Vaccines against infectious diseases may also induce anticancer immune responses. The BCG vaccine is currently the only infectious disease vaccine used in cancer treatment but there is evidence to suggest that other vaccines may also be potential cancer treatments.

In this detailed review, 16 vaccines are assessed as being repurposing candidates based on published data from pre-clinical and clinical studies. The review highlights data for each of these 16 vaccines and suggests that four vaccines in particular - typhoid, influenza, measles and HPV - have high potential in specific cancer types and modes of treatment. In addition, the review outlines the modes of administration and possible combination treatments with these repurposed vaccines.