Neuroendocrine cancer vaccines in clinical trials

This article focuses on neuroendocrine cancer vaccines that have been evaluated in human clinical trials within the last 5 years. The definition of what constitutes a neuroendocrine tumor requires clarification. Strategies and barriers common to cancer vaccines are highlighted. In general, neuroendocrine cancer is rare; however, special attention will be paid to neuroblastoma and small-cell-lung cancer owing to their relatively higher prevalence. A variety of other neuroendocrine tumor vaccine trials will also be addressed. The common problem of generating only sporadic tumor-specific immune responses that are of low-magnitude will be discussed in detail, with recommendations for future directions.