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[QUOTE="MCC, post: 4492574, member: 145"]
One of the Sisyphean tasks of medicine, cancer vaccines are particularly challenging:

1. We need to target specific proteins expressed by tumor cells (these vaccine targets are called antigens): cancer, by nature, is highly fluid - mutating constantly, evolving to adapt to your own body's response to it... which means the antigens are often lost over time.  Vaccines therefore lose effectiveness.

2. The vaccine delivery system is equally important.  It's difficult to deliver the antigen in a way that stimulates the immune system rather than simply evokes immune tolerance.  Frankly this has proven to be a roadblock for many promising antigen targets.  We are advancing viral delivery systems, naked DNA, dendritic cells (from the patient's own immune system)...

3. It wouldn't be prudent to vaccinate a broad population against cancer (incidence is far too low, and not a transmissible / infectious disease), so one would think 'Why not vaccinate against a recurrence once a patient is in remission?'  Very often the recurrence is fairly distinct from the original tumor, and may express different protein markers (antigens) against which a vaccine based on the original tumor would have de minimis efficacy.

While I don't foresee a broadly effective vaccine for any of the major cancer types on the horizon, we are encouraged by clinical trial results in breast, lung, ovarian, prostate... several solid tumor indications.  It may not surprise you to learn that the virally mediated cancers (HPV, etc.) may prove most amenable to vaccines.

And my condolences on the loss of your loved one.
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