Could a vaccine stop melanoma deaths?

A personalised mRNA vaccine plus an immunotherapy drug cut the risk of death or melanoma returning by 42 per cent compared with the drug alone, a trial led by Professor Georgina Long has found.

Each vaccine is designed from the patient's own tumour to help their immune system recognise it, and was given to patients who had melanoma surgically removed but were at risk of it returning.

Experts caution the treatment is intended for advanced stage melanoma patients.