Hundreds of thousands of women live in fear that someday, breast cancer will come back. Now, some doctors are developing a vaccine for breast cancer which would make those fears a thing of the past.

Linda Nielsen works with Choose Hope based in Sun Prarie. Through wrist bands, buttons and even hoodies, Nielsen strives to help. "We try to give positive, inspirational hope to anybody dealing with a cancer diagnosis, be it them, or anyone in their family."

Nielsen says new cancer research could be the best inspiriation off all. "Do I think more research needs to be done?  Absolutely.  We're still losing way too many women to this disease." Linda can talk: she's a 12-year breast cancer survivor. She says even the *thought* of a vaccine is enough to inspire hope that she won't get breast cancer again. "I don't dwell on it like I did 12 years ago, but how can you not help thinking about it, because I know women who were 20 years out and recurred."

Linda nielsen started the business with two friends about 10 years ago. Much of the proceeds go towards breast cancer research. Linda's doctor, Mark Burkard works in the UW School of Medicine Oncology Department. He's anxious to see the results of the current clinical trial.
A vaccine is being tested at five U.S. cancer centers. None in Wisconsin though."If you can make a flu shot-like vaccine effective for Breast Cancer, that would be very powerful." Dr Burkard said.

The vaccine would likely go to patients who have already had breast cancer and would not be designed as a preventative messure. "I would think we want to know it's effective at eliminating cancer cells in a woman who's at risk of having cancer cells scattered around the body, before we would look at prevention of breast cancer."

An approved vaccine is probably still years away But for survivors like Linda,  Just knowing the *possibility* exists is enough, for now. "There is hope, there is absolutely hope, and we're getting there.  It's just not happened quite yet, but we're getting there."

Researchers at UW hospital are actively working on a vaccine for prostate cancer, which looks promising.  

Get more information online about cancer clinical trials online by clicking here and here