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Cancer
Which treatments are best?
By: Evelyn Ruvalcaba
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Cancer does not have a face until

its yours
or someone you know.
-Anthony Del Monte

Abstract
Cancer is a problem of todays generation and always has been. Some people live their
lives without even giving cancer a second thought. Yet, throughout the years, several peoples
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lives have been taken by cancers icy grip. The disease has no mercy. So the human race strives to
survive. The only question is how.
There are several ways to fight cancer. The main four in this research study specifically
consists of immunotherapy, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and surgical removal. When somebody
goes to the hospital and gets the dreadful news of their development of cancer, some people have
no clue about the treatments. In those situations, people choose to trust the expert. But what if the
expert is wrong? What if the expert lies? What if the expert just wants money? That is why
everybody should be educated of the disease. Cancer is not expected. People cannot just prepare
for cancer, but its not inevitable either.
Some causes of cancer include the sun, genes, smoking, asbestos and alcohol. The sun
can affect ones skin because of the intense amount of ultraviolet rays which can lead to skin
cancer by gene mutations. Other people just cannot get away from sustaining cancer because the
disease runs in the genes. Smoking can cause cancer in the lungs, esophagus, mouth, throat and
stomach because of the inhalation of smoke. Asbestos is a chemical that can be found in walls,
and the materials to create buildings, and they consist of small minerals and fibers that could
seriously harm your health such as obtaining the cancer known as mesothelioma. Drinking a
glass a day of wine or anytype of alcohol can also lead to a cancer in the gut because the liquid
burns your inner lining. Some of these can be prevented such as wearing sunscreen, or avoiding
alcohol and cigarettes.
Some people believe cancer treatments dont work, specifically chemotherapy. It is
widely believed that chemotherapy has a two to three percent survival rate. Some people believe
that just because one goes through chemotherapy, the hair will fall off guarantee. It's not always
like that. Some people only lose some of their hair others dont. Chemotherapy isnt the only
reason for hair loss either. Radiotherapy is also a cause to hair loss and even some pills. Some
medication only cause damage and hair loss to red hair. It all depends on the metabolism,
genetics, and treatment of a person specifically.
Before this research, I started off believing these stereotypes, believing cancer patients all
went through a one hundred percent hair loss, and chemotherapy was very ineffective. This
research provides rates of different treatments survival, and disproves some stereotypes about
cancer, and above all, which treatments can reach their full potential and how these treatments
work best, and what treatments work best.
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Guilt is cancer. Guilt will confine you,

torture you, destroy you as an artist.
It's a black wall. It's a thief.
-Dave Grohl

Historical Context
One in three women will be diagnosed with some form of cancer. One in two men will be
diagnosed with cancer. One in four schools will have a student diagnosed with cancer.7.2 to 7.5
million people die every year of cancer and over 1,500 die every day. Every day 46 children are
diagnosed with cancer but due to the the research and discoveries over the years, today these
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children have a 75% chance of survival. How was cancer as the human race perceives it come to
as it is today. How long has it been around?
Cancer has been around since the dawn of the dinosaurs. With todays technology,
paleontologists are able to study cancer in the fossils through a radiological screening of bones
that have been preserved well. These arent the only bones that have traces in cancer though. In
about 3000 BC, scientists have found traces of evidence in Egyptian mummies.
Then in 300 BC tumors in actual living human beings were found! A greek physician
whose name is Hippocrates discovered these mumps, and lumps and called them carcinos which
led to the term more known today as carcinoma. In 50 AD, the Romans had similarly figured out
that surgery could remove these lumps and mumps discovered by the greeks but the romans had
contributed to the theory by figuring out that some of the times the tumors multiply quicker and
become bigger with surgical removal. The greeks had also figured out that burning could also get
rid of the tumors.
In 1500 AD autopsies were used more often to understand and fully grasp the concept of
cancer itself. Then the marvelous microscope was developed in 1650 AD giving scientists a
better conception of the cancer cells and the way these deadly organisms work. In the 1840s
discoveries were made to improve surgical removal and controlling the infections in a much
more effective way. In 1895, the establishment of x-rays were produced to help see the insides of
people.
Three years following the discovery of the x-ray, in 1898, radium was discovered and as
scientist studied it, they had gained a better assimilation of how it could be used with cancer.
Today, this substance is used to help cure cancer. In 1900 - 1950, radiation was established which
really shows humanity's perception of cancer and how much of a better understanding the
human race has of cancer.
In 1945, the use of drugs to cure cancer had started to begin testing. That brought up the
treatment of cancer known as chemotherapy. 10 years after this great achievement of
chemotherapy the United States established a national cancer research network to test new
treatments setting a big step forward. Then up to 1960, smoking was deemed to be a cause to
cancer.
Then, it happened. Cancer was being fought at a federal level. President Nixon had
signed the National Cancer Act in 1971 which had led to funding to the institutes made for
cancer research. This paved a road to progression forward to the discoveries of cancer fighting
strategies helping people on their own personal war against cancer. In those same years, CT
scans were giving these researchers clearer images of tumors. These scans also helped doctors
target the affected area to use radiation in a more specific spot.
In 1981, the very first cancer vaccine was fabricated which prevented the cancer causing
hepatitis B infection. This vaccine was approved by the FDA that same year. A few years later, a
test was generated for the early detection of prostate cancer. That same year second-hand smoke
was officially said to be a carcinogen. In the late 1980s, Benzene was recognized to create blood
cancer.
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All of these discoveries, led to a steady decline in cancer deaths which happened in the
early 1990s. From 1991, to 2008, the decline rate was up to a grand total of eighteen percent. In
2012, a record number of nearly 14 million people had survived cancer.
With the intelligence and motivation to prove the human race can overcome cancer, the
human race has come to the way it is today. There is a firmer stance against the disease. In the
end cancer will be a nothing but a roadblock in the lives of the human race.

Everyone needs to be proactive

and know the various warning signs of cancer.
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Early detection and research to make detection easier at earlier stages,

along with the treatments needs, is still a must.
I salute all those winning the battle.
~Dennis Franz

The Good Stuff: Findings

In this research conducted several forms of sources were used and analyzed such as
books like Janey Levys nonfiction book Esophageal Cancer: Current and Emerging trends in
detection and treatment as well as the British Journal of Ophthalmology website and the website
for The American Society of Hematology. Some of the sources conducted tests and experiments
to gather their findings.
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Before the start of this research project a survey was conducted asking about peoples
prior knowledge of cancer, cancer treatments, a stereotype of their knowledge, and some
background information.

When a cancer patient undergoes immunotherapy, they could have it injected as a shot
that helps the body fight off cancer all on its own. Chemotherapy can be given to a person
through medications and injections in order to work throughout the entire body. Surgical
Removal is a surgical removal of a tumor consisting of a surgical procedure. Radiotherapy fights
cancer using radiation to kill the cells.
In an informational article, Umberto suggests that an older person should have a shorter
course of radiotherapy rather than supportive care alone as a therapeutic option. Umberto
specifically shows how its not about having a super dose of radiotherapy, but small doses to give
the body a push when a systematic review was conducted to develop guidelines for radiotherapy
in adult patients with newly diagnosed malignant glioma. Umberto shows the effect of a short
term therapeutic addition to the treatment already given in order to inform older people of the
substantial good that they could do with just one short-term treatment added to what they already
have. This is good more towards the older people older than seventy years old.
Although some people believe radiotherapy is a great source of treatment, it does have its
downfalls.In an article by cancer.net, there are side effects for just about every body part that is
given radiation. Yet this corporation states that everybody acts differently depending on their
own body. The article serves mainly to give information about the different side effects of body
parts depending on where the radiotherapy is given in order to inform others about the possible
potential harm of side effects that immunotherapy could trigger in ones body and really make
one ask, is this really my best option?
In a scientific article written by Dr. Roy A. Mitchell, an MD, purports surgical removal
accompanied by radiotherapy is a more effective treatment for spinal cord compression caused
by metastatic cancer than radiotherapy alone. Metastatic cancer consists of cancer cells from one
part of the body moving to another part of the body and clumping together forming a tumor. The
results of the experiment conducted resulted in a fifty-seven percent success rate of the patients
being able to walk after given the treatment of radiotherapy alone meanwhile the success rate for
the patient walking was eighty-four percent when radiotherapy was combined with surgical
removal of the tumor. This shows radiotherapy collaborated with surgical removal has a twenty-
seven more success rate than radiotherapy alone.
Another scientific article written by J. L. Hungerford, N. M.Toma, P. N. Plowman, and J.
E. Kingsten state that in retinoblastoma, radiotherapy is best when followed up with salvage
therapy. Following whole eye therapy alone, the overall ocular care rate was fifty-seven percent
though with salvage therapy, eighty percent of eyes could be preserved. Retinoblastoma is a
cancer which forms in the back of the eyeball or in the retina and is most commonly seen in
children.
The article written by Michele Magni and Massimo Di Nicola claim
chemoimmunotherapy using rituximab is better than using chemotherapy alone. In this study
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specifically, the treatments were being put against lymphoma. Seventy-six percent of the people
going through the treatment of chemotherapy alone had success. A whopping ninety-three
percent of the people going through the chemoimmunotherapy treatment had a success. This
means that chemoimmunotherapy has a significantly higher success rate than going through
chemotherapy alone.
In Janey Levys nonfiction book Esophageal Cancer: Current and Emerging trends in
detection and treatment declares chemotherapy paired with radiotherapy have the highest rates of
survival contrasting the other source declaring chemotherapy works best when fused with
immunotherapy. She states these drugs block the growth of cancer by interfering with specific
molecules involved in tumor growth. Janey Levy asserts that these treatments work at the
molecular level in order to prove chemotherapy and radiotherapy have the best results. The
difference of the two sources are what cancer the treatments are directed to. The study by
Michele Magni and Massimo Di Nicola are directed to Lymphoma meanwhile the book by Janey
Levy is based for esophageal cancer.
In the nonfiction book Everything you need to know about chemotherapy written by
Magdalena Alagna, author of children's book and young adult books, she asserts chemotherapy is
actually quite helpful in treating cancerous tumors, although it works best when treated along
with radiotherapy and surgical removal of the tumor. Alagna lists several side effects of
chemotherapy, which include fatigue, hair loss, low amounts of hemoglobin, damage in the bone
marrow, nausea, vomiting, constipation, and diarrhea among other things. Despite the side
effects, Alagna provides some tips to prevent the side effects such as eating healthy, having
minerals, antioxidants, supplements, and sleeping well, in order to confirm chemotherapy is a
great treatment to become a cancer survivor. Her little book goes one step forward and rather
than immunotherapy and chemotherapy, or chemotherapy and radiotherapy, she believes all three
work together. This is helpful more towards the people who have a more advanced tumor
because so many treatments can become detrimental to ones health. This is indeed more of a last
resort.
Another test involving chemotherapy was conducted by Oxford University targeted
towards ovarian cancer. In the article written by the Oxford University Press implies Platinum-
based adjuvant chemotherapy improved overall survival and recurrence-free survival at 5 years
in this combined group of patients with early-stage ovarian cancer. A test was conducted which
compared female patients who had ovarian cancer which were not given platinum based adjuvant
therapy, and those who were given the treatment. Overall survival at 5 years was eighty-two
percent. This proves that chemotherapy does not fall into the stereotype that chemotherapy has
a two to three percent success rate alone.
In this nonfiction online article(2013), staff writer for Science since 2002, states that
immunotherapy is a positive new way to treat cancer. She starts off proving herself with some
anecdotes of some of the people benefitting from immunotherapy stating the reason for looking
for a new way out of the icy grips of cancer is to prevent future cancer patients from the deadly
cycle of drugs that directly affect the tumor itself, while immunotherapy directly affect the
immune system as a whole. Jennifer Couzin-Frankel alongside Robert Coontz, Deputy news
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editor for Science magazine, state that immunotherapy is a promising breakthrough for cancer
in order to introduce a new and more effective treatment to fight against cancer and raise the
probability of becoming a cancer survivor. The people benefiting from immunotherapy, are those
who cant take pills due to complications, or do not want to go through chemotherapy, whereas
immunotherapy, provides an alternative route for those who have cancer.
The Issels foundation article Holistic Comprehensive Immunotherapy(2017), Issels
foundation provides research data provided by Dr. Issel himself, implementing that
immunotherapy is a positive contribution to society to cure cancer in a more efficient way. The
article provides research data provided by Dr. Issel himself who has become internationally
known for his remarkable rate of complete long-term remissions of "incurable cancers" in
patients who had exhausted all standard treatments, such as advanced cancers of the breast,
uterus, prostate, colon, liver, lung, brain, sarcomas, lymphomas, and leukemias. (Issel
Foundation).He provides charts that show that 87% of patients survive cancer when conventional
treatment is accompanied by immunotherapy versus the 50% of just conventional. The Issels
foundation wants to compare conventional therapy and therapy accompanied by immunotherapy
in order to show that immunotherapy can be that crucial addition to ones therapy that could save
ones life.Dr. Issels concept of immunotherapy consists of Elimination of causal factors, such
as head foci of infection including dental, alveolar and tonsillar foci, malnutrition, abnormal
intestinal flora, fields of disturbance, physical and chemical exogenous factors, endogenous and
psychological factors, Desensitization of the organism which has been sensitized by causal
factors by administration of auto hemolysates and colloids, desensitization of the organism which
has been sensitized by causal factors by administration of auto hemolysates and colloids.(Issel
Foundation)
To prove himself, Josef M. Issels, M.D. reported in "Immunotherapy in Progressive Metastatic
Cancer, A Fifteen Year Survival Follow-up" Clinical Trials Journal (London) 1970. 7, NO. 3, pp.
357-366, that of 370 patients with various cancers who were given immunological treatment
shortly after surgery or irradiation, 322 (87%) were alive and well after five years without
relapse or detectable metastases. A restoration of the immune functions can reduce the incidence
of relapse from about 50% (World Statistic) to 13% by combined conventional treatments and
comprehensive immunotherapy. An independent statistical study by A.G. Audier, M.D.,
University of Leiden, Holland "Immunotherapy Metastasis Render Malignome" Die
Medizinische 1959, NO. 40, pp. 1860-64, reported a 16.6% cure rate of histologically verified
metastatic melanomas by the Issels comprehensive immunotherapy. The study comprised 252
patients with various cancers after all conventional methods were exhausted (Worldwide cure
rate is 2%).(Issel Foundation)
According to a non-fiction article, The future of antigen-specific immunotherapy of
allergy, by Rudolf Valenta (June 2002), who studied medicine at the University of Vienna and
earned his MD degree in 1987, states that immunotherapy is not as good as it sounds and does
not have a positive outlook in its future. He begins his article with the data that 25% of the
population suffer from immunotherapy since it is a side treatment to work along with full
treatment. Valenta states that the allergic side effects minimize the effect of immunotherapy in
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order to inform his readers that immunotherapy may have some negative outcomes in its future
as more and more patients use this type of treatment and ask Is this really work my money or is
there a better a option and to nudge them towards that better option. The article provides
quantitative evidence when he states that more than 25% of the population in industrialized
countries suffers from immunoglobulin-E-mediated allergies(Valenta). And is based off how
The antigen-specific immunotherapy that is in use at present involves the administration of
allergen extracts to patients with the aim to cure allergic symptoms (Valenta).
Immunotherapy is a new way of treating cancer However, the risk of therapy-induced side
effects limits its broad application. Recent work indicates that the epitope complexity of natural
allergen extracts can be recreated using recombinant allergens, and hypoallergenic derivatives of
these can be engineered to increase treatment safety(Valenta).This is specifically for the people
who want to learn about the side effects of immunotherapy and are already affected by cancer.
To contradict Rudolf Valenta, a news web article written by NCI staff claims that the new
platelets help prevent the growth of cancerous tumors by inducing an immunotherapy drug
straight into the blood system. In the study conducted, the researchers chemically linked platelets
to an immune checkpoint inhibitor which is a form of immunotherapy that releases the brakes on
the anticancer immune response, and a platelet normally helps form blood clots and heal
wounds. According to the study conducted, Many patients with solid tumors that have not
spread undergo surgery to have their tumor removed. However, it can be challenging to remove
the entire tumor, and some cancer cells may remain after surgery. These residual cancer cells
have the potential to regrow at the site of the original tumor or spread to form new tumors in
other organs(NCI).In order to deliver the therapy they sought the help of platelets because
these small cell fragments accumulate in wounds and can interact with metastatic cancer cells
circulating in the bloodstream. In addition, when platelets become activated at the wound site,
they release chemicals to augment the local immune response helping to repair the
wound(NCI).The surgically removed tumors data included that approximately 99% of tumors
in mice with melanoma, then injected the mice with inhibitor alone or the engineered platelets.
Using fluorescent tags, the researchers found that, 2 hours after injection, the engineered
platelets accumulated at the surgery wound site, whereas the inhibitor alone did not(NCI).NCI
staff published their finding of the conducted experiment in order to inform other people of
different ways one could receive cancer treatment to really help out in progress of recovering.
This is specifically targeted towards people with tumors already formed that had chronically
come back.
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Cancer may have started the fight

But you will finish it.

-Anonymous
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Epilogue
Cancer has been a disease taking the lives of such a plethora of people since the age of
the dinosaurs, but how much does the human race really understand of the disease and the
treatments that accompany it as well. They consist of Chemotherapy, Radiology, Immunotherapy,
Diets and so many more, but people have different beliefs on the topics of treatments themselves.
Some people say a prayer has more power than chemotherapy. People say this to get their point
across meaning that people have a very low chance of making it through chemotherapy.
Therefore this study was conducted.
People do not fully grasp the concept of the treatments provided and the wonders the
treatments can do. These treatments give people hope for survival and ultimately hope for the
their future, the future that may or may not exist. 1 in three women and one in two men will be
diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime and 1 in four schools will have a student diagnosed with
cancer. 7.2 to 7.5 million people die every year of cancer and over 1,500 die every day. Every
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day 46 children are diagnosed with cancer and have a 75% chance of making it to become an
adult, and go into the adult life they deserve.
Ultimately there is no overall best treatment, it is determined on the type of cancer one is
going through, the age, and body type. Chemotherapy could come up to have a survival rate of
up to 60% but sometimes, people could take the chemotherapy treatment along with the
immunotherapy treatment. Kristen karr for example did base her novel and documentary on her
diet, but she did take chemotherapy as well as radiotherapy. Yes the diet ,may have something to
do with her survival, but diet helps the human body in general.

Work Cited

Agni, Michelle, and Massimo D. Niccola. "Successful in vivo purging of CD34-containing

peripheral blood harvests in mantle cell and indolent lymphoma: evidence for a role of both
chemotherapy and rituximab infusion." Blood journal. The American Society of Hematology, 29
Mar. 2000. Web. 29 Apr. 2017. <http://www.bloodjournal.org/content/96/3/864.short?sso-
checked=true>.

Patchell, Roy A. "Direct decompressive surgical resection in the treatment of spinal cord
compression caused by metastatic cancer: a randomised trial." The Lancet. Elsevier Inc., 21 July
2005. Web. 29 Apr. 2017. <http://thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(05)66954-
1/fulltext?cc=y=>.

Hungerford, J. L., N. M. Toma, P. N. Plowman, and J. E. Kingston. "External beam radiotherapy

for retinoblastoma: I. Whole eye technique." British journal pf Opthamology. BJM publishing
group, 01 Feb. 1995. Web. 29 Apr. 2017. <http://bjo.bmj.com/content/79/2/109.short>
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Agni, Michelle, and Massimo D. Niccola. "Successful in vivo purging of CD34-containing

peripheral blood harvests in mantle cell and indolent lymphoma: evidence for a role of both
chemotherapy and rituximab infusion." Blood journal. The American Society of Hematology, 29
Mar. 2000. Web. 29 Apr. 2017. <http://www.bloodjournal.org/content/96/3/864.short?sso-
checked=true>.

Agni, Michelle, and Massimo D. Niccola. "Successful in vivo purging of CD34-containing

peripheral blood harvests in mantle cell and indolent lymphoma: evidence for a role of both
chemotherapy and rituximab infusion." Blood journal. The American Society of Hematology, 29
Mar. 2000. Web. 29 Apr. 2017. <http://www.bloodjournal.org/content/96/3/864.short?sso-
checked=true>.

Levy, Janey. Esophageal cancer: current and emerging trends in detection and treatment. New
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Alagna, Magdalena. Everything you need to know about chemotherapy. New York: Rosen Pub.
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February 6, 2017, by Jeff Abrams, M.D., and Warren Kibbe, Ph.D., January 11, 2017, by NCI
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Growth." National Cancer Institute. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Mar. 2017.