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RUNNING HEAD: STEPS TO END THE UNBEATABLE DISEASE

Steps to End the Unbeatable Disease: An Informative and Innovative Essay on Cancer Research
Kyle Gibson
First Colonial High School
Legal Studies Academy
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STEPS TO END THE UNBEATABLE DISEASE

Abstract
This research paper will provide a thorough and fact-driven analysis of the many difficult facets

of cancer treatment. The author will provide and interpret statistical evidence, factual case law,

and opinions of highly-educated experts in their respected fields, while still sustaining a practical

perspective on cancer therapy treatments such as; medical marijuana, proton beam therapy, and

the traditional chemotherapy and their effects on cancer patients.

Steps to End the Unbeatable Disease: An Informative and Innovative Essay on Cancer Research
Extensive clinical studies, trillions of dollars spent, and millions of lives taken

characterize the effects of the ever-changing disease known as cancer. Research across the world

for hundreds of years has shown humans ability to work together in attempts to establish a

permanent cure for this disease, but after all this time there has been minimal success to finding a

cure, despite its devastating costs. Ethical issues remain as well. The legality of the proposed

and newly state-legalized Schedule 1 drug known as marijuana, and the highly expensive and

lightly-tested radiation treatment, proton beam therapy, leave the medical community in a

scramble for new ideas and the abandonment of potentially twisted treatments.
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The realistic purpose of these questions isnt to know the answer in concrete, but instead,

to ask what so few do. In discovering what it is that causes this disease, and what can potentially

defeat the mutating cell eaters, is what should come first and foremost on the agenda of each and

every oncologist and medical organization. In addition to this, we must find how a victim of the

worst conditions can find hope, and a possibility of a normal life as a cancer-free survivor

through support systems and cancer-ridding facilities that can be efficiently and properly

conducted.
What has become known as patient individualization has raised questions among the

world of medical oncology, and more specifically, radiation therapy treatment centers. To first

understand what it is that destroys living human tissue, practitioners must first understand the

devastation of cancer throughout not only the United States, but the entire world. In 2016, a

statistical study by the National Cancer Institute found that, 39.6% of Americans alone will be

diagnosed with cancer in their lives and an estimated 1,685,210 new cases of cancer will be

diagnosed in the United States and 595,690 people will die from the disease ("Cancer

Statistics"). These shockingly huge numbers raise not only medicinal questions of treatment and

prevention, but more importantly, ethicality and moral consideration.

Although the number of cancer survivors maintains a steady increase, which is due to the

advancements in early-stage detection and treatment procedures, so does the world population

and the elusiveness of various mutating diseases (Miller,Siegel,andLin). Also, another trend

found in modern oncology is a patient's preferred means of battling cancer, and their medical

personalization, which is especially due to difficulty of having a 1-on-1 experience with a doctor

or physician. According to the article written by NCBI and its authors, People with a history of

cancer have unique medical and psychosocial needs that require proactive assessment and
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management by primary care providers(Miller,Siegel,andLin).Thisofcoursemeansthat

whatapatientthatisdiagnosedwithcancerrequiresisnotonlyattentionandtreatment,but

guidanceandoptimisticclairvoyancefromtheirpersonalmedicalcontacts,evenifthatmeans

beingtoldwhatitistheyfeeltheyneedtohear.Thisisntbeingoblivious,andmostmistake

that,butitisadefensemechanismandcanactasabeaconofhopefordiagnosedpatients.
Recently,medicaloncologistshavefacedwhatappearstobeseveralroadblocksor

limitationsonwhattheycanorcannotdototreatapatient.Thesepossibletreatmentplansmay

includethehighlycontestedandnonclinicallytestedanticarcinogens,knownascannabis,as

wellastheveryexpensiveandrelativelyyoungradiationtherapyalternative,protonbeam

therapy(Kossen, 2016).Lookingfurtherintothesenewformsofcancertreatmentrequiresan

openmindandcertainlydeeppockets,consideringthecostsoflegislation,legalization,and

implementationofeachintoamedicalenvironment.Whateachalternativeofcancertherapyis

abletoachieveisntjustanewlookornationaltrend,butapossibilitytosave,prolong,orease

thelivesofcancerbattlingvictims.
Therealcomplicationthatremainsinaddressingthesealternatives,assumingtheyre

actuallyimplemented,isdiscoveringwhatexactlyisitthatisbestforapatientdiagnosedwith

cancer.Willthedecisionsoftreatmentbeentirelyuptothelicensedphysician(s)orsplitwith

thepatient?Also,howwouldliabilitycoverthepossibilitiesofsubstanceabuseorsubstance

backfire?Isanaturallyfoundpainkillerwithsideeffectsasprevalentandinthesocialspotlight

asmarijuanajustas,ifnotmore,effectiveaspharmaceuticaldrugs?Thesequestionsholdsway

overtheimplementationofpolicymaking,andintheUnitedStates,itisntjustawalkthrough

theparktomakevisionarealityinthemedicalworld.

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NewTreatments
MedicalMarijuana
Oneofthemostethicallyandmedicallychallengedformsofpotentialcancertreatmentis

theplantknownasmarijuana.AccordingtotheNationalInstituteonDrugAbuse,marijuanaisa

psychoactiveormindalteringdrug.Itsactivechemicalagent,knownasTHC,cangreatlyalter

themindandbodyofapersonundertheinfluence("WhatIsMarijuana?"2016).Despitebeing

thesubjectgatewaydrug,marijuanahasprovenitspowerfulchemicalpropertiesinmanygood

ways.Dr.DonaldAbrams,whohasbeenacannabisadvocateandoneoftheleadingoncologists

andcancerresearchersintheworld,wouldargueonbehalfoftheplantspositiveeffecton

people,andnotjustintheregardsofcancertreatment.Intributetodecadesofcancerresearch

andunprecedenteddiscovery,Dr.Abramsarguesthat,Cannabisistrulyanamazingmedicine

formanycancerandtreatmentrelatedsideeffectsnausea,vomiting,lossofappetite,pain,

depression,anxiety,insomnia(Lowe&Lin,1999).Inadditiontothesesideeffects,thelistof

cannabispositivemedicaleffectsbranchfromailmentssuchasPTSDtoepilepsytopainrelief,

andevenimprovedsleep(CannabisandCannabinoids).
A growing demand for marijuana, just in the United States alone, has greatly contributed

to its legalization among 25 different states, and that number is steadily growing. Line leader

states such as Colorado and our nations capital, Washington D.C, have become havens of

legalized marijuana and the result has presented some very shocking data. Many have, and will,

argue(d) for the legalization of marijuana, let alone its infiltration into the realm of medical

treatment. That being said, social studies have been performed to argue against the positive

effects of marijuanas legalization in the state of Colorado, which has helped the push towards

the abandonment of the idea of medical marijuana among many Americans, especially in the
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past year. In a study by Rocky Mountain High in 2014, statistical data of seven specific negative

effects that marijuana induced had put the spotlight back on its illegalization nationwide. What

they found was that a majority of the DUI arrests performed had involved marijuana, and there

had been a massive increase in youth and college users in the span of one year upon marijuanas

legalization (Mattson, 2014). Due to the prevalence of marijuanas chemical agents, supported

with strong polarization within the medical community in general, there has been an abnormal

hindrance in the process of marijuanas development into clinical use.

Case Law. Since medicinal marijuana cannot be tested clinically, a prime example and

very similarly related drug known as Laetrile was the subject of a very ethically charged

Supreme Court case which lead to the decision, and federal law, that any new drug must pass

through several steps, such as licenses and approvals, in order to be identified as a legal and

medically-beneficial drug. In United States v. Rutherford, the issue stated was, Whether or not

the new drug known as Laetrile, as defined in 201 (p) (1) of the Act, 21 U. S. C. 321 (p) (1),

may be distributed inter-stately for the use of non-toxic cancer treatment (United States v.

Rutherford, Oyez).
What spurred the case was Laetriles many different and unidentified forms, as well as its

slippery entrance into the cancer treatment environment, which led to questions of ethicality

being asked. It was what practitioners and patients did not realize that was truly terrifying,

especially in the perspective of a terminally ill patient fighting to save their lives. According to

Cancer Tutors website, a leading cancer research and unbiased source, they believe that, This

cancer protocol [Laetrile] is very effective at getting rid of cancer cells and to some degree also

helps build the immune system. However, this protocol does not contain the super-nutrients

which deal with reversing damage to the non-cancerous cells due to cancer (e.g. lactic

acid), chemotherapy, radiation, etc ("Laetrile" 2016).

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The thought of having an unidentified and non-effective method of treatment would

terrify almost any terminally-ill cancer victim and their loved ones, no matter the situation.

Ironically, what appears should be the most ethically-driven profession one can pursue, can

sometimes prove otherwise, in which the ramifications can be devastating for the victims of

careless, or intentional, medical malpractice.

The decision was made in order to ban the introduction of unidentified, and possibly

unsafe, drugs into the medical community. This case law, United States v. Rutherford, hasnt

hindered the establishment of marijuana directly, but it has left precedent resulting in a very

difficult entrance into clinical studies, which will, in turn, result in its failed establishment as a

medical treatment for cancer therapy.

Proven Effects. Up until even this point in modern medicine, almost every country

besides the United States has performed legal clinical tests on the effects of marijuana on cancer-

stricken subjects. In a study completed by Madrids Complutense University, they found that,

one-third of rats treated, the injection of synthetic THC eliminated malignant brain tumors

while extending life in another third (Kossen, 2016). Basically meaning that the effects of THC

was able to chemically break down tumors occurring in the brain without damaging the

surrounding tissue. In the world of chemotherapy and modern cancer treatment, these effects are

precisely what doctors and patients desire from a therapeutic and cancer-ridding treatment. In

addition to this, other numerous studies have been performed. According to the Salk Institute,

which deals with groundbreaking discovery and experimentation, they discovered that THC that

is found in the female stems of marijuana plants are effective in breaking down tumor-related

plaques that occur in cancer and Alzheimers patients. Additionally, THC is known as a fat

soluble which ironically gives it the ability to easily transport its beneficial properties

throughout the bloodstream, and into the brain as well (Cannabinoids" Salk).
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Although prescribing a patient to smoke marijuana or synthetic THC wax as a cancer

fighting agent isnt legal, there are other legalized forms of cannabinoids that are approved drugs

for the treatment of cancer-related side effects. The commercially available cancer-treating

cannabinoids dronabinol and nabilone" (also known as Cesament) are both prescribed

regularly by oncologists to treat symptoms of nausea and vomiting that result from cancer

chemotherapy ("NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms"). In a report by Leafly, on its official website,

they found that another cannabinoid known as Cannabidiol or CBD is highly effective in

relieving a patients pain, inflammation, and anxiety without the high effect that usually follows

("Cannabis and Cannabinoids"). Using this data, we see that study-after-study has shown that

marijuana possesses certain natural medical properties that can inhibit, treat, and relieve the

damaging effects of the deadliest diseases known to mankind, without the harmful cell

destruction that chemotherapy includes.

ProtonBeamTherapy
Up until the early 2000s, there hadnt been a specialized and/or safer treatment for

cancer, other than traditional chemotherapy, that has reached the heights that proton beam

therapy has, and in so few years (History of Proton Therapy, n.d.). Proton beam therapy is a

type of radiation treatment specifically diagnosed for a long list of cancer types, its most

common being prostate cancer. What is so different about proton beam therapy, or PBT, is that it

emits a positive charge into the area of a tumor causing its various dosages of highly specific

radiation to destroy collectivized cancer cells without harming the recipient (UnitedHealth care,

2016). Its most surprising aspect being that, in the realm of cancer treatment, proton beam

therapy is the most precise treatment, but also, the costliest and most experimental treatment by

far, yet its effects have been remarkable. The $150 million machine has, because of its
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unaffordability, become an interstate rarity, thus causing many patients of one state, or even a

different country, to travel to hospitals that have a proton beam therapy machine. What makes

this machine so great, and why do so many patients with cancer from around the world flock to a

relatively experimental therapy machine? Also, why is its success, so far, so exponentially

indefinite, especially when the average cost rates that apply per session is just under $1,000

(Whelan & Langreth, 2009)? The answer is actually quite simple. In a world of rising yearly

cancer cases that has now reached every man and woman to ratios of 454.8: 100,000 which have

resulted in the deaths of up to 171.2 per 100,000 per year in the United States alone, a new

treatment is exactly what these desperate patients need (Cancer Statistics, n.d.).
Opposing Viewpoints. Dissenting from the cost-effectiveness argument of proton beam

therapy lies Massachusetts General Hospital radiation oncologist Anthony Zietman. He 2009 he

stated that "There are perfectly good, much less expensive alternatives" when it comes to patient

cancer treatment and price setting among the medical world. There is plenty of truth in the

claims of Dr. Zietman because the numbers for proton beam machines do not lie. Surprisingly,

PBT centers, as few as there are, must generate highly significant funds to keep their machines

operational. Not only is it highly expensive to construct the machine, but it also takes time up to

about 2-3 years to build it into an operational piece of sensitive machinery. Several other cheaper

cancer fighting treatments include, but are not limited to, X-ray treatment, chemotherapy, tumor

surgery, and many other variations of these. The big question that remains, and that is still widely

debated is whether or not the exponential boom in proton therapy centers, as stated by Winifred

Hayes, a technology researcher who determines cost effectiveness of different treatments, are

part of a technology arms race (Whelan & Langreth, 2009).

Case Law. In 1998, in the 9th circuit court of appeals, Parrino v. FHP, Inc had left cancer

therapy treatment centers between a rock and a hard place nationwide. The blame can be
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directed to FHP Healthcares unfortunate timing of tumor treatment and their flagrant

misdiagnosis of the deceased Nick Parrino. Parrino, after being appropriately diagnosed with a

brain tumor by Friendly Hills, was prescribed to the Linda University Medical Center in

California to receive surgery removal of the tumor, which would then be followed by several

sessions of proton beam therapy. In a seemingly obvious mistake by Friendly Hills, Parrino was

denied the proton beam treatment due to FHP claim that the treatment was, experimental and

unnecessary. Several days later, Parrino was re-diagnosed with a tumor in the brain which had

resulted in his death.

Oddly enough, it had taken nearly two months, during the time of Parrinos initial diagnoses,

for Friendly Hills to join FHPs notice of removal on the brain tumor, which, in the world of

medicine, is a very slow time for urgent tumor removal centers to act upon an imminent threat to

ones life. In state court, the case had been transferred to federal court on the grounds that

Parrinos actions were preempted by ERISA, which was to protect a patients rights in medical

agreements and contracts (ERISA, 2016). The primary issue regarding the severity of this

individual case is about proper diagnosis, followed by a prompt therapeutic analysis, and

resulting in a healthier, if not cured, patient. What troubles many who question PBTs

effectiveness is whether or not, upon diagnosis, proton beam therapy is able to effectively treat a

patient while remaining in a quick, while realistic, time frame. Ultimately, steps must be taken in

order to maximize the positive results that PBT can offer to any given patient, while still

remaining affordable and dependable in our vast healthcare system. In the case of Mr. Parrino,

while his brain tumor did remain undetected as stated in the facts of the case, the time frame in

which the doctors and medical staff pursued to completely eliminate his tumor was far too slow,

thus resulting in his death.

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There are many who oppose proton beam therapy as a go-to for any, and every, cancer

patient due to its seemingly ridiculous price tag. But since the rookie proton beam machine has

remained indefinitely sought after, in such a short span of years, it widely speaks for itself. What

many analysts and price-checkers do not understand about cancer treatment is the primitive

human behavior: survival. As we can see through history alone, the price tag for any treatment is

widely subordinate to someone fighting for their own life at the expense of an insurance

company, or even their own saving. In a research article published by Stephanie Jaroesk, the

director of workshops at Research Data Assistance Center (ResDAC) at the University of

Minnesota, she stated that, From 2001 to June 2011, the number of centers providing proton

beam therapy grew from 3 to 10, and From 2006 to 2009, the number of Medicare

beneficiaries receiving proton beam therapy nearly doubled (Jarosek, 2012; "World's Largest

Professional Network | LinkedIn," n.d.). This means that, not only did the supply of proton

centers triple, but also the rate of consumers and their specific insurance providers doubled in the

relatively short span of 10 years.

Professional Interview. All across the nation, there are new and improved developments

of cancer research and patient care. The possibilities that can be achieved through the various

avenues that a patient is able to take, in regards to his/her health, has become the centerpiece for

oncologists and modern medicine in the past decade or so. In a personal sit-down interview with

Dr. Linda Pegram of Childrens Hospital of The Kings Daughters, an organization that

specializes in the hospitalization and care of minors nationwide, she was able to break down the

multiple facets of patient care, as well as; the procedural protocol that every

hematologist/oncologist must face across the country.

When asked about the most challenging thing for, specifically, a child and their family

when hearing about their diagnosis of cancer, Dr. Pegram responded by detailing the financial
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struggles that can come from cancer treatment. In fact, according to Pegram, one of the largest

misconceptions about current medicinal cancer-fighting agents is that every treatment can be

made affordable to a family through healthcare and other support systems, when in fact this is

not always the case (L. Pegram, Personal communication, December 20, 2016). A majority of

the patients passing through, or even staying for hospitalization, cannot afford the bills charged

for expensive chemotherapy or cancer attacking injections up front and unfortunately have to

take away from their savings. The issue of not being able to afford cancer treatment isnt small

either. Additionally, the issue of insurance dependency has become the foremost problem for

most cancer victims, wealthy or not, which has led to many changes in the operational use of

certain therapies, and which has spurred the questioning for new treatments that are patient and

cost effective.
Mental Health. In addition to the expensive costs of cancer therapy, another prevalent

issue remains steadily throughout modern treatments: patient care. A patients overall mental

stability, as well as their hopefulness to overcome whatever stage or form of cancer they may

have, equally, if not more-so, effects their chances of survival than the actual treatments. In fact,

in a report by the NCI, or National Cancer Institute, they found that extreme psychological stress

can lead to harmful coping methods, dangerous levels of fatigue and lack of sleep, extreme

depression, and a much longer list of potentially life-threatening side effects ("Psychological

Stress and Cancer," n.d.). Although it is not proven yet, there is plenty of statistical and realistic

data to prove that depression, anxiety, and insomnia, to name a few, are heavily detrimental to a

patients health in fighting cancer.

There are many ways to battle extreme depression as a victim of cancer, but all are

seemingly much easier said than done. For example, there are several steps that someone who is

battling anxiety can take in order to lessen, or stop their heavy thoughts. Writer, R. Morgan
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Griffin lists and explains ten easy steps that people can take throughout the day that could help

them see the brighter side of life. Whether or not cancer is prevalent in their life or not, these few

steps have proven to relax and foster depressed people across the world. Firstly, Morgan states

that finding a routine is essential to setting someone back on track, and that having goals may

allow someone to feel confident in themselves, while also being proud of their accomplishments.

Additionally, Morgan believes that exercise, to an extent, is vital in reviving a persons spirit,

while being supplemented by a sufficient amount of sleep to rest the body (Griffin, n.d.). The list

continues by creating small goals and accomplishing them with dedication which reinforces the

human brain with positive thoughts, thus leading to the belief that depression truly isnt worth it.

In the processes of chemotherapy or any other kind of radiation therapy, a patients mental state

directly affects how they will respond to the harsh chemicals that their body must fend off in

order to survive, even though sometimes, survival isnt an option. What most hematologists

across the world believe is most important, is what a patient believes will come of them, and how

are they going to defend themselves against a leeching disease like cancer. The question that

everyone wishes they could answer lies with every single individual that confronts the cold-

hearted disease in which they face.

In the past year, Hampton University has constructed their own proton beam therapy

machine and the results have been astonishing. The cycle of patients that come and go tumor-free

is remarkable, and considering the effectiveness of this machine, it is undoubtedly known as one

of the top major accomplishments for the Hampton Roads area. This particular remarkable

machine runs off several extremely powerful generators that fuel a particle accelerator that

distributes the subatomic proton beams to the number of machines warehoused within the

facility. The open gantries circle in all angles around the patient and blast millions of proton
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particles that are radioactively specific to break down tumors that are surrounded by generally

healthy tissue (Whelan & Langreth, 2009). At this point in time, proton therapy is designed

specifically for tumors of the neck, brain, spinal cord, and the prostate to name a few (Proton

Therapy, 2015).
Traditional Chemotherapy. To this day it is known across the world that the forefront

of cancer fighting relies upon the existence of traditional chemotherapy treatments. Medically

speaking, there are not many alternatives that match to the successes of chemotherapy in a

practical setting. With this being said, how many have questioned the effectiveness of traditional

chemo? How many have often asked why the reasons for hair loss, skin burns, cell breakdown,

and many other life altering side effects are so worth such a harsh treatment when all they may

want is peace? It is true that over the years, and trillions of dollars later having been spent, that

people have begun to question this massive entity. Undeniably, chemotherapy has saved lives,

and whether or not critics may agree on its effectiveness in relation to cost-benefit analysis,

chemotherapy has achieved in beating a seemingly unstoppable disease.

It is possible for an analyst to sit back and pick apart the inconsistencies within the

medical community, as well as the conflict of interests that have occurred over the years.

Meaning, as mentioned before in the discussion of PBT, it is highly likely that there has been a

race for major organizations to achieve the highest possible status among the medical community

to possess the best-of-the-best, regardless of clinical effectiveness or long-term public health.

Our system of private organizations encourages a free market while, at the same time, increasing

the competition among national medical branches thus resulting in an adequate market for cancer

therapy centers in almost every city of the United States.

Individual Care. Regardless of a patients medical condition, one thing remains constant

in the medical world, that being the collective respect for one's life and the hard work many
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doctors, surgeons, nurses, and all others included take to treat every patient specially. It is

heavily misunderstood how hard a hospital staff has to work together in order to keep their

patients feeling physically healthy, as well as mentally stable with the potentially life crushing

reality they have to face. What best suits the patient should also best suit the standard of care

that a hospital should provide to each patient, and in todays expectations it goes far beyond

diagnoses and treatment. A detailed diagnosis, followed by a prognosis, continued by treatments

of specialized patient care and physical therapy only scratch the surface of the necessary

attention a single patient truly needs.

In a perfect world, with the exception of a cure, every patient could receive every benefit,

specialized personal care, VIP attention, and peace of mind, but that would be far too unrealistic.

Or would it? It isnt too far-fetched to believe that every patient should be treated as if today

were their last day, and that all the time spent on earth was worth it, because ultimately that is

what they need. Those fighting cancer honestly require peace of mind and to know that they are

loved, and appreciated, by their loved ones. That being said, it is necessary for the treatment of

the facility of every hospitalized patient to be personal, intimate, and comprehensive to best suit

the actual needs of the patient.

It is through their hospitalization that someone finally understands the total effect that

cancer has inflicted in their lives. It is through the endless sessions of chemotherapy, and heavy

sickness that is due to the poison flowing through their blood, and receiving the message that

they have two weeks left to live while lying lost in the faces of their family members so that they

may remember every detail that someone is finally able to understand what cancer really is. It is

not a laughing matter, nor a simple side discussion when referring to what cancer has done to

mankind. Instead, it is a solemn topic that should remind us of how short life could be really be

if we were the bearers of bad news. It is the mission of thousands across the nation, and across
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the world, to defeat the life-shattering disease while remaining human in our thoughts and

actions, and pursuing a higher standard of excellence in cancer research and development so that

we may end the hardships that millions have, and will, face due to the effects of cancer.

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Grading Rubric for Almost Final Graded Draft

Criterion 4 -- 3 Above 2 Proficient 1 --

Advanced Average Emerging

Mechanics, Zero to very A few errors Several errors Many errors

Grammar, few errors inhibit the

Spelling, reading of the

Sentence text

Structure,
 20
STEPS TO END THE UNBEATABLE DISEASE
etc
Academic Academic Academic Academic Paper lacks

Voice language language language used academic

used used through for some of language

throughout most of paper informal

paper paper throughout

Law Law is a Law is Lacking law No law

major present

presence

Title, All present All present All present Missing

Abstract, and correct needs to fix a need to fix pieces not

Body, few errors several errors quite 15

Reference or somewhat pagesadd

incomplete some more

law like cases

or acts

Uniform LSA Scoring convention

16 = 100 12 = 88 8 = 76 4 = 64
15 = 97 11 = 85 7 = 73 No

submission = no score
14 = 94 10 = 82 6 = 70
13 = 91 9 = 79
 21
STEPS TO END THE UNBEATABLE DISEASE

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