Scientists in Russia are preparing for clinical trials of two cancer vaccines. The introduction of a drug into the body that triggers the formation of immunity capable of preventing the development of the disease. The vaccine is not a therapeutic, but rather a preventive drug, based on stimulating the immune system to counteract a specific harmful factor (bacteria, virus, parasite, or protein toxin). Cancer is a complex and heterogeneous phenomenon. Behind one term, there are many different processes. In general, they boil down to the fact that the body's own cells lose control and no longer perform their intended function; they begin to spread and affect organs. But these cells are different: in melanoma, we are talking about skin cells, in breast cancer – about breast cells, in prostate cancer – about prostate cells. Not only are these cells of different origins, but the disease process itself can progress in various ways. It can be slow or rapid. “The first development is not a vaccine, but oncolytic viruses. This is essentially a therapeutic drug for treating a person who already has a tumor... The second development is an attempt to create a vaccine based on understanding of cancer antigens,” explains Dmitry Shcherbakov, Ph.D., director of the Institute of Biological Medicine at Altai State University. "I repeat, cancer is a word that hides many different processes. We do not fully understand how they proceed." Of course, more effective drugs and new approaches are being and will continue to be developed. But no one can provide a 100% guarantee. At this point, we cannot talk about a complete victory over cancer.