How is cancer researched and treated? What are the possibilities for prevention? World Cancer Day takes place every year on 4 February and draws attention to these questions. Surgical tumour removal, radiation, and chemotherapy – these are well-known therapeutic methods that are constantly being improved. However, there are also innovative therapeutic approaches against cancer in the field of biomedicines. For example, many cancers can be treated with monoclonal antibodies, or treatments can use advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs). There are also vaccines that protect against the development of cancer, such as vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV), which protects against infection with high-risk HPV types that can later cause diseases such as cervical cancer. Vaccination against the hepatitis B virus protects against liver cancer caused by hepatitis B. The Paul-Ehrlich-Institut supports the development of new vaccines and biomedicines. Part of the Institute's responsibilities include testing their quality, safety, and effectiveness.
Updated: 02.02.2024
