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A doctor from the Cleveland Clinic claims he developed a vaccine that could prevent breast cancer and save the lives of millions of women, Fox8.com reports.

The treatment was tested on mice and showed "overwhelmingly favorable results.”

Dr. Vincent Tuohy, who led the research at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, said there was evidence in the initial tests that the vaccine could prevent cancers from forming and stop the growth of existing tumors.

"We have designed a vaccine that is designed to prevent breast cancer the same way we vaccinate against polio and measles," Dr. Tuohy told Fox8.com. "I think the same strategy could be applied for a variety of different cancers and diseases as we age...and I can't really wait to see my dream and that vision come true."

Researchers injected the test vaccine into six mice that were specifically bred to be prone to breast cancer. None developed any signs of tumors.

A further six mice bred in the same way were injected with a placebo vaccine and all developed tumors.

The drug makes the immune system attack a particular protein found in most breast cancer cells and in the mammary tissues of breastfeeding women.

If clinical tests of the vaccine on humans are successful, women over 40 could be vaccinated against the disease. At that age, breast cancer risk begins to increase and women are less likely to be breastfeeding.

Click here for more on this story from Fox8.com.