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Vaccines, like your annual flu shot, aren’t just something you get when you’re healthy as protection against common infections. They can also help treat cancer. And because some types of cancer are actually caused by viruses, some vaccines can even help prevent cancer.
Cancer Prevention Vaccines
Cancer prevention vaccines don’t attack cancer cells directly. Instead, they teach your immune system—your body’s arsenal of white blood cells known as leukocytes—to protect your body against viruses that could lead to cancer.
With these vaccines, small amounts of antigens—substances that are normally part of the virus—get injected into your body. Even though vaccines themselves are not infectious, your immune system reacts to the foreign antigen by producing disease-fighting antibodies. Your immune system has a good memory, too. If your immune system meets up with the actual virus in the future, it knows what to do: mount a swift antibody attack and get rid of it.
Preventing Cervical, Liver, and Other Types of Cancer
Several vaccines are available to help prevent cancer, including:
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The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine: The HPV vaccine guards against cancer of the cervix (the opening of the uterus), vulva, vagina, penis, anus, and cancers of the back of the throat. It also protects against genital warts. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the HPV vaccine to all 11- or 12-year-olds. They’ll need a series of three doses. People who didn’t get the vaccine earlier can still get it through age 45.
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The hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccine: It targets HBV, a virus that can lead to liver cancer. Most children in the United States are vaccinated against HBV shortly after birth. If you didn’t get the vaccine as a child, you should get three doses of the HBV vaccine as an adult.
Talk with your doctor about these and other vaccines to make sure you’re up to date on your immunizations and doing what you can to guard against cancer and other diseases.
Cancer Treatment Vaccines
Cancer treatment vaccines target cancer cells themselves. They contain cancer cells, parts of cells, or antigens to stop cancer from growing. They treat cancer cells by activating your body’s arsenal of leukocytes to mount an immune response against specific types of cancer cells. The goal is to destroy the abnormal cells that haven’t been killed by other forms of cancer treatment.
Trouble is, cancer cells are sly. They have ways of masking themselves so your body doesn’t know they’re dangerous. They can also protect themselves from your body’s own immune response. As a result, it’s easier to prevent cancer with a vaccine than to treat it.
Treating Prostate Cancer
To date, there’s one cancer treatment vaccine approved by the Food and Drug Administration: Provenge (sipuleucel-T), for advanced prostate cancer. More cancer treatment vaccines are in development.
Provenge harnesses the body’s immune system to destroy prostate cancer cells. For this vaccine, a special serum is made using your body’s own immune cells: Cells are removed from your blood and sent to the lab. There they’re exposed to chemicals that turn them into cells that help your body fight off prostate cancer. You’ll get the special cells back through an IV.
Studies show that Provenge can help improve survival by four months. Side effects are usually mild. They may include fever, chills, tiredness, back pain, nausea, and headache. Research is underway to see if Provenge can be even more effective if it’s paired with other kinds of treatment, such as radiation therapy.