Prior immunisation of patients with malignant melanoma with vaccinia or BCG is associated with better survival. An European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer cohort study on 542 patients

The forthcoming inexorable decline of cutaneous melanoma mortality in light-skinned populations

“…[16,44,45] In these studies, the more recent the year of diagnosis, the better the survival. One study has suggested that vaccination against common infectious diseases in early life was associated with greater melanoma survival [46]. One could speculate that increasing vaccination coverage of small children after 1950 could have strengthened the immune surveillance of potentially deadly melanoma initiated by UV exposures during early life.…”

Toward general prophylactic cancer vaccination

“…Koelmel et al report a reduced risk to develop melanoma after vaccinations with BCG and/or vaccinia virus, and among melanoma patients the survival time after resection of the primary tumor was significantly longer in those who were vaccinated. (30) Recently, a similar, though statistically insignificant, protective effect was found for yellow fever vaccine inversely correlating with cancer risk. (31) Yellow fever vaccine leads to febrile reactions in about 10-25% of vaccinations.…”

Metastatic Melanoma – A Review of Current and Future Treatment Options

“…Initial attempts using BCG to treat melanoma showed some promise, but ultimately, enthusiasm for this modality decreased due to poor efficacy and the risk of death due to anaphylactic shock and development of infectious granulomas at sites of injection (65,66). However, interest in BCG is again on the rise given a number of reports identifying an inverse correlation between the incidence of cancer and the frequency of early life vaccinations with BCG or vaccinia in one retrospective analysis (67). In these studies, vaccinated patients experienced a 50% reduction in melanoma mortality risk over a study period of 5 years (67,68).…”

“…However, interest in BCG is again on the rise given a number of reports identifying an inverse correlation between the incidence of cancer and the frequency of early life vaccinations with BCG or vaccinia in one retrospective analysis (67). In these studies, vaccinated patients experienced a 50% reduction in melanoma mortality risk over a study period of 5 years (67,68). An inverse correlation was also noted for a history of BCG or vaccinia vaccination and Breslow's thickness, which is an important prognostic marker (67).…”