[Medical Q&A] Cancer vaccine: Can it really be the “silver bullet” to end cancer?

Planner: Chinese Medical Association

Reviewer: Liu Weiping, Chief Physician, Peking University Cancer Hospital

Cancer vaccines are seen as an important breakthrough in cancer treatment, but there are still some challenges as to whether they can become the "silver bullet" - the ultimate solution for cancer treatment.

Cancer vaccines have shown some potential in the prevention and treatment of tumors. Preventive vaccines can usually stimulate the body to produce immunity against specific pathogens, thereby preventing cancers caused by pathogens. For example, HPV vaccines can prevent HPV-related cancers, such as cervical cancer, laryngeal cancer, and oral cancer. In the case of cancer has already occurred, therapeutic cancer vaccines can be administered to enhance the body's immune response to cancer cells, thereby achieving the purpose of treatment. For example, dendritic cell vaccines (DC vaccines) effectively present cancer cell antigens to T cells, and then cytotoxic T cells attack cancer cells, thereby eliminating cancer cells.

However, cancer is a complex disease that includes many types. Different cancer types have different biomarkers and treatment needs, so a single vaccine may not be suitable for all types of cancer. In addition, each person's immune system and disease characteristics are different, and the effect of cancer vaccines may vary from person to person. Personalized treatment may be the future direction, that is, designing corresponding vaccines according to the specific situation of each patient.

Although cancer vaccines have great potential, especially in cancer prevention and treatment, there have been some breakthroughs, but there are still many challenges to overcome before they can be called "silver bullets". The complexity of cancer and the individual differences of patients mean that there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Cancer vaccines can be used in combination with other treatments (such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, etc.) to improve the treatment effect. In the future, cancer vaccines will provide us with more hope on the road to curing cancer.