Breast cancer vaccines: current research and future prospects

Although the immune system can clearly recognize cancer cells, there is little evidence that it does so to any effective consequence in patients with advanced breast cancer. The possibility of effective control of micrometastatic disease remains but is unproven. The challenge for the clinician is to find ways to enhance the ability of a patient's own immune system to recognize and effectively target malignant cells. It is clear that there is no shortage of target antigens for immune cell recognition of breast cancer but it is less certain whether the route to an effective therapeutic strategy lies with enhanced recognition of an individual target or a more general route to enhanced immune cell activation.