Could a vaccine prevent pancreatic cancer?
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CANCER DIGEST – July 19, 2026 – That’s the question asked by researchers led by Neeha Zaidi, MD, at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University.
Approximately 10 percent of pancreatic cancers are associated with genetic predisposition caused by mutations in specific cancer susceptibility genes that are passed down from parents to children. The cancer evolves over time from precursor lesions such as precancerous cysts.
“Individuals at high risk due to hereditary predisposition or to the presence of a concerning pancreatic lesion detected on imaging usually undergo surveillance to monitor for changes over time,” said Zaidi in a press release. “If there is a high enough concern for transformation to cancer or if early cancer is detected, the current standard of care is surgical resection. However, the chances of recurrence are up to 80 percent, and many precursor lesions to pancreatic cancer are microscopic and thus undetectable by imaging.”
Reasoning that mutations in a specific gene, called KRAS, are responsible for 90 percent of pancreatic ductal carcinoma (PDAC), the researchers designed a early phase clinical trial to test whether a vaccine, already available, that targets six of the most common KRAS mutations might prevent the development of the cancer in high risk individuals. The study results were published in the journal Cancer Discovery, a publication of the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR).
The trial involved 20 individuals at high risk of developing pancreatic ductal carcinoma (PDAC) with KRAS mutations who were given the vaccine via subcutaneous injections, with priming doses on weeks one, three and five, with a boost dose on week 13. Blood samples were taken at different times and optional annual follow-up visits were offered for long-term monitoring.
While the primary aim of the study was to demonstrate the vaccine injections were safe, the results showed the vaccine stimulated KRAS-targeting T cells in 90 percent of the participants. More importantly, the responses remained detectable in the blood for up to two years after vaccination. After a median follow-up of 16.5 months, none of the vaccinated participants developed pancreatic cancer.
In addition, the researchers evaluated changes in cyst size as an exploratory clinical endpoint and found a higher rate of cyst reduction or resolution among the vaccinated individuals (37.5 percent) relative to an unvaccinated group with similar characteristics (6.8 percent).
“This long-lasting response is particularly noteworthy when assessing for possible interception of cancer, which requires long-lasting immunity,” said Zaidi. “In addition, the vaccine was safe and well tolerated, supporting its use in larger cancer interception studies.”
The study authors concluded that the study provides proof of concept that vaccines might be used to intercept and prevent pancreatic cancer in high-risk people, and underscores the need for further studies in this cancer-prevention strategy.
Sources: AACR press release and the journal Cancer Discovery
