FUKUOKA —

Japan’s first outpatient unit to administer cancer vaccines will be set up at Kurume University Hospital in Kurume, Fukuoka Prefecture, around next April, it said Wednesday. The vaccines will be provided in accordance with the immunogenic properties of each patient, but patients will have to cover the cost at their own expenses as cancer vaccines are not recognized as pharmaceutical agents.

The treatment cost will amount to several hundred thousand yen. Treatment with cancer vaccines causes fewer adverse effects than that with anti-cancer drugs, surgical operations and radiation, according to the hospital officials.

© 2008 Kyodo News. All rights reserved. No reproduction or republication without written permission.

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4 Comments

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  techall at 11:52 AM JST - 4th December

  Cancer vaccines?? Did I miss something??? I thought vaccination built up your natural resistance to viruses. Is cancer caused by a virus??

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  leitmotiv at 01:54 PM JST - 4th December

  Vaccines can do both - that is tune your immune system to fight a specific virus or a specific tumor cell. The basic principle is the same.

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  paolo27th at 10:28 PM JST - 4th December

  So if you have the dough you walk through cancer easy and if you don't you get some good 'ole chemo and you die? Gotta love Japan's health care system.

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  wanderlust at 12:51 AM JST - 5th December

  Cancer can be treated with various modalities, chemotherapy - with drugs, radiotherapy - with radioactive preparations or radiation, surgery - physical removal, and immunotherapy - stimulation of the immune system, using 'vaccines' or other agents. The immune response is based on the principle of 'self and not-self', getting the body to recognise rogue cancer cells, and deal with them

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