Cancer + VACCINES

Cancer V A C C I N E S

The Changing Landscape

Let’s talk V A C C I N E S⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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... specifically, cancer vaccines. We all have vaccines on the brain because of SarsCov2, the virus that causes COVID19 infection. There is a lot of information out there about the new vaccines and those still in the word. Theres also a lot of fear out there due to misinformation. So, I do urge you to seek out validated data, and not just here say. If you’re on instagram, and interested in learning more about the two EUA mRNA vaccines currently approved in the United States, please check out the posts and story highlights by these doctors: @austinchiangmd @docjp3@daniellebelardomd@mochainmedicine @alokpatelmd@jessicashepherdmd ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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We all know that vaccines have changed the infectious disease world, but we are seeing the promise of them in the cancer world as well. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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In the cancer world, vaccines have been a very promising endeavor and many groups have been doing research in hopes of finding a vaccine that will specifically target abnormal cells by waking your body to their presence. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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There are currently two FDA approved vaccines that prevent cancer:⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
- HPV vaccine (to prevent cervical cancer) Click here for more information. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
- Hepatitis B vaccine (to prevent liver cancer) Click here for more information.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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There are two FDA approved vaccines used to treat active cancer. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
- Sipuleucel-T (for treatment of metastatic prostate cancer)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
- Bacillus Calmette-Guérin aka BCG vaccine (for the treatment of early stage bladder cancer)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Aside from the above, there are many active clinical trials right now using vaccine to target and fight against malignant cells. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Recently, I was very excited to be a part of the care of a patient on a vaccine trial to treat metastatic squamous cell cancer of the head and neck. My cancer center is currently part of a Phase 1 Moderna mRNA vaccine trial (trial NCT03897881 mRNA-4157 + pembrolizumab) for patients with metastatic common epithelial cancers, which is looking very promising... as in some stage IV patients who now have no evidence of cancer at all! I can’t wait for the results to be published.

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Many researchers have made the study of vaccines their life’s work and I am thankful for their dedication. To the researchers and truth tellers out there: keep going, keep pushing the limits, keep showing us what is possible.

#LTIL