Chances are you or someone close to you has been directly affected by cancer.

The possibility of having it one day haunts many of us, and for a good reason. The American Cancer Association reports that cancer is the second leading killer in the United States, accounting for 1 in 4 deaths.

Each year, billions of dollars are put towards cancer research in hopes that someday it will pay off. That day might actually be here a little sooner than any of us thought possible. 

The University of Georgia can now be credited with the development of a cancer vaccine. Following successful trial administrations on mice, experts expect to be ready to begin human clinical trials as early as the year 2013.

The vaccine works by training the immune system to seek and destroy tumors by attacking the coating of cancerous cells. 

Professor Sandra Gendler from the Mayo Clinic stated, “This is the first time a vaccine has been developed that trains the immune system to distinguish and kill cancer cells based on their different sugar structures."  

The vaccine appears to be particularly effective against both breast and pancreatic cancers. In lab tests the vaccine was able to eradicate 90% of the breast cancer cases.

Professor Geert-Jan Boons, who is heading up the research team, says this vaccine “elicits a very strong immune response. It activates all three components of the immune system to reduce tumor size."

The possibility of an effective cancer vaccine is obviously a monumental breakthrough. Assuming human testing of the vaccine proves to be safe and successful in the future, half a million lives could be saved each year in the United States alone.

This groundbreaking news could potentially be the long-awaited cure to cancer. If the vaccine is not the cure, perhaps it will at least serve as a more effective cancer treatment than radiation therapy and chemotherapy.

As British doctor Caitlin Palframan puts it, "This exciting new approach could lead to treatments for breast cancer patients who have few options."

The vaccine created by The University of Georgia is the most hopeful and major development in finding a cure to cancer. Pending the results of the human clinical trials in 2013, we can expect to see even further cancer treatment advancements in the near future.

To learn more about cancer treatment options, contact an oncologist near you.