Vaccines for lung cancer

Abstract

Immunotherapy is based on the knowledge that the immune system can distinguish cancerous cells from normal cells. Conceptually, this is an attractive adjuvant approach because it is highly specific and can deal with disseminated disease with minimal impact on normal tissues. In this review, we focus on strategies that use host immune machinery to generate anti-tumor effects, known as active immunotherapy. Proof of principle in lung cancer is now well established in clinical trials, although no superior approach has been defined and therapeutic efficacy remains unknown. In this review, we discuss rationale, biological theory, application, and clinical implementation to date.