FREE ESSAY ON BATTLING CANCER

BATTLING CANCER

Kevin Baird
Anatomy & Physiology
Mrs. Bradfield
January 10, 2000
Battling Cancer
During a shower one-day, you notice a lump that was not otherwise there. The next day you
see a doctor. The lump you have identified is diagnosed as cancer. Now you need to figure
out what to do. There is no absolute cure for cancer, but there are different ways to
treat it. 
Doctors use according methods like radiation, chemotherapy or drugs to treat various
types of cancer. Another way of treating cancer is with alternative forms of medicine by
using acupuncture and natural herbal remedies. These treatments are more often used in
cases that can not be treated very or at all. However, when using the combination of the
two treatment techniques, one can receive the full benefit of all available options. The
medical profession is beginning to acknowledge and accept this idea of allowing
alternative medicines in conjunction with traditional medicines to ease suffering as well
as prolonging the lives of cancer patients. 
In order to make a decision on treatment for cancer, one must understand what cancer is
and the current treatments used. Cancer starts when a cell ceases to function properly,
mutates, and begins to multiply rapidly. A cancer cell has an abnormal chromosome which
sends 'the wrong' message to the other parts of the cell, which causes the cell to grow
rapidly as it multiplies. These multiplied cells can form a lump called a malignant
tumor, attack organs and organelles such as bone and bone marrow, or destroy tissue in
areas like the lungs. All of these cases are referred to as cancer. "Cancer knows no
boundaries and plays no favorites; it can be found among people of all races and ages,
both rich and poor, black and white, male or female." Cancer is a very serious disease
many people live with. On average, about 1.2 million people are diagnosed with cancer
every year. Cancer is not a contagious disease; it can not be passed from person to
person. Like the statistic from above, imagine the fact that cancer kills more than
500,000 Americans every year -approximately one person per minute. Many people each year
are killed by cancer, yet there are more who continue to live with this disease because
of advanced medicine and technology. 
There are many different kinds of treatments to ease the pain and sometimes even kill the
cancer. The most accepted form of treatment is through traditional medicine. This
includes radiation, chemotherapy, surgery and also improving ones lifestyle to prevent
future episodes of cancer. Radiation is a method that uses high energy x-rays, electron
beams or radioactive isotopes to kill cancer cells without exceeding safe doses to normal
tissue. There are two different types of radiation therapy, externally and internally.
When giving externally, the medical profession uses Orthovoltage equipment that treats
external types of cancer like skin cancer. Internally giving radiation involves one of
the following treatments: Internal (Systemic) Radiation Therapy, Interstitial Radiation
Therapy, Intracavitary Radiation and Intruaminal Radiation Therapy. Radiation therapy has
side effects like nausea, vomiting, a burn like a suntan that tans then peels, and an
ulcer may develop as well. Radiation is a common method used in leukemia and tumor
patients. 
Chemotherapy is also method that can cure some types of cancer. This form of therapy is
given in many different ways. It can be taken orally with a capsule, pill or in liquid
form via a syringe into a vein, artery or the muscle. The most commonly known form of
chemotherapy is given intravenously through IV drip devices. Chemotherapy is a very risky
method to heal because the drugs used are so dangerous and if an unprofessional or
unqualified doctor mixed the wrong dosage, it would be fatal. Chemo does have some side
effects as well. When taking chemo treatments, there is the possibility of nausea,
vomiting, hair loss, sore mouth, diarrhea and or depressed blood counts. 
Another form of treatment is surgery to remove the cancer. This involves removing
cancerous or possibly cancerous cells known as tumors. Other times, surgery is the only
option after using chemo or radiation treatments. There is not an inch on the human body
that is not susceptible to cancerous tumor formation. If the area is discovered in time,
surgical removal of the area increases the patient's chance of recovery and decreases the
probability that the cancer will come back. 
After a patient has been treated or cured for any form of cancer, changes in their
lifestyles must take place. These changes may include eating habits, rehabilitation, or
something simple as to quit smoking. Because not all treatments or cancers are alike,
various alterations to living have to be made. A good example is a leukemia patient may
have to wear an air-filtering mask while performing everyday activities to prevent any
possible infection contracted by the substances in the air. In the worst possible
scenario, an acquired infection could lead to a serious illness, and ultimately death.
This is why it is necessary to make positive changes to improve the chances for a
prolonged life.
There is not a person on earth that is free from the possibility of having cancer. The
progressing combination of traditional and alternative methods of treating cancer is
making procedures easier and more efficient. With the combination of procedures like
radiation, chemotherapy, and surgery with alternative measures like acupuncture and
herbal remedies, there are very few cancers that can not be treated. The medical and
technical advancements being made in a positive direction may lead to a cure in the near
future. 
Bibliography
Goldberg, Dan. The Fight Against Cancer. New York: Rawson, 1997.
Curtis, Helena and T. Gerald Delaney. "Cancer." The New Book of Knowledge. 1986 ed.
Noonan, Dr. William. Curing Cancer
http.www.teacherlink.usa.edu/resources/medicine/Cancer.snum