Cuban health authorities have approved the use of what is believed to be the world's first registered therapeutic lung cancer vaccine.

Unlike chemotherapy, the prevalent treatment for cancer, the new vaccine CimaVax EGF has no side effects. Though the vaccine does not prevent lung cancer, it has been shown to boost survival rates by an average of four to five months, and in some cases much longer.

Dr. Gisela Gonzalez, head of the team that researched and developed the drug through testing with hundreds of patients over 16 years, said the proteins in the vaccine work by selectively attacking cancer cells, slowing the growth rate of tumors. It also builds patients' immune systems and reduces symptoms such as shortness of breath and appetite loss.

The drug is in various clinical trials, some in Canada and Britain, and is expected to be approved next in Peru. Patients from all over the world will be able to travel to Cuba for CimaVax EGF treatment. While testing has been approved by the U.S. government, clinical studies may not begin for at least two years.

In the Phase II trials, those given the vaccine lived on average 11.47 months compared to 5.33 months for terminal patients treated with only chemotherapy and/or radiation. Some of the patients also lived for up to 18.53 months while taking the new vaccine, compared to other patients who lived for just 7.55 months while undergoing conventional treatment.

Lung cancer generally affects people over 50 who have a history of smoking, although other risk factors include exposure to second hand tobacco smoke or pollutant emissions from cars or factories. The disease claims over 1.3 million deaths worldwide annually, with the highest rates in the United States, Canada and Europe.