BACKGROUND: The high incidence and mortality rates of cancer have kept it at the top of the research agenda for the global healthcare industry, as well as put serious economic pressure on families and society. It has gradually been recognised that reducing the incidence of cancer through various interventions and that combining prevention and treatment are the key to alleviating the burden of cancer. METHODS: Retrieve and summarize the literature related to the delivery methods of tumor vaccines, and investigate whether these delivery methods have been applied clinically or have been used in clinical trials. RESULTS: there are a variety of methods for cancer vaccine development, but only a very small number of studies have been able to make strides towards implementing these methods in the clinic, which is closely linked to drawbacks with the means of vaccine delivery. CONCLUSIONS: This review analyses the reasons why it is difficult to apply these methods in the clinic from the point of view of the delivery method rather than the design of the cancer vaccine. It also describes some of the delivery methods that have not yet been applied for cancer vaccines and, considering this in conjunction with those that are currently used for this purpose, predicts their prospects for future application.