New directions in immunotherapy for malignant solid tumors]

Despite advances in treatment modalities, malignant solid tumors remain devastating maladies. Conventional treatment with chemotherapy and radiation is still only partially effective and highly toxic. In the era of increasing knowledge of the molecular biology of tumors and the interaction between the tumor and immune system, the development of targeted agents, including cancer vaccines, has emerged as a promising modality. This article will summarize the recent progress in developing cancer vaccines and immunotherapeutic approaches including adoptive cell transfer and will further review currently ongoing phase II/III studies for malignant solid tumors in the world.