Is It Possible to Prevent Cancer with a Vaccine?

New vaccine approaches being developed in the field of cancer offer significant potential for preventing the disease before it occurs. This approach is considered a remarkable development, especially for high-risk individuals. Associate Professor Dr. Ferhat FERHATOĞLU, a Medical Oncology Specialist at Yeditepe University Hospitals, stated that next-generation vaccine studies targeting the evolutionary nature of cancer represent an important step toward prevention before the disease even emerges.

What Are Cancer Vaccines?

Cancer vaccines have emerged as one of the most notable areas of immunotherapy in recent years. These vaccines are generally divided into two categories: preventive vaccines against viruses such as HPV and HBV, and therapeutic vaccines that directly target cancer cells. Therapeutic vaccines aim to activate the immune system to eliminate cancer cells. However, a new approach being developed in this field draws attention by offering a deeper insight into the nature of cancer. Noting that one of the most important reasons why cancer becomes difficult to treat in advanced stages is that tumor cells are not genetically stable, Associate Professor Dr. Ferhat FERHATOĞLU from Yeditepe University Hospitals' Department of Medical Oncology said, "This situation causes cancer cells to acquire different characteristics over time. We can liken this process to biological evolution. Just as mutations lead to the emergence of new species, cancer is similarly a dynamic process that progresses by branching out."

Is It Possible to Prevent Cancer?

Drawing attention to the fact that these genetic differences among tumor cells bring about the ability to adapt to changing environmental conditions and develop resistance to treatments, FERHATOĞLU emphasized that methods such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery may sometimes be insufficient to completely eradicate cancer. FERHATOĞLU stated, "Cells that survive treatment can multiply over time and become more resistant. Therefore, new, more targeted treatment strategies are needed."
FERHATOĞLU noted that the newly developed approach is based on targeting the mutations that form the root of cancer, likening these mutations to the trunk of a tree. "If we can detect these root mutations, it may be possible to prevent cancer before it even forms by stimulating the immune system against these targets," said FERHATOĞLU, adding that this approach holds significant potential, especially for individuals at high risk for lung cancer.

What Is the LungVax Vaccine?

FERHATOĞLU stated that the TRACERx study, initiated in 2014, revealed that cancer develops like a "tree of evolution" and that there are root mutations common to all tumor cells, and noted that these findings form the basis of LungVax, the first lung cancer vaccine developed for high-risk individuals. FERHATOĞLU indicated that the LungVax study, to be conducted in Oxford, aims to prevent cancer recurrence, particularly in patients who have undergone surgery for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer. "With this vaccine, the goal is to create a strong immune response by targeting neoantigens common in tumors. Thus, cancer cells can be eliminated before they clinically emerge," he said. FERHATOĞLU explained that the developed approach is based on a mechanism similar to the mRNA vaccines used during the COVID-19 pandemic, where the immune system is stimulated through neoantigens that it needs to target. In the first phase, safety and efficacy will be evaluated in a group of 40 patients, and the study is planned to begin in the summer of 2026. FERHATOĞLU emphasized that this approach is an important example of a "precision prevention" strategy, stating, "This method not only treats but also opens the door to a new era of preventing cancer before it forms."