Researchers in America have discovered that vaccinating mice with embryonic stem cells prevented lung cancer in those animals that had had cancer cells transplanted into them after the vaccination or that had been exposed to cancer-causing chemicals. The findings suggest that it could be possible to develop embryonic stem cell vaccines that prevent cancers in humans, such as hereditary breast and colon cancer and lung cancer caused by smoking or other environmental factors. The results to date are impressive. "...vaccinations were between 80-100% effective in preventing tumor growth in mice that were subsequently challenged with transplanted Lewis lung carcinoma, and it was between 60-90% effective in mice subsequently exposed to carcinogens that cause lung cancer."

The research for this vaccination is still in the early stages of research and therefore, the public should not expect anything soon. It is exciting to think that in the future, those with hereditary, chronological or environmental predispositions to this type of cancer can be cured with a vaccination. Or for those that did develop this disease, they would not have to go through difficult treatments such as chemotherapy or surgery.

However, when this vaccination becomes a reality, people should not be using this as a reason to start or to continue harmful habits that may contribute to lung cancer such as smoking.