COVID-19 vaccine may help cancer patients live longer
A new 2025 study found that lung cancer patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer who got an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine within 100 days of starting immunotherapy lived almost twice as long—median survival jumped from about 20.6 to 37.3 months.
Metastatic melanoma patients also saw their survival rise after getting the vaccine.
mRNA vaccines seem to supercharge the immune system
Researchers looked at over 880 lung cancer patients and found that only mRNA vaccines—not other types—helped boost survival when combined with immunotherapy.
The vaccines seem to supercharge the immune system, helping it target cancer more effectively.
Since mRNA vaccines are already widely available and safe, this could open doors for better cancer treatment—though more trials are needed before it becomes the norm.