Stahl Page 1

Aaron Stahl

Professor Reynolds

English Composition II 1201 519

October 25, 2020

Chemotherapy is Still the Most Effective Cancer Treatment Available

Everyone has been touched by cancer at one point or another in their lives. I personally

had one of my best friends diagnosed

with lymphoma, my girlfriend’s dad

had esophageal cancer, and my great

aunt passed from leukemia. To the

right, there is a graph showing just

how many people are diagnosed with

cancer in America, alone. So, it isn’t

been affected by it. When hearing

about how they were treated, usually the term “chemotherapy” comes up. You might think

“What is that? What does it do? It helps to kill cancer, but why is it so effective? If cancer has

plagued mankind for generations, how has a safer alternative not been found?” Throughout

this essay, the answer might become quite apparent. Chemotherapy is the most effective form

of killing cancer. Let’s see what makes it work as well as it does.

When looking at chemotherapy, it needs to be made clear what chemotherapy is.

“Chemotherapy is a drug treatment that uses powerful chemicals to kill fast-growing cells in

your body.” (MayoClinic Chemotherapy) While this is a correct definition of what it really is, it

doesn’t really tell much. Chemotherapy is a term that describes a kind of medicine, not a

specific medicine, think of ibuprofen and Advil. One is the general term akin to chemotherapy,

the other is the brand of a specific kind of that medicine. The objective of this treatment is to

completely kill cancer cells that surgery, or radiation cannot get rid of. Now while it is used to

kill cancer cells, it also has a couple uses outside of that, but will not be beneficial to talk about

here. When receiving chemotherapy, usually a device is implanted near the region being

treated, called a port. This will help the chemotherapy reach the affected area, in a safer way

than injecting it directly into the patient. It is also an option to take this in a pill form, commonly

referred to as “oral chemotherapy”. After the application, there are some serious side effects

that will become a talking point later on. With all this information, it’s time to look at the main

reason chemotherapy is still used.

Chemotherapy is effective, being one of the only treatments that doesn’t inhibit the

cancer cells, but outright kills them. While some other treatments such as surgery, radiation are

effective but can’t really get the job done. Surgery is a treatment that is used toward the

beginning of cancer (stages 1 & 2) and only if the cells are easily accessible. So, this might be

the safest form of treatment, but is also very specific and cannot be used broadly. Radiation on

the other hand can be used at any time, but is far less effective at killing the cancer cells. “At

high doses, radiation therapy kills cancer cells or slows their growth by damaging their DNA.

Cancer cells whose DNA is damaged beyond repair stop dividing or die. When the damaged
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cells die, they are broken down and removed by the body.” (Radiation Therapy to Treat

Cancer). It slowly breaks down the cancer cells, eventually causing them to breakdown and

eventually die. This leaves Radiation as a slower and less effective method. This is why it is

common to hear that chemotherapy and radiation are used in tandem. The chemotherapy to

kill the cells and naturalize the threat, and the radiation to breakdown those dead cells.

Now looking at what makes chemotherapy so effective at killing cancer cells, it is made

apparent that it is good at killing cells in general. This is obviously bad, seeing that we don’t

need to kill the healthy cells, just the ones causing harm. “However, the drugs used for

chemotherapy are powerful, and they can still cause damage to healthy cells.” (Understanding

Chemotherapy). Now seeing what some of the alternatives are, this seems like it might be a

necessary evil. While this does sound like a very bad side effect, doctors have been able to

circumvent this a bit with the port that is installed in the patient. This will move the

chemotherapy to the afflicted part of the body directly, and not need to travel through the skin

or veins causing more harm. Chemotherapy is quite strong so without this port, it would be

more common to hear about chemotherapy “burning” patients, such as their skin where it was

injected, assuming there was no port. It has been made evident that chemotherapy is very

effective, but it must have some drawbacks, and it certainly does.

According to Cancer.org, the list of side effect are as follows, “Fatigue, Hair Loss, Easy

Bruising and bleeding, Infection, Anemia (low red blood cell counts), Nausea and vomiting…”

the list goes on and on. It is made quite evident that this is in fact a very deadly treatment.

There is no way to get around all these side effects. Unsurprisingly this is one of the biggest

knocks against chemotherapy, all of the problems associated with it. Not only are there
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immediate side effects, but also side effects that could last the rest of the patient’s life, such as

“Heart problems, Hypertension/high blood pressure, Lung problems, Endocrine system

problems and Infertility” This is not a full list, there are about 10 more permanent side effects,

but these all can be caused from chemotherapy. These lasting side effects however are

dependent on the area treated or what specific drug is used. For example, the patient wouldn’t

become infertile if they were being treated for esophageal cancer.

The second reason that chemotherapy is used instead of safer treatments, is that

chemotherapy is not a single drug, it is the general name of the medicine. “There are more than

100 different chemotherapy drugs. Below are the seven main types of chemotherapy…

Alkylating Agents, Antimetabolites, Anti-Tumor Antibiotics, Topoisomerase Inhibitors, Mitotic

Inhibitors” (Types of Chemotherapy) These all have different uses for different kinds of cancer.

Take Alkylating Agents for example, this is best used for “Leukemia, Lymphoma, Cancers of the

lung, breasts, and ovary” just to name a few. This explains why it is so common to hear that

chemotherapy is used so often. Some of these specific drugs also give specific side effects as

well. This should clear up any misconceptions as to what it means to take chemotherapy.

Having so many options for what kind of medicine that the patient will be taking is very

serious. Usually when first diagnosed, doctors will gather and decide what is the best treatment

is for that patient. This might begin with surgery, and if that doesn’t cure the patient, it might

be time to move onto chemotherapy. The doctors than need to decide what kind of

chemotherapy to use, this will all depend on what kind of cancer, how far along it is, and the

severity of it as well. This process could take a couple of days, or maybe a week. Depending on
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the kind of chemotherapy they give the patient, they also might get other drugs such a steroid

pill for energy, and a liquid steroid that would suppress the nausea. (Ryan Lederle)

A drawback to this breadth of chemotherapy drugs would be the cause of confusion,

more side effects, and expenses. With so many different kinds of drugs, there are bound to be

mistakes. There would be confusion all the different versions of chemotherapy, but it also is

something that can’t be helped. Having more side effects is not surprising in the slightest, as all

chemotherapy treatment will give the patient issues. However, some of these treatments are

used for the same kind of cancer but have different side effects, some much worse than others.

Take Alkylating Agents, it is used to cure Lymphoma, but “May damage bone marrow, which

can lead to leukemia” (Types of Chemotherapy), and now look at Mitotic Inhibitors. This is also

used to treat Lymphomas, but its side effect is “More likely than other types of chemotherapy

to cause painful nerve damage”. These are very different side effects, with one much more

severe than the other. Lastly, it is very expensive, with some treatment sessions costing as

much as $12,000 (The Imperative of Addressing Cancer Drug Cost and Value). Some of these

might be cheaper, but when treatment is needed once every two weeks, for six months, that

can really add up. While this is sure to change depending on insurance, there is not a standard

in America to really nail down the prices.

Another great reason for the wide use of chemotherapy, is that it is readily available.

Due to the nature of what chemotherapy is, a kind of liquid, it is easy to transport. The only

problem with this would be the packaging, as chemotherapy is mixed before given to the

patient. It is highly acidic after it is mixed, and can burn if you touch it, so it must be kept in

special packaging. This would be the biggest problem when shipping it out, as you would need
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to send two different forms of medicine for one session of treatment. It also needs to be

shipped with the proper materials to dispose of it. After the chemotherapy session is over, the

IV bag must be put into a special container/bag to properly dispose of it. It is considered to be

“Trace Chemotherapy Waste” (Management and Disposal Guidelines for U-Listed

Antineoplastic (Chemotherapy) Wastes, 2), and must be incinerated.

According to USNews, there are 31 different cancer wards in Ohio alone. All of these

provide chemotherapy to some extent. While they might not have the specific kind of

chemotherapy that the patient requires, it can surely be shipped, as all of these hospitals are

capable of administering the medicine. It is easier to ship around a couple bags of medicine or

some pills, than it is to move a patient to a hospital that is ready to administer radiation therapy

or surgery. Some hospitals might not be equipped with the tools necessary for these

treatments. A couple things that the hospital would need for chemotherapy is a doctor who

understand what the patient needs, an incinerator, which they should have for certain

biomedical waste, and the proper disposal equipment.

The drawbacks for this being readily available are not apparent at first glance. Because

so much needs to be shipped, it would not be as good for the environment shipping these drugs

all over the country, or the world. This would also go hand in hand with the price. Because the

hospital or in some cases the manufacture must pay for the shipping costs, the price of

chemotherapy could increase. While this might not seem like it would be that big a deal, it

would still cause some financial stress on some. This has the hardest drawbacks to find, as more

places to have this done would be an excellent thing for cancer patients.
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Looking at A History of Cancer Chemotherapy by DeVita Jr., and Chu, it is possible to find

the beginning of common chemotherapy began in the 1960’s. It was discovered that using

chemotherapy with other cancer killing drugs was the most effective method to date. That

being said it only had a success rate of about 20%. This was all being used when trying to treat

breast cancer, so looking at 2019 numbers for the same thing, we see a 36% increase. (Cancer

Treatment & Survivorship Facts & Figures 2019-2021, 6) The data of 56% are those who only

used chemotherapy or radiation, so it is not a one-to-one comparison, but it shows how far

chemotherapy has come. Looking to the previous years (2016-2017), the success rate for breast

cancer was 48% (Cancer Treatment & Survivorship Facts & Figures 2016-2017, 7). It is clear that

this is only getting better in terms of success rates.

It is possible to see that chemotherapy is very proven, as it has been used for the past

60 years, and only gets better with time. However, we are getting closer to new, safer

treatments, such as Gene Therapy and Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors. The reason that

chemotherapy is still being used might be because it is so effective and used so often, is

because there is no alternative that is readily available just yet.

Rounding this all up, the benefits here are truly something. Chemotherapy is so

common because it completely destroys the cancer cells, and stops growth. Partnering this with

radiation treatment, which breaks down the cells, it is no surprise that this is such a strong

combination of treatments. There are also so many different types of chemotherapy, which can

be used for all different kinds of cancer. Because there is not just one kind of medicine,
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someone with a brain tumor can have a more effective dosage than using the same kind of

chemotherapy as someone with leukemia. It cannot be overstated how impactful it is to cover

so many different kinds of cancer with the litany of chemotherapy treatments they have. Its

been stated that chemotherapy has been proven to work, for years now. It started in the 1960’s

and has only gotten more and more effective and safe. This also can be said about the success

of treatments that have happened since the 60’s as well. And lastly this drug is available. With

31 cancer units in Ohio alone, it is possible to get treatment close to home. These are all

wonderful reasons as to why chemotherapy is still used today.

While this seems all well and good, there are some serious drawbacks here. Some of the

drawbacks have already been stated in one of the previous paragraphs but here will be a more

in-depth look at why some think chemotherapy should not be used. First and foremost, are the

side effects, and how could they not be the first thing talked about? That is the first thing

anyone thinks about when thinking of chemotherapy. Maybe they think of baldness,

compromised immune system, or just fatigue. Unfortunately, there is no way to get around the

fact that there will be side effects, but as doctors have gained more knowledge, they have

found ways to circumvent some of these effects. There are supplements that can help the

patient with fatigue. You can only get more chemotherapy when the doctors deem your white

blood cell count high enough. This will leave the patients white blood cell count that is high

enough for another dosage. While there isn’t an answer to all of these problems, there is an

answer to some. When the alternative is possible death, some of these side effects may just

have to run their course, as unfortunate as it is.

Another huge problem with chemotherapy is the price. While this is a problem with the

outright price of chemotherapy being anywhere from $1,000 to $12,000 a bag, it would not be

unfair to blame this on the current healthcare system as well, as prices for medicine are usually

inflated. As painful as it is to hear, the companies that make these drugs for treatment, are

doing it for profit. They have shareholders that they answer to. This is something that should be

solved by the government by placing a limit on how much these should sell for versus how

much they cost to manufacture. This is a problem with the U.S. healthcare system as a whole,

with things like insulin. This will stay a problem until our elected officials stand up for a better

healthcare system.

Another issue that evolves everyday with chemotherapy, are the lasting effects. While

these could be considered to be side effects, they might not appear until years later. These

lasting effects are caused by the young nature of this medicine. There is no way to test the

effects of a patient ten, twenty or even thirty years without waiting that long. These are very

real problems, like fertility problems, other cancer arising, heart problems, but can be solved

with time. The longer these drugs are out in the wild, the more doctors can see lasting effects,

and learn how to alter the medicine to alleviate these problems. This happens with all new

products, electronics, cars, planes, so medicine is no different. This will get better the more

doctors are able to see what kind of lasting issues chemotherapy causes.

While this argument specifically might not have scientific credence, it should still be

looked at. There are many people who would like to think that chemotherapy is not a good cure

for cancer because of what it does to your body, so they take the alternative route. These

treatments vary, but some include yoga, dieting, meditation, crystals Chinese herbs and
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medicines. These are said to cure cancer, but there has been no proven data that states this.

“Some may improve comfort and quality of life—if they aren’t substituted for and don’t

interfere with proven cancer treatments and don’t cause financial strain, says Dr. Johnson. ‘But,

there is no evidence that they cure cancer.’” As stated here, they might help your state of

being, in terms of being relaxed or how you feel, but these unscientific remedies will not

destroy a cancer cell.

Every single person in the world has been affected by cancer. It doesn’t matter who you

are, where you live, what you look like or who you believe in, we all have been touched by this

plague in one way or another. It is good to know what is going on in the medical world to

understand what leaps and bounds are being made to cure people from this unwelcome

condition. Learning this made me appreciate that my girlfriend’s dad, and one of my best

friends made it out alive thanks to this treatment. So, the question was clear, “why do we use

chemotherapy instead of a safer alternative treatment”. Through all of this research it led to a

satisfying answer. There is proof that alternative treatments don’t work quite as well. They

might be more inefficient, not aggressive enough or might just not work. Hopefully it has been

made pretty clear as to why it is still used to this day. Chemotherapy is used because it is the

most effective, and readily available, form of treatment.

Works Cited

“Best Hospitals for Cancer in Ohio.” U.S. News & World Report, U.S. News & World Report,

health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/rankings/cancer/ohio.

“Chemotherapy Side Effects.” American Cancer Society,

www.cancer.org/treatment/treatments-and-side-effects/treatment-

types/chemotherapy/chemotherapy-side-effects.html.

“Chemotherapy.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 5 Mar.

2020, www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/chemotherapy/about/pac-20385033.

“Evolution of Cancer Treatments: Chemotherapy.” American Cancer Society, 12 June 2014,

www.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-basics/history-of-cancer/cancer-treatment-chemo.html.

“Long-Term Side Effects of Cancer Treatment.” Cancer.Net, 22 Apr. 2020,

www.cancer.net/survivorship/long-term-side-effects-cancer-treatment.

“Radiation Therapy for Cancer.” National Cancer Institute, 8 Jan. 2019, www.cancer.gov/about-

cancer/treatment/types/radiation-therapy.

“Types of Chemotherapy: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia.” MedlinePlus, U.S. National

Library of Medicine, 24 Sept. 2019,

medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000910.htm.

“Understanding Chemotherapy.” Cancer.Net, 29 May 2019, www.cancer.net/navigating-cancer-

care/how-cancer-treated/chemotherapy/understanding-chemotherapy.
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DeVita, Vincent T., and Edward Chu. “A History of Cancer Chemotherapy.” Cancer Research,

American Association for Cancer Research, 1 Nov. 2008,

cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/68/21/8643.

Miller, Kimberly, et al. Cancer Treatment & Survivorship Facts & Figures 2019-2021. American

Cancer Society, 2019.

Miller, Kimberly, et al. Cancer Treatment & Survivorship Facts & Figures 2016-2017. American

Cancer Society, 2016.

Moriarty, Colleen. “Natural Cancer 'Cures': What Are the Risks?” Yale Medicine, 1 July 2019,

www.yalemedicine.org/stories/natural-cancer-therapy-risks/.

Pollution Prevention at Healthcare Facilities. “Management and Disposal Guidelines for U-Listed

Antineoplastic (Chemotherapy) Wastes” 2005. PDF

Ryan Lederle, personal communication (phone interview), October 23, 2020.