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Australian researchers are developing a cancer vaccine that tricks the body into destroying its own cancerous cells.

The vaccine extends hope for the prevention of breast, bowel, prostate and lung cancer by targeting a gene abnormality common to about 50% of cancers.

The immune system does not automatically attack tumours because it recognises them as part of the body.

However, the vaccine "persuades" the immune system that tumours are foreign, sparking an assault.

Associate Professor Robyn Ward, a senior specialist in oncology at Sydney's St Vincent's Hospital came up with the idea 10 years ago and has headed a successful 12-month study into the vaccine.

The concept is based on the discovery that a very small and unusual group of cancer patients - no more than one or two in every 100 - have a natural immune response strong enough to kill their cancer.

The research team replicated this in a test-tube and came up with the vaccine.

Junior biotech, Australian Cancer Technology, was established last year to develop the technology and bring it to market with shareholder assistance.

Ward announced that early trials showed the Pentrix vaccine was safe for use in humans and could stimulate an immune response against cancer.

The next step will involve a larger-scale, overseas-based trial to test the effect the vaccine has on fighting tumours.

About 50% of all cancer patients share a common genetic abnormality in the p53 cancer gene - also known as the tumour suppressor gene.

If p53 is knocked out, cancer can thrive.

AustCancer managing director Dr Alistair Cowden said the vaccine was a "tricking technology" focused directly on p53.

"It's an intellectually elegant way of solving one of the biggest problems in cancer," he said.

"Basically cancer is yourself, and persuading, or teaching, the immune system to attack yourself, is a very difficult thing to do.

"Most vaccine approaches to cancer involve taking cancer cells and manipulating them in some way... this is a much more sophisticated approach where we're trying to trick the immune system."

The vaccine is not designed as a treatment for established cancers but if successful, it will prevent cancer from recurring in people who have been successfully treated.

A number of groups around the world are working on cancer vaccines, many of them targeting a specific cancer.

copy AAP