Can vaccines prevent cancer?
There are some viruses, which are established causes of, or have strong associations with some cancers. Those that have vaccines to prevent the viral infection and the associated chronic organ damage will cut down on the incidence of those cancers.
E.g. Chronic Hepatitis B virus infection can lead to Primary Liver cancer, or hepatocellular carcinoma. There are very limited treatments for this and prevention of Hepatitis B infection goes a long way in Cancer prevention.
The Human Papilloma Virus or HPV is an established cause of cervical cancer. It is a ubiquitous virus and is easily transmitted with minor sexual contact. Once it enters the tissue and infects the DNA, there is no elimination, and prevention of primary infection would cut down on the incidence of cervical cancer.
It is recommended for vaccination in girls, and the ideal time to administer it, is before they become sexually active. Unfortunately that age is earlier than parents will want to admit, but that is the reality. When I took my young sons to the pediatrician for their routine appointments, and I asked if they could be vaccinated as well, I would be prepared to pay for it if insurance wouldn’t cover it.
She was thoroughly surprised and pleased. Most parents don’t want to face the issue, let alone for boys, who won’t get cervical cancer. My reasons are not entirely altruistic: vaccinating boys would cut down on their infectivity to girls, and decrease the girls’ risk of cervical cancer. But, HPV is being implicated in other cancers that affect more men than women. E.g. “throat cancers” and anal cancers.
“Throat” or head and neck cancers were classically associated with smoking and drinking. In the last ten years a new population of mostly men have been diagnosed with this disease, those who have never smoked or drank alcohol. HPV has been implicated. The treatment for head and neck cancers is truly one of the most difficult to get through: a combination of radiation and chemotherapy, which is very debilitating, and has long-term consequences. Or, surgery, which is radical and requires skilful reconstruction.
Why would I not want to prevent this for my sons?
There are other viruses that are associated with some Lymphomas or Oral cancers, e.g. EBV. But there are no vaccines yet. As and when they are developed, they will be a boon to Cancer prevention.