Ally Mortensen

04/30/17
CE Biology 101-1015
Mr Checketts 4B

Research Project: Cancer Treatment via Vaccines

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