The development of cancer vaccines marks a promising frontier in immuno-oncology, one built on decades of progress in infectious disease immunology. Shared principles from infectious disease vaccination such as antigen presentation, dendritic cell activation, and the generation of durable T-cell memory continue to inform cancer vaccine development. Drawing on core concepts such as immunological memory, antigen presentation, T-cell priming, and adjuvant selection, this literature review explores how successful infectious disease vaccines have inspired both prophylactic (e.g., Gardasil-9) and therapeutic (e.g., Sipuleucel-T) cancer vaccines. However, cancer presents unique challenges: tumours often express self-antigens, evolve rapidly, and create immunosuppressive microenvironments that blunt vaccine efficacy. The recent success of COVID-19 messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccines has catalysed interest in personalised mRNA-based cancer vaccines targeting tumour-specific neoantigens. This highlights the interdisciplinary nature of cancer immunotherapy, merging genomics, bioinformatics, and immunology to tailor interventions to the individual tumour profile. This review examines the intersections between infectious disease immunology and cancer immunotherapy, demonstrating how the understanding of pathogen-specific immunity informs vaccine-based strategies against cancer. By tracing the immunological and translational connections between infectious diseases and immuno-oncology, this literature review situates cancer vaccines within the broader theme of interconnectedness not only between diseases, but also across scientific disciplines.