Researchers at Eastern Virginia Medical School played a key role in bringing to market the first-ever prostate cancer vaccine.

Provenge, as the vaccine is called, was developed by Seattle-based Dendreon Corporation. It received approval this week from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use as a treatment against advanced prostate cancer. Provenge works by recruiting the body's immune system as a weapon against cancer cells. It is easier on the body than traditional treatments such as chemotherapy, and researchers hope the approach may one day be used for other cancers.

Specialists in urological cancer at EVMS, led by Paul F. Schellhammer, MD, professor of urology, tested the treatment before its federal approval and established that it can safely extend the lives of men with advanced prostate cancer. Dr. Schellhammer has been involved in studying the vaccine since the ‘90s. About three dozen local patients were involved in the trials.

Read news coverage of Provenge's approval.