Researchers hope the experimental vaccine inside this vial will become a life saver for lung cancer patients.

Dr. Eckhard Podack said, "It is the biggest killer of all the cancers." The disease is so deadly because it's usually caught very late, leaving few treatment options.

 When Lee Reely was diagnosed, surgeons had to remove his left lung. Lee Reely said, "They will monitor me and i will do some chemo just as a safety precaution."

Sean Kennif said, "But for most lung cancer patients these treatments only prolong life, and they don't cure the disease. Plus they can have serious side effects."

 That's why doctors are developing new weapons, like a lung cancer vaccine. Researchers around the world are working on different versions. At the Sylvester Cancer Center at the University of Miami, Dr. Eckhard Podack is trying to help the body cure itself.

 "The vaccine therapy uses the immune system."  His vaccine revs up cells that defend the body known as killer cells. Dr. Podack said,  "The killer cells is what we want to have because they will go to the tumor and kill the tumor cells."

In a trial of 20 terminally ill people some lung cancers were significantly reduced giving a handful of patients a few extra years. Doctor Podack is now about to test a new version of the vaccine. Dr. Podack said, "It's going to be exciting."

He believes his work will lead to an effective treatment and possibly a cure for cancer's number one killer. Doctor Sean Kenniff, CBS news, Miami.