Download Travis Gunn Human Origins E Portfolio Signature assignment

Travis Gunn
Human Origins
E Portfolio Signature assignment
Chemotherapy, radiation or Natural. Which form of cancer treatment serves us the best?
Cancer is one of the biggest killers in the world today. There is also no known cure for
this terrible disease. Over the past several years doctors have been helping severe cancer
patients with chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Do these techniques truly benefit the
patient? Is there other alternatives besides chemo and radiation treatment? Do these
traditional treatments make a patients life worse?
Over the last few years other treatment options have been coming to light. Many
people are turning from the traditional treatments to try something different. Natural
treatment is becoming more and more popular for a treatment option. This way of treatment is
striking a huge ethical debate in the medical field. Which one works? Which one is better for
us? People on both sides of the fence will tell you there way works better.
Chemotherapy (Chemo) is a use of strong drugs used to fight cancer. Chemo was first
introduced in the 1950’s. It has been used to help many people live full lives. The drugs that the
doctor or nurse gives the patient has been used many times. Reseearch done has been proven
to show that these drugs help with the killing of cancer cells.
There are around one hundred different chemo drugs. Depending on what type of
cancer the patient has will determine what drug the doctor will prescribe. Chemo is used to
help with many things, Keep the cancer from spreading, Slow the cancer’s growth, Kill cancer
cells that have moved to other parts of the body, Relieve symptoms such as pain and blockage
caused by cancer and In some cases cure cancer.
Chemo sounds like a good thing for patients but, there are some seriously negative side
effects. These effects include. Low red blood cell count, low white blood cell count (which
increases the risk of infection), hair loss, bleeding and bruising, dry skin, fatigue, nausea or
vomiting, lung problems and difficulties breathing and fertility and sexuality problems.
Radiation therapy is the other traditional treatment of killing cancer. Radiation therapy
uses high energy radiation to shrink tumors and kill cancer cells. The radiation can be given to
the patient either inside or outside of the body. Systematic radiation uses radioactive iodine
that travels through the blood to kill cancer cells. Almost half of the cancer patients will use
some form of radiation sometime during the course of their treatment.
There are also some really dangerous side effects to radiation therapy as well. There are
two sets of side effects, Acute and Chronic. Acute are effects that happen during treatment
such as. Damage to the salivary glands, hair loss, skin irritation and problems with the urinary
tract. Chronic or long term effects include Fibrosis, which is when the body replaces normal
tissue with scar tissue. Damage to the bowels, causing diarrhea and bleeding. Memory loss,
infertility and even though rarely an actual second form of cancer brought on by the exposure
to radiation. Radiation therapy kills healthy cells as well.
In many cases these traditional treatments seem to have a more negative affect on the
patient than actually helping them. To go through the extreme pain of the treatments for
months and then when the patient is done wind up more sick or in more pain than before,
doesn’t seem right. After years of telling patients people chemo is the only way to try to
eliminate cancer, Johns Hopkins is finally starting to tell you there is an alternative way. Over
the last few years cancer researchers and patients have been trying to find a holistic or natural
treatment that could be less painful and harmful to the body.
When a person has cancer it indicates that the person has multiple nutritional
deficiencies, these could be genetic, environmental, food and lifestyle factors. To overcome the
multiple nutritional deficiencies, changing diet and including supplements will strengthen the
immune system. By strengthening the immune system you reduce the opportunity for cancer
cells to negatively develop. An effective way to fight cancer is to starve the cancer cells by not
feeding them the foods it needs to multiply.
The holistic movement teaches that. Cancer is a disease of the mind, body, and spirit. A
positive spirit and mindset will help the cancer fighter be a survivor. Anger, unforgiveness and
bitterness put the body into in to a stressful and acidic environment. Learn to relax and enjoy
the spiritual side of life.
Cancer is a horrible disease. I have been a first hand witness to my mother going
through two bouts of breast cancer. It was terrible and really depressing watching her go
through all the pain of chemo. The radiation and chemo treatments seem cause so much pain.
Where as the holistic and natural treatments appear to be a lot less painful. The fact is though if
it wasn’t for chemo my mother would no longer be with us. By practicing a healthy diet and
lifestyle we can take the steps to prevent this horrible disease from taking over our lives and
not have to depend on the pain and suffering of chemo and radiation therapy.
Works cited
John Hopkins Hospital Cancer Update, printed in 2008. Researched 2012
American Cancer Society, Questions about chemo. Article printed 2011, researched 2012
National Cancer Institute, Radiation therapy for cancer. Article printed 2006, researched 2012