Can cancer treatment vaccines be combined with other types of cancer therapy?
Yes. In many of the clinical trials of cancer treatment vaccines that are now under way, vaccines are being administered with other forms of cancer therapy. Therapies that have been combined with cancer treatment vaccines include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and some forms of targeted therapy, including therapies based on boosting immune system responses against cancer with biological response modifiers. Several studies have suggested that cancer treatment vaccines may be most effective when given in combination with other forms of cancer therapy (24, 31). In addition, in some clinical trials, cancer treatment vaccines have appeared to increase the effectiveness of other cancer therapies (24, 31). Additional evidence suggests that surgical removal of large tumor masses may enhance the effectiveness of cancer treatment vaccines (31). In patients with extensive disease, the immune system may be overwhelmed by the cancer and effective immune responses cannot be achieved. Surg
