The Cancer Genome: Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is one of the most widely used methods that is used to treat cancer. Chemotherapy drugs target cancer cells and destruct and slow down their spread.
                                 

Advantages:

• Remission of cancer cells.
• Delays the recurrence of cancer. 
• Slows down cancer progression: chemotherapy keeps cancer from spreading, slows its growth, or destroys cancer cells that have spread to other parts of the body. 
• Relieves patients of caner symptoms: chemotherapy shrinks tumours that are causing pain or pressure. 
• Chemotherapy prolongs life span of patients by slowing down the spread of cancer cells and often remission of cancer which allows patients to get back to their normal lives. 

Disadvantages: 

• Chemotherapy has various side effects: hair loss, nausea/vomiting, fatigue, neutropenia (low white blood cells), anemia, loss of appetite, bowel movement problems, mouth sores, etc. 
•  Treatment schedule: depending on the severity of cancer, daily or weakly treatments may be required. 
• Treatment costs: chemotherapy can be very costly especially if the patient requires long term treatment. 
• Chemotherapy does not cure cancer but only puts it in remission.

I don't think chemotherapy is an effective "cure" to cancer however, chemotherapy is the best treatment available so far with the limited range of treatments for cancer. Chemotherapy has serious short term and long term side effects and basically it poisons the body. Also, chemotherapy is considered successful if there is a five year survival period, meaning that there is a high chance chemotherapy would not work. From the discussion in class, there is the possibility that chemotherapy might be actually what kills cancer patients sooner. It is not an easy decision to make regarding whether to go through chemotherapy; all the factors have to be weighed. It depends on the stage and type of cancer. If the cancer is at an early stage or the tumour is easy to remove, then chemotherapy may be a good decision because there is a higher chance that it would be successful. However, if the cancer is severe, and there is not much time left, it may be best to spend the remaining time at home with loved ones instead of suffering through chemotherapy. It also depends on the age of the patient. With young people, chemotherapy is worth the risk and suffering because they have so much more to experience in life and their bodies may be stronger. in old/elderly patients, I think it's best to not go through chemotherapy so that they can enjoy their last years of life. Sometimes, undergoing chemotherapy is not even about yourself, it might be for others such as family and friends whom you want to fight for and survive no matter the pain. It's hard to make a decision, because at the end, chemotherapy gives the patients some hope of survival.