Context

• Russia has developed an mRNA-based vaccine designed to treat cancer patients, which will be distributed to cancer patients for free.

What is Cancer?

• Cancer is a disease in which some of the body’s cells grow uncontrollably and spread to other parts of the body.
• It is a genetic disease that is caused by changes to genes that control the way our cells function, especially how they grow and divide.
• The study of cancer is called “oncology”
• Carcinogens are substances that can cause cancer.
• Common Carcinogens: Beverages containing alcohol, Tobacco, Ultraviolet rays, Radon, Asbestos, Formaldehyde , Processed meat.

Metastatic Cancer

• A cancer that has spread from the place where it first formed to another place in the body is called metastatic cancer.
• The process by which cancer cells spread to other parts of the body is called metastasis.

Types of Genes that Cause Cancer

• Proto-oncogenes
• Tumor suppressor genes
• DNA repair genes

Major Types of Cancer

• Carcinoma: Most common type of cancer, formed by epithelial cells, which are the cells that cover the inside and outside surfaces of the body.
• Sarcoma: Cancers that form in bone and soft tissues, including muscle, fat, blood vessels, lymph vessels, and fibrous tissue (such as tendons and ligaments).
• Leukemia: Cancers that begin in the blood-forming tissue of the bone marrow are called leukemias.
• Lymphoma: Lymphoma is cancer that begins in lymphocytes (T cells or B cells). These are disease-fighting white blood cells that are part of the immune system.

Cancer Treatments

• It includes surgery, radiotherapy and drug treatments (such as chemotherapy, hormone therapy or targeted cancer drugs).

Type of Vaccines

• Inactivated Vaccines
• Inactivated vaccines use the killed version of the germ that causes a disease.
• Used to protect against: Hepatitis A, Flu (shot only), Polio (shot only), Rabies

Live-attenuated Vaccines

• Live vaccines use a weakened (or attenuated) form of the germ that causes a disease.
• Used to protect against: Measles, mumps, rubella (MMR combined vaccine), Rotavirus, Smallpox, Chickenpox, Yellow fever

Messenger RNA (mRNA) Vaccines

• mRNA vaccines make proteins in order to trigger an immune response.
• Used to protect against: COVID-19

DNA Vaccines

• DNA vaccines use engineered DNA to induce an immunologic response in the host against bacteria, parasites, viruses, and potentially cancer.

Subunit, Recombinant, Polysaccharide, and Conjugate Vaccines

• Subunit, recombinant, polysaccharide, and conjugate vaccines use specific pieces of the germ—like its protein, sugar, or capsid (a casing around the germ).
• Used to protect against: Hib (Haemophilus influenzae type b) disease, Hepatitis B, HPV (Human papillomavirus), Whooping cough (part of the DTaP combined vaccine), Pneumococcal disease, Meningococcal disease Shingles

Viral Vector Vaccines

• Viral vector vaccines use a modified version of a different virus as a vector to deliver protection.
• Scientists used this technology to make COVID-19 vaccines as well.

Additional info:

• World Cancer Day: 4th February
• National Cancer Awareness Day: 7th November
• Union Interim Budget 2024-25 encouraged the vaccination of girls aged 9-14 years to prevent cervical cancer.