title: Cancer vaccines.
abstract: The term cancer vaccines encompasses 2 different types of vaccines. Prophylactic vaccines block infection by viruses that can alter host DNA and result in cancer. The hepatitis B vaccine and the human papillomavirus vaccines are examples of prophylactic vaccines that can prevent cancer from developing. More recently, therapeutic vaccines have been developed and used as adjunctive therapy in patients who have already been diagnosed with cancer. Therapeutic vaccines stimulate the host's immune system to recognize cancer cells as foreign and to attack them. Most of the therapeutic vaccines being studied are used in combination with other forms of cancer therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family and Community Medicine, Jefferson Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, 1015 Walnut Street, Suite 401, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA. Christopher.Chambers@jefferson.edu
authors.forename: Christopher V
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Chambers
mesh_terms: D019496:Cancer Vaccines; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines; D006801:Humans; D053918:Papillomavirus Vaccines
chemical_list: D019496:Cancer Vaccines; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines; D053918:Papillomavirus Vaccines