About Tumor Vaccines

What is tumor immunotherapy?

A general term, tumor immunotherapy refers to the use of elements of the body's natural immune system to fight cancer. Specific approaches include tumor vaccines, IL-2, and Interferon.

What are tumor vaccines?

Patients typically associate the term vaccine with the prevention of infectious diseases, such as measles. Recent research has indicated that the vaccine approach may also be useful in the prevention and treatment of cancer.

Tumor vaccines contain a specific protein of the tumor cell that can be used to stimulate an immune response. Different types of vaccines are used to treat different types of cancer.

Typically, patients receive tumor vaccine therapy on an out-patient basis. Vaccines are delivered through an injection into the skin or directly into the tumor. Our program is also investigating the benefits, for select patients, of delivering vaccines directly into the tumor site.

What types of cancers do tumor vaccines target?

Currently, the Tumor Immunotherapy Program is investigating the effects of tumor vaccines on the following types of cancer: