Cancer vaccine: Shots for women to be launched in India

Millions of new cancer cases are reported every year in the world, including India. As a step to address it, the Indian government is set to launch a cancer vaccine for women. There is already an HPV vaccine that provides protection from the human papillomavirus, which is a major cause of cervical cancer. The new vaccine will reportedly target cervical as well as breast, and oral cancers, which are some of the common types of the disease. Experts see it as a landmark strategic choice in the country to fight the disease.

Cancer vaccine for women to launch in India

A cancer vaccine to fight the disease affecting women is expected to get launched within the next five to six months in India, Union Minister of State for Health, Family Welfare and Ayush Prataprao Jadhav reportedly said on February 18, 2025. Girls between the ages of nine and 16 can get the jab that will target breast, oral, and cervical cancers.

The Indian minister reportedly said that the number of cancer patients has shot up in the nation, and the government has initiated steps to address this issue. “Women above 30 will undergo screening at hospitals, and daycare cancer centres will be established for early detection of the disease,” he said, as per media reports.

There were about 14 lakhs of cancer cases in 2023 in India, according to the Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

This comes just two months after the Russian government reportedly announced the creation of a cancer vaccine. The personalised cancer vaccine reportedly uses genetic material taken from the tumour of a patient.

What do experts think about the cancer vaccine for women in India?

“It’s a very good move by the government. Cervical cancer forms a major component of cancer affecting women,” said oncologist Dr Mandeep Singh Malhotra. He believes the vaccine will help in prevention of this type of cancer, and save lakhs of precious lives.

According to oncologist Dr Tushar Jadhav, the introduction of a cancer vaccine targeting breast, oral, and cervical cancers is indeed a “landmark strategic choice in India to combat cancer.” Of the three cancers, cervical cancer has a very good preventive option in the form of an HPV vaccination, which protects from the human papillomavirus, a major cause of cervical cancer. Since 2006, HPV vaccine has been licensed for cervical cancer prevention, according to research published in The Lancet Global Health in 2024. It started as a three-dose regimen, then a two-dose regimen was given to people aged less than 15 years.

“The new cancer vaccine may prevent oral cancer induced by HPV infections as well. However, much attention is required towards a breast cancer vaccine since the research for a single causative agent has not yet come to fruition,” said Dr Jadhav. Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the world, with an estimated number of 2.3 million new cases in 2020, as per research published in Frontiers In Immunology in 2022. Various breast cancer vaccines have been evaluated in clinical trials, but none of them led to significant benefits.

A breakthrough in cancer prevention is just around the corner, feels oncologist Dr Deepak Jha. “The announcement is a major leap for India’s war against cancer, a disease that claims so many lives. The invention of a preventive vaccine for breast and oral cancers is a scientific milestone. Oral cancer, mostly due to the use of tobacco, is among the top cancers in India, and so a preventive vaccine is of special significance,” said Dr Jha.

How does a cancer vaccine work?

“A cancer vaccine operates through triggering the immune system of the body to detect and destroy a certain virus related to the disease or cancer cells,” said Dr Jadhav. While conventional vaccines prevent infectious diseases, cancer vaccines are either preventive or therapeutic.

1. Preventive cancer vaccine

Preventive vaccines, such as the HPV vaccine, can guard against viruses that lead to cervical cancer. “They can train a person’s immune system to identify viral proteins and destroy the infected cells before they become cancerous,” shared Dr Jha.

2. Therapeutic cancer vaccine

This type of cancer vaccine assists the body in combating existing cancer. “They are vaccines with antigens, proteins present on cancer cells, that induce a response by the immune system,” said Dr Jha. When injected, the cancer vaccine makes T-cells, a component of white blood cells, recognises and kills the cancer cells.

What are the treatment options for breast, oral, and cervical cancers?

The treatment method for breast, oral, and cervical cancers varies with cancer stage, site, and overall health of the person affected by them.

1. Surgery

It is a major treatment for all three cancers, particularly in the early stages. “If it is an early-stage disease then surgery is the preferred option,” says Dr Malhotra. Treatment for breast cancer can involve mastectomy or lumpectomy. “Oral cancer treatment may involve tumor removal from the mouth or throat,” said Dr Jadhav. For cervical cancer, initial treatment involves surgery such as hysterectomy in early stages.

2. Therapies

Chemotherapy is usually given to those in the advanced stage. “When the tumour gets big in size, we tell our patients to go for chemotherapy followed by surgery and radiation,” said Dr Malhotra. Chemotherapy employs medications to kill cancer cells, while radiation therapy involves targeting specific regions to reduce the size of the tumour.

There are also treatment options like targeted therapy and immunotherapy. “Targeted therapy uses medications that target specific mechanisms of cancer cells. Immunotherapy, on the other hand, aids the body’s immune system to identify and destroy cancer cells more efficiently,” said Dr Jadhav.

The launch of a cancer vaccine in India may be seen as a milestone when it comes to breast, oral, and cervical cancers. However, vaccination is only a preventive step. Surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation are still needed for the treatment of already existing cancers.