Argumentative Essay On Chemotherapy

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Chemotherapy was developed in the 20th century but it was not intended for cancer treatment. During World War II, people were exposed to nitrogen mustard and it led to remarkably reduced white blood cell counts. Once this was discovered, researchers investigated whether mustard agents could be used to stop the growth of cancer cells. Chemotherapy is now a treatment which includes medication or a combination of medications to treat cancer. It is used to stop or slow the growth of cancer cells. It is a systematic therapy which means substances travel through the bloodstream in order to reach the cells that were affected. Because it is a systematic therapy, it affects the entire body. The digestive tract, hair follicles, bone marrow, mouth, …show more content…

Since healthy cells are affected, there are side effects that come with chemotherapy. There are many blood cells that are damaged during the process such as white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets. White blood cells help protect the body from infection, cancer patients will get infections much faster than those who aren’t in treatment. Red blood cells carry oxygen throughout the body which makes cancer patients more prone to get anemia. Platelets are structures that help stop the bleeding so patients will get bruising and …show more content…

The costs keeps growing for those who need to undergo certain therapy regimens. Those who have no local access to a mesothelioma specialist have a tougher time due to travel and lodging expenses. Costs can be covered by insurance companies or nonprofit organizations and charities. Surgery can cost thousand of dollars, precise cost is not determined since there is many types of cancer. Chemotherapy varies as well, there’s an estimate as high as thirty thousand dollars over an eight-week period. For an initial treatment, the average cost is seven thousand dollars. Expenses can also differ depending on on the drugs and the stage the cancer is

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