The Evolution of Cancer Treatment and Research - Anita

• As you may know, cancer consists of various specific diseases, but is ultimately a condition occurring when an abnormal type of cell develops in a part of the human body, eradicating all other essential human cells. Some of the most common types of cancer are breast cancer, lung cancer, bladder cancer, Melanoma, and so forth. Every year, 7.6 million people die worldwide because of cancer, and nearly 100,000 of these people are children under the age of 15! Statistics have proven that an average of 250 children die everyday, worldwide, due to this disease! Even though technology has advanced enough, effect treatment is desperately needed in order to bring these people back to their normal lives. There are a few treatments which have been proven to have an effect on the demolish of cancer. 
• Radiation therapy is a type of therapy which uses high doses of radiation (special beamed lights) in order to destroy cancer cells and shrink tumors. This therapy helps lessen pain caused by tumors, such as trouble breathing or bladder control problems. This treatment may take weeks to cure a cancer patient. The side effect of this treatment is constant fatigue. The downside of this treatment is that the therapy can accidentally cause more damage to the damaged human cells rather than repairing them. 
• Targeted therapy is a type of therapy that uses precision medicine to target the changes in cancer cell growth and how they spread. As doctors view the changes of cancer cells, they are able to create more precise medications to destroy the cancer cells quicker. In order to have targeted therapy performed, a patient's body must be tested by doctors to see if a type of targeted therapy drug had been created to treat the patient's cancer, in a biopsy procedure. Some side effects of this therapy are constant diarrhea and liver problems. The only drawback of this medication is that the cancer cells sometimes grow resistant towards the drug, making it no longer effective. 
• Chemotherapy is an operation occurring when a liquid drug is injected into a cancer patient's body in order to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy is extremely popular, and can be used along with other treatments. This treatment can shrink tumors before operations, destroy remaining cancer cells after operation, and help other treatments work more effectively. Similar to Targeted therapy, Chemotherapy can come in many forms, including capsules, injections, or lotions. The downside of this treatment can range from simple hair loss, to bone morrow and red blood cell destruction, and to the expensive price.
• Stem cells are primarily located in the umbilical cord, which is a flexible cord like structure which connects a fetus to the body of any mammalian mother. This cord transports nutrients and vitamins from the mother's reserves and into the fetus, to help continue its development. Since Stem cells are found here, they are packed with healthy benefits. Stem cells have been used in cancer research. Unlike other cells, Stem cells have been proven to rapidly kill cancer cells before they have time to reproduce, along with the ability to assist other cells and body parts to mend themselves naturally. They have also been used in Chemotherapy research. Chemotherapy operation could end up killing the cancer patient's bone marrow and red blood cells. Well, doctors have began using Stem cells to help rebuild these body parts, and repair Radiation therapy side effects. But the Stem cells must be donated from someone, and they must specifically be fetus type cells. Plus, the donor's Stem cell type must match the cancer patient's type. But you can't find fetus Stem cells in another PERSON. So doctors have began preserving umbilical cord after births, and match the various Stem cell types to cancer patients. The only backfire on Stem cell operations is if the Stem cell type from the donor does NOT match the cancer patient's type, the results aren't good. After the donor's Stem cells are injected into the cancer patient's body, they can end up working against the cancer patient and instead help the cancer cells destroy the human cells.
• Technology billionaire Sean Parker has donated $250 million in Immunotherapy cancer research. Immunotherapy is a new type of treatment used for cancer patients. It is a liquid drug invented to harness the immune system, and strengthen the body's immune defenses. Immunotherapy helps slow or stop cancer cells from reproducing. Cancer cells reproduce and kill the human body's cells faster than the human body's cells reproduce. The only problem with this type of treatment is the lengthy period of time needed to allow the immune defenses of the drug and body battle with the cancer cells. This one flaw prevents awareness to be spread about Immunotherapy.
• My theory is to have the Immunotherapy drug work alongside Stem cells. This theory actually eliminates some possible side effects. My theory is to traditionally inject the Immunotherapy drug into the cancer patient's body to strengthen the immune defenses. During this process, Stem cells can SLOWLY be injected into the cancer patient's body, which decreases the risk of of having accidentally used the wrong Stem cell type. While the immune defenses are battling the cancer cells, the Stem cells can rebuild the damaged human cells at a rapid rate. Some Stem cells can also assist the immune defenses. With the human cells reproducing at this rate, the cancer cells will be outnumbered, and eventually destroyed.