Abstract

Cancer vaccines are emerging as a transformative approach in oncology, offering innovative strategies for both the treatment and prevention of cancer. Unlike traditional vaccines for infectious diseases, cancer vaccines harness the body’s immune system to target and destroy cancer cells or to prevent cancer from developing. This article explores the two main types of cancer vaccines—preventive and therapeutic—and their mechanisms of action. It highlights recent advancements, including personalized cancer vaccines, neoantigen vaccines, combination therapies, and mRNA vaccines, which have significantly enhanced vaccine efficacy and development. The clinical impact of these vaccines is evident in the success of preventive vaccines for HPV and HBV, and promising early results from therapeutic vaccines like Sipuleucel-T for prostate cancer. As research continues to progress, cancer vaccines hold the potential to revolutionize cancer treatment and prevention, offering targeted, effective, and personalized solutions that could significantly reduce cancer incidence and improve patient outcomes.