Vaccines might become another way to fight cancer

Most people think of the flu when the word “vaccine” comes up in conversation, but several vaccines also exist to help prevent cancers. Not only that numerous researchers are also working to harness the power of the body’s immune system to develop vaccines to help treat cancer. “Essentially, cancer treatment vaccines are the ultimate in personalized medicine,” said Dr. Linda Liau, director of the brain tumor program at the University of California, Los Angeles. Liau is currently researching a brain cancer treatment vaccine. Dr. Jeffrey Hardacre, who’s researching a pancreatic cancer vaccine, agreed. “This is an area that remains in its infancy, and I think we only have brighter things to look forward to,” he said. “Using the body’s immune system is a potent way to fight cancers.” Hardacre is an associate professor of surgery and head of the pancreatic surgery section at the University Hospitals’ Seidman Cancer Center at Case Western Reserve University...