Cancer prevention or treatment?

could cancer be treated or prevented by inserting an inactive cell of a scecific type of cancer eg lung cancer to prevent the future formation of it? just a theory please correctif wrong

Cancer prevention or treatment?
You are referring to a vaccine of sorts against cancer. Unfortunately, based on our current understanding of cancer this is not possible.





The modus operandi of our immune system is to seperate all cells into "self" and "non-self". So our immune system will recognise bacterial cells as "non-self" and mount an immune response against them.





Cancer cells however are derived from one's own cells- to our immune system they generally look identical to "self", and therefore no immune response is mounted.





Immunisation presents another problem. Given that every cancer originates from our own cells, any vaccine would also have to be derived from one's own cells. Furthermore, the nature of cancer is that a cell starts off normal, and acquires damage. More and more damage over time leaves a cell that just doesn't know its role anymore, and that doesn't know when to stop growing. Although there are several points in a cell's genome that are more likely to be the site of damage, there is no one genetic characteristic for all cancers, therefore not only would every vaccine have to be tailor made, but a vaccine would have to be made for every subtype of cancer- and there are thousands!





There are however, vaccines against the cause of cancer. One such vaccine is the new HPV vaccine for cervical cancer. In this case, it has been found that Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) is responsible for over 98% of cervical cancers. In particular, two subtypes of HPV, 16 and 18, are responsible for approximately 70% of cancers. This virus chronically infects the cells of the cervix and the immune system often is not able to clear the infection, or by the time it does, it is too late.





The virus integrates its own DNA into the cervical cell's DNA, leaving behind stretches of DNA that tell the cell to replicate unchecked. This optimises the conditions for cancer. So the new vaccine teaches the immune system how to combat HPV 16 and 18 infections BEFORE women are ever infected, therefore the viral DNA is not integrated into the host DNA, thereby preventing cervical cancer.





You had a good idea, and at the end of the day it wasn't the answer! But we need people like you to continue learning and asking questions- one day you might just come up with the right answer! Hope that helps!





Aj : )
Reply:If you're talking about a vaccine against cancer, e.g. showing an inactive cancer cell to the person that would create an immunological response in the case of a real cancer, it has been tried. I don't know of it in lung cancer, but it's been tried in melanoma (bad skin cancer). Although there have been results, they are inconclusive. As I know, no "vaccine" against cancer per se is approved right now.





A notable exception is HPV vaccine against uterine cervix cancer, which is well established and efficacious. But it's not a vaccine against the cancer, it is against the virus (HPV) that causes the cancer! You could say the same about hepatitis B vaccine that would prevent hepatitis and then some cases of cirrhosis and cancer of the liver.





In conclusion, the best way to PREVENT cancer is to eat well, not smoke, exercise, and not expose yourself to risk factors (like heavy drinking which can lead to cirrhosis of the liver and cancer).


Don't forget that 75% of cancers are directly linked and caused by modifiable risk factors (the best example being smoking cigarette)