Cancer Prevention Vaccines
Cancer vaccines—particularly those targeting breast cancer, melanoma, and colon cancer—have progressed quickly to clinical trials following promising results in preclinical mouse model studies. These vaccines are typically most effective when administered before exposure to the virus. There are two main types of cancer-related vaccines: preventive vaccines and therapeutic vaccines. Preventive vaccines, approved by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), are designed to protect against oncoviruses—viruses known to increase cancer risk, such as HPV and hepatitis B. In contrast, therapeutic vaccines are developed to stimulate the immune system to recognize and destroy existing cancer cells.