Cellular Immune Response after Vaccination in Patients with Cancer—Review on Past and Present Experiences
Maria Madeleine Rüthrich,
Nicola Giesen,
Sibylle C. Mellinghoff,
Christina T. Rieger,
Marie von Lilienfeld-Toal
Affiliations
Maria Madeleine Rüthrich
Department of Internal Medicine II, Hematology and Medical Oncology, Universitätsklinikum Jena, Am Klinikum 1, 07747 Jena, Germany
Nicola Giesen
Department of Haematology and Oncology, Internal Medicine V, University Hospital Heidelberg, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany
Sibylle C. Mellinghoff
Centre for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Düsseldorf (CIO ABCD), Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Department I of Internal Medicine, University of Cologne, 50923 Cologne, Germany
Patients with cancer are at particular risk for infection but also have diminished vaccine responses, usually quantified by the level of specific antibodies. Nonetheless, vaccines are specifically recommended in this vulnerable patient group. Here, we discuss the cellular part of the vaccine response in patients with cancer. We summarize the experience with vaccines prior to and during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in different subgroups, and we discuss why, especially in patients with cancer, T cells may be the more reliable correlate of protection. Finally, we provide a brief outlook on options to improve the cellular response to vaccines.
