Nanotechnology Is The Science Of Regulating Matter On The Scale Of Molecules

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589,430 people from the United States are estimated to die from cancer in 2015 (ACI, 2015). Seeing a loved one die from cancer heartbreaking. Seeing a loved one suffer from the side effects of cancer treatment is just as hard. The battle to treat cancer has been stressful and harsh to patients. The most popular way to treat cancer today is through chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is a way of treating cancer using chemical substances, specifically anti-cancer drugs. A new and emerging way to treat cancer is nanotechnology. Nanotechnology is the science of regulating matter on the scale of molecules (NCI, 2012, Para 1). Nanotechnology gives the power to selectively treat cancer cells unlike chemotherapy.
Nanotechnology is a more successful way to treat cancer than chemotherapy because it offers the power to selectively treat cancerous cells without harming normal cells and giving fewer side effects to patients. Nanotechnology is more powerful in selecting cancerous cells and killing them, whereas chemotherapy is not as skillful and presents several side effects. Chemotherapy creates several dangerous side effects including toxicity to vital organs as the result of killing normal cells. (Gunjal, Schneider, Abdelbaset, Kakar, Kucia and Ratajczak, 2015, pg. 1). Having the ability to treat only cancerous cells in nanotechnology is a safer alternative and causes a lot less pain to patients.
During cancer treatment, nanotechnology does not kill normal cells while chemotherapy destroys countless of healthy cells. Nanotechnology is able to distinguish cancerous cells from normal cells in Magnetic Resonance Imaging by using particles like iron oxide based nanoparticles, gadolinium based nanoparticles and gold nanoparticles (Mody, Pharm, 2011 pg...

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...involved in chemotherapy include toxicity to vital organs as the result of killing normal cells(Gunjal, Schneider, Abdelbaset, Kakar, Kucia and Ratajczak, 2015, pg. 1 ). The special skill provided with nanotechnology allows treatment to be safe.
Nanotechnology is still emerging today and will continue to grow with time and research. Nanotechnology has proven to be the best method for treating pathologies like cancer. Even though nanotechnology still requires some research to overcome a few barriers, nanotechnology has made dreams turn into realities. Knowing that a safer cancer treatment is being studied and researched and has a huge possibility to replace chemotherapy should give friends and families hope if they ever hear that a loved one is diagnosed with cancer. Winning a battle with cancer won’t be such a painful struggle in the future thanks to nanotechnology.

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