Scientists push vaccines for cancer treatment

WASHINGTON, D.C. (WDEF) — Scientists are developing vaccines as an alternative to traditional cancer treatment.

They say these vaccines could be out in five years.

Scientists explained that these vaccines are designed to kill cancer cells.

They add that some of these vaccines use mRNA technology, which is a relatively new technology first used in COVID-19 vaccines.

Researchers are testing these vaccines now. They are using them in an attempt to treat melanoma, pancreatic cancer, breast cancer and lung cancer.

Cancer vaccines are not a new thing, though. The first was created for prostate cancer, which was approved in 2010 in the U.S.

Olja Finn, a vaccine researcher, said early vaccine research failed. Finn explained that the cancer outlasted the patients’ immune systems. Her research now focuses on those who were recently diagnosed.

There was also the HPV vaccine, which was approved in 2006 for cervical cancer. There are currently about 80 cases pending in federal court claiming that Gardasil’s HPV vaccine caused injuries, according to Children’s Health Defense.

But scientists are determined to use vaccines for cancer treatment.

“Vaccines are probably the next big thing” in the quest to reduce cancer deaths, said Dr. Steve Lipkin of New York’s Weill Cornell Medicine. “We’re dedicating our lives to that.”

Researchers hope the vaccines will shrink tumors and stop cancer from returning.