Vaccines for lung cancer represent a revolutionary development in oncology that has the potential to fundamentally change the way we treat this deadly disease. Traditionally, lung cancer has been fought with methods such as surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. These approaches focus primarily on the direct removal or destruction of tumor cells. Vaccines, on the other hand, offer a new, immunological approach by stimulating the body's own immune system to specifically recognize and destroy cancer cells.
There are two main approaches in the development of vaccines against lung cancer: prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines. Prophylactic vaccines aim to prevent cancer before it develops by sensitizing the immune system to potential tumor cells. Therapeutic vaccines, on the other hand, are aimed at patients who have already been diagnosed with lung cancer and are designed to strengthen the immune system in order to fight the existing cancer.
Research in this field is progressing rapidly, supported by advances in genomics, immunology and personalized medicine. Clinical trials have already shown promising results, especially in combination with other immunotherapies, raising hopes that vaccines could play a crucial role in the treatment of lung cancer in the future.