Cancer is a disease in which eukaryotic cells begin to divide uncontrollably, resulting in a
large mass of mutated cells in a specific location or locations of the body. While some forms of cancer can be benign and never negatively affect its host, more often than not cancer is malignant and can cause many problems involving the different organs of the body, and can result in death. When cancer cells form, massive tissue also develops, which is known as a tumor, and can deprive a normal cell of necessary nutrients it needs to function and keep the body healthy. As cancer cells begin to develop, the surrounding cells are affected when cancer cells begin to move into different parts of the body, or different organs. This invasion of different body parts can cause a great deal of damage to the victim, which can thus lead to death. However, with cancers resiliency, it is able to both ignore and overtake the cells natural checkpoints for mutations, and even bypass the cells natural programmed cell death when problems occur. Although numerous treatments are available for cancer today, we are still unable to fully and completely eradicate cancer as a whole, without also causing some serious side effects. However, vaccinations have been treating and preventing billions of people from contracting both diseases and illnesses. This method has been used for years, and has even become a necessity to allow children into schools and daycares. Still, we have only recently began to use vaccines to treat several types of cancer, this process being known as immunotherapy. The process of immunotherapy uses your own bodys immune system in order help fight off disease, and is strengthened by introducing the bodys immune system to a dead group of cells of a specific germ or disease, such as the flu or whooping cough. Scientists have begun this treatment with hopes that it would help the body recognize and fight off cancer cells of many forms and types, but have found that it only works with some types of cancer, and sometimes not at all with other types. One of the most popular vaccines used to prevent cancer, mostly among young teens, is the Human Papillomavirus, and has been one of the vaccines that have become mostly effective as an immunotherapy preventative. The Human Papillomavirus, or HPV, is an extremely common virus that most people will get within their lifetime, although some never develop symptoms. This virus is a sexually transmitted disease, and can lead to different forms of cancer if left untreated, such as cervix or vaginal cancer. Scientists have developed a vaccine specifically for this virus, usually given to young teens or preteens as old as 11-12 years old, and so far has given positive feedback. The vaccine however, does not protect against all forms of cancer caused by HPV, which leaves some blank spaces as far as how to vaccinate for all forms of cancer. The HPV vaccine is a big step in immunotherapy, but still shows that vaccines have a long way to go in order to become a major working for of treatment for cancer patients, or pre-treatment for those wishing to avoid the painful and life-threatening disease. However, this vaccine shows a positive side for researchers, as there are a few forms of cancer that become an exception to treatment via vaccine, the HPV vaccine being the prominent evidence. Along with the HPV vaccine, another popular vaccination treatment is Sipuleucel-T, which is given to patients in order to help treat the more advanced stages of prostate cancer. This vaccination has a dosage that is made special for each individual patient, and, similar to the HPV vaccination, allows the immune system to become stronger in order to fight the mutated cancer cells. Although this vaccination is different in that it is used after the patient is diagnosed with prostate cancer, the treatment is given in 3 different shots, and usually takes about 6 weeks to finish treatment. However, the treatment is only to boost the immune system of the patient, using the patient's own immune cells mixed with the Sipuleucel-T drug. Oppositely from the HPV vaccine, Sipuleucel-T can only be used if the patient fits under certain requirements, such as having little to no pain, and still being able to do day-to-day tasks, without receiving chemotherapy within three weeks of the treatment (CancerCenter). While some vaccines are taken to prevent cancer, such as HPV, and others are used to treat cancers, such as Sipuleucel-T, the idea is furthering the process of both research and treatment for cancer patients all around the world. Still, it is possible that the treatments, whether being the treatment itself or a preventative, may not always work on some people, and cannot be used for treatment in certain scenarios. This leads to the idea of vaccines becoming a main treatment for all forms of cancer. Although modern science isnt quite able to produce effective vaccinations for all cancer types, it may be a step in the right direction to begin investing more time and research into the treatment, as the Human Papillomavirus vaccine has become so popular and very effective. Recent studies show that The recognition of nonmutated self antigens on tumor cells indicates that the immune system has the adequate T-cell repertoire to generate antitumor responses(Butterfield), which demonstrates that without immunotherapy, the bodys natural immune system responses are not only unable, but unequipped to respond to the bodys creation of mutated cancer cells. This is further proof that immunotherapy may be an extremely necessary and even vital process to treating or eliminating many forms of cancer. As of recently, there are many benefits to the idea of producing vaccinations to treat cancer, or immunotherapy, such as the risk of the cancer returning lowers, it produces much fewer side effects than other treatments, it can aid in other treatments, and it may have a better response from the cancer than other treatments. However, immunotherapy can also have some negatives, as it may damage other organs and systems within the body, your body can adapt or not respond at all, and it isnt the quickest form of treatment. Still, the treatment form shows promise. With that being said, it may be beneficial to look into producing more vaccinations for more forms of cancer, rather than just the handful we have today. As evidence from the HPV vaccine proves, it is possible to treat or prevent the mass production of mutated cells within our bodies with a simple shot, pill, or ointment. Even just beginning to push further research for the project could potentially reveal some answers or characteristics of the disease that we as a race dont understand. By putting more effort into immunotherapy and its effects, we may be able to treat people both more safely and more effectively, without spending our life savings. Both cancer and vaccines have been all too familiar among human beings for hundreds of years, and although some are opposed to the idea of vaccines, there are no doubt that they work, not only to treat the flu or the measles, but to treat and prevent cancer as well. Although immunotherapy is a working cancer treatment today, treatment in the form of a vaccine, it is only available for a small number of cancer forms. Perhaps it is time that both modern medicine and modern science invest further research into this option of treatment as a main option. With upstanding evidence produced by the Human Papillomavirus vaccine, it is obvious that immunotherapy is a treatment/preventative that should be further examined and expanded to more than just a few available treatments. Reference List
Cancer Prevention Research
http://cancerpreventionresearch.aacrjournals.org/content/5/1/24.article -info Preventing Cancer Through Vaccination https://am.asco.org/missed-opportunities-preventing-cancer-through-v accinati on Cellular Immunotherapy Developments http://ascopubs.org/doi/full/10.1200/JCO.2003.06.041 Cancer Immunity http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1074761313002884 Cancer Vaccines https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/vaccines-fact -sheet Embryonic Stem Cell Cancer Vaccination http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0042 289 General Cancer Information https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer General Vaccine Information https://www.vaccines.gov/basics/ Fig 1 - Cancer cell development http://services.epnet.com/GetImage.aspx/getImage.aspx?ImageIID=31 71 Prostate Cancer Vaccination (Provenge) http://www.cancercenter.com/prostate-cancer/immunotherapy/ Fig 2- HPV vaccinations within united states https://media.vocativ.com/photos/2015/02/7604-05-figure-3.png
Conquer Cancer and Launch the Total Attack to Cancer: Cancer Prevention and Cancer Control and Cancer Treatment at the Same Attention and at the Same Time and at the Same Level