'New cancer vaccines to prevent recurrence, not onset in healthy people'

The new cancer vaccines are not intended to prevent the onset of cancer in healthy individuals but to stop its recurrence in those already treated, a medical expert said.

These are therapeutic cancer vaccines designed to prevent recurrence of the disease in people who already had cancer, not for its prevention in healthy people, said Dr Rajeev Jayadevan, convener of the Research Cell, Kerala State IMA, and chairman of the scientific committee, IMA Cochin.

He was speaking at the inaugural session of the second annual conference of the Gastrointestinal Oncology Society (GIOS) here on Saturday.

Highlighting the evolution of cancer treatment, including the development of therapeutic cancer vaccines, Jayadevan, in a statement, clarified their purpose.

These are a form of immunotherapy, specifically individualised neoantigen therapy, which trains the body's own immune system to recognise and eliminate cancer cells, he said.

He also spoke of the modern challenge of information overload and underthinking.

The three-day conference focuses on Colorectal Cancers (CRC), a disease with a rising global incidence, organisers said.

Stressing the importance of personalised medicine, Dr Arun R Warrier, organising secretary of the event, said, Cancer treatment is rapidly changing, and what we have to do for patients is make it personalised for each individual.

The event has drawn more than 200 oncologists, gastroenterologists and other medical professionals to discuss the latest developments in prevention, screening and treatment.

The programme includes workshops on surgical, radiation and genomic aspects of CRC, and a special session on non-operative management featuring leading national and international faculty, they added.