A new study to be published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine will state that researchers in the Netherlands have developed an investigational vaccine for mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma is a rare type of cancer usually caused by prolonged exposure to asbestos.  Over 2500 new cased of the cancer spring up each year.  The vaccine is said to “infuse a patient’s own dendritic cells with antigen from the patient’s tumor”.

“We hope that by further development of our method it will be possible to increase survival in patients with mesothelioma and eventually vaccinate persons who have been in contact with asbestos to prevent them from getting asbestos related diseases,” said researcher Dr. Joachim Aerts.

People diagnosed with mesothelioma typically survive around 12 months.  Chemotherapy treatments are known to extend that time by only an additional three or four months.

It is believed that new cases will continue to rise until around 2020.