Loizos G. Loizou, Head of Cyprus International Action Plan for Children with Cancer at ELPIDA Foundation for Children with Cancer, shared on LinkedIn:
“My friends,
Vaccines Against Cancer
Cancer vaccines harness the immune system to prevent or treat cancer. They are divided into two categories:
A. Preventive Vaccines
Their goal is to prevent infections that can cause cancer. Two vaccines are already being used with proven effectiveness:
HPV vaccine.
HPV types 16 and 18 are responsible for about 70% of cervical cancers. HPV is also linked to cancers of the vagina, vulva, anus, penis, and oropharynx.
The nine-strong vaccine protects against nine types of HPV and can prevent the vast majority of cancers associated with them.
Vaccination is recommended for girls and boys, ideally before the start of sexual activity. It does not replace cervical cancer screening.
Hepatitis B vaccine.
It protects against the HBV virus, which can cause chronic hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Vaccination thus reduces the risk of liver cancer.
Therapeutic Vaccines
They are given to patients who already have cancer, with the aim of helping the immune system recognize and attack cancer cells.
Prostate cancer.
sipuleucel-T is personalized cellular immunotherapy, approved in the U.S. for selected patients with metastatic, castration-resistant prostate cancer and little or no symptoms.
Other cancers.
Therapeutic vaccines are being studied for lung, kidney, brain and breast cancers, as well as for melanoma, leukemias and lymphomas.
Of particular interest are personalized mRNA vaccines, which target specific neoantigens of cancer cells, enhancing the immune response against them. Most are still in clinical studies.
Preventive vaccines are already saving lives by reducing the risk of certain cancers.
Therapeutics are breaking new ground, but their efficacy and safety need further documentation.
The important message:
With vaccination we can already prevent some cancers, while research seeks to use vaccines for their treatment as well.”
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