Current perspectives in prostate cancer vaccines.

The use of vaccines as a potential therapeutic modality for the treatment of cancer has been extensively studied. Recent advances include identification and characterization of tumor-associated antigens, novel vaccine delivery systems, and the combination of vaccines with immune stimulants and other therapeutic modalities. Immunotherapy as a modality for treatment of prostate cancer has received significant attention. There are several characteristics of prostate cancer that make it an ideal target for immunotherapy. Prostate cancer's relative indolence allows sufficient time to generate immune responses, which may take weeks or months to mount. In addition, prostate cancer-associated antigens direct the immune response to prostate cancer cells, thus sparing normal vital tissue. This review focuses on promising new vaccines and novel perspectives in the treatment of prostate cancer.