The Shot That Could End Cancer

Cancer has always been one of medicine’s toughest battles. Treatments like chemotherapy and radiation have saved countless lives, but they often come with brutal side effects and don’t always prevent the cancer from returning. Now, researchers believe they are on the verge of a breakthrough—a new cancer vaccine.  

This isn’t a conventional vaccine. It doesn’t stop you from getting cancer, but is instead ‘therapeutic’—designed for people who already have it. Traditionally, cancer treatments have attacked both healthy and dangerous cells, causing the exhausting side effects patients experience. This new vaccine works differently. It trains the immune system to recognise and destroy cancer cells on its own. 

The idea behind it builds on mRNA technology—the same method behind COVID-19 vaccines. Scientists take a genetic sample from a patient’s tumour and then use it to design a personalised vaccine. Once injected, it trains the immune system to spot and attack cells carrying the cancer-specific marker, leaving the healthy cells alone.

Fig. 1: Diagram showing how mRNA vaccines help the immune system.

Early trials have already shown promise. Companies like Moderna and BioNTech have tested vaccines for melanoma and pancreatic cancer. In these trials, patients who received this vaccine along with regular treatment were much less likely to see their cancer return. If this progress continues, it could completely change how cancer is treated. Drugs and radiation that weaken the human body would be replaced by an improved immune system, which could do its job naturally. 

Saying this, the development is still in its early stages. Each vaccine has to be made individually, making the process complex, expensive and time-consuming. Also, lots of research is still needed to ensure the vaccine’s long-term success. Despite these hurdles, many scientists believe we’re closer than ever to something game-changing—something that could turn a deadly disease into a treatable infection. 

Reference List

Clinical Trials Arena (2024). BioNTech initiates global trials of mRNA-based lung cancer vaccine. [online] Available at: https://www.clinicaltrialsarena.com/news/biontech-trials-lung-cancer-vaccine/

Cancer Research UK (2024). Cancer Vaccines - Where are We? [online] Available at: https://news.cancerresearchuk.org/shorthand_story/cancer-vaccines-where-are-we/

The Guardian (2024). What are cancer vaccines and have scientists finally found a cure? [online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/science/article/2024/may/31/what-are-cancer-vaccines-and-have-scientists-finally-found-a-cure

National Cancer Institute (2019) . Cancer Treatment Vaccines. [online] Available at: https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/types/immunotherapy/cancer-treatment-vaccines