Clinic’s Taussig Cancer Institute, provided insights on how the study, currently in Phase Ib in partnership with Anixa Biosciences, Inc., focuses on up to a dozen cancer-free individuals at high risk for developing breast cancer who have decided to voluntarily undergo prophylactic mastectomy to lower their risk. Funded by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), the research follows from the work of the late Dr. Vincent Tuohy, which was supported in part by philanthropic gifts from more than 20,000 people over the last 12 years.

ACRP: How does it feel to be working on a trial for such a novel potential treatment that has already gained so much attention and philanthropic support?

Rhoades: All clinical trials I am involved with at Cleveland Clinic are rewarding in their own ways, but the breast cancer vaccine study has been rewarding in a much different way. I started my career at Cleveland Clinic as a postdoctoral fellow in the Lerner Research Institute working on basic science research much like work done in the lab of Dr. Tuohy, where this vaccine originated. As such, the fact that I am now the lead coordinator (program manager) on the first-in-human study of this vaccine feels a bit like coming full circle. To see the public so interested in the potential the alpha-lac vaccine has is very encouraging, and it inspires the team and myself to continue our efforts to move it forward in development. Read more…