COVID-19 vaccines may help some cancer patients fight tumors

The most widely used COVID-19 vaccines could provide a surprise benefit to some cancer patients by boosting their immune systems to help them fight tumors. Research published Wednesday in the journal Nature found that people with advanced lung or skin cancer lived longer if they received a Pfizer or Moderna shot within 100 days of starting a type of immunotherapy. The mRNA in these vaccines appears to enhance the immune system’s response. The research team is now preparing a more rigorous study of this potential link, to see whether mRNA vaccines should be deliberately combined with cancer drugs called checkpoint inhibitors.