Cancer vaccine — the future of oncology

Vaccines are commonly used to protect against serious infections. Their task is to train the body to locate and destroy harmful pathogens — incl. microbes. Could a vaccine also train the body to detect and destroy cancer cells?

Vaccines and cancer

Many people associate vaccination only with protecting the body against catching the flu. The cancer vaccine, on the other hand, sounds like a song of the future to them. Few people realize that vaccinations are already part of both cancer prevention and treatment. Moreover, this field is constantly evolving, with spectacular results.

Cancer vaccine — what is it?

Vaccines used in oncology are divided into two groups according to the time at which they are given — preventative (before cancer develops) and therapeutic (after the diagnosis of cancer).

Vaccines used in the prevention of cancer

The vaccine that is already making a huge contribution to cancer prevention is the HPV vaccine. The virus against which it protects humans significantly increases the risk of developing vaginal, uterine and rectal cancers, as well as oral cancer. The effectiveness of the vaccine has been already proven in many studies around the world. The key condition for maintaining effectiveness is to vaccinate the entire population — not only women, but also men. Another vaccine that plays an important role in cancer prevention is the hepatitis B vaccine. The hepatitis B virus is a factor that increases the risk of developing liver cancer.

Vaccines used to treat cancer

There are also vaccines that are used as part of cancer treatment. They are known as therapeutic vaccines. Treatment of tumors with their use is known as immunotherapy. Its basic aim is to increase the effectiveness of the immune system and to allow it to target cancer cells. Depending on the strategy chosen, therapeutic vaccines can prevent recurrence of the disease, kill cancer cells that may have remained in the body, or inhibit further tumor growth.

Cancer vaccine — who is it for?

As mentioned above, it is necessary to vaccinate the entire population for full effectiveness of the HPV vaccine. These vaccinations should start as early as possible, before sexual intercourse begins. Importantly, boys and men who are also at risk of viral infection need to be vaccinated. Vaccination against HPV is not compulsory in most countries, including Poland. Nonetheless, it is worth getting the vaccine in order to prevent the development of cancer. In turn, the hepatitis B vaccine is included in the Preventive Immunization Program and is mandatory. It is administered in 3 doses during the first 7 months of life and in high-risk groups

mRNA cancer vaccine — the future of cancer treatment?

Many people understand this term as a remedy for all types of cancer and a way to effectively prevent this disease. Work on such solutions is in progress, but there is still a long way to go to reach unequivocal success. Only a few ideas have reached the stage of clinical trials. One of the stimuli that, against all odds, contributed to the faster development of mRNA cancer vaccines was the COVID-19 pandemic. The acceleration of research was driven by the need to develop mRNA-based vaccines on which most of the cancer-related projects under development are based.