Which cancers can be prevented with vaccines?

Doctor's Answers 2

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Dr Wenus Ho

Aesthetic, General Practitioner

There are no cancers totally preventable by vaccinations.

Cancers are due to cell mutations and subsequent proliferation of these mutated cells. There can be multiple triggers for such cell mutations, including certain viruses.

Hence, to be more accurate, I would explain that some vaccines CAN reduce the risk of cancers but not totally prevent it.

A good example is the Cervical Cancer Vaccine or HPV (Human Papillomavirus Vaccine). It reduces the risk of contracting cancer-causing strains of HPV which is a direct causative factor for cervical cancer, ie HPV causes cell mutations in the cervix, leading to cancer. However, there are many HPV
strains and the current vaccines only protect up to 9 strains of the virus which make up the majority of cancer-causing strains. However, it does not totally eliminate the risks of contracting the other rarer strains of HPV which cause cancer as well.

Another example I always recommend is the Hepatitis B vaccine which prevents someone from contracting the Hepatitis B virus. Being a Hepatitis B carrier is a major risk factor for Liver Cancer. Hence, if one is protected against this virus, it greatly reduces the chance of becoming a carrier of the virus. However, other than Hepatitis B, there are other risk factors for Liver Cancer as well. As such, the vaccine can only reduce the risk but not totally prevent Liver Cancer.

Photo of Dr Wenus Ho
Dr Wenus Ho

Aesthetic, General Practitioner

There are no cancers totally preventable by vaccinations. I would explain that some vaccines can reduce the risk of cancers but not totally prevent it.

A good example is the Cervical Cancer Vaccine or HPV (Human Papillomavirus Vaccine). It reduces the risk of contracting strains of HPV which is a direct causatory factor for cervical cancer but it does not totally eliminate the risk of contracting these cancer causing strains of viruses.

Another example is the Hepatitis B vaccine which prevents someone from contracting the Hepatitis B virus which is a major risk factor for Liver Cancer. However, there exists other risk factors for Liver Cancer as well.

Similar Questions

Can I safely have the chickenpox vaccine if I am unsure if I had chickenpox before?

Thank you Jxnxlxx for your question. It's a common question that is posed to us. A vaccine is essentially a "weakened" form of the virus, it is trying to make your own body immune system react to it. So even if you are already infected before and immune, taking another vaccine would do no harm. (Your body "remembers" these past infections and makes you "immune) Testing is usually expensive and takes about a week, and even if the test is negative, you could still be immune, because your body stores the "memory" somewhere.

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Answered By

Dr Paul Ang

General Practitioner

What vaccines do I need for traveling in Europe, Italy and France?

As far as I’m aware, no vaccinations are needed for Italy and France. Speaking as someone who has stayed in Europe for a large part of my life, and travel there frequently for work/play. Neither country’s tourism board also recommends any necessary vaccinations. Have a great trip!

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