Chemotherapy: Cancers Poison Treatment If a doctor walked up to you and said: I am going to treat what is making you sick with “poison” you would think they are crazy! Chemotherapy, a treatment for cancer, is a poison called nitrogen mustard (mustard gas) used during World War II. Paul Ehrlich the father of chemotherapy found that people exposed to the gas had lower White Blood Cell counts than people exposed to the poison (Tharu, 2014, paras. 3). This was the birth of chemotherapy as a therapy for cancer. In the early treatments, chemotherapy proved to be the go to drug of choice. However, as the cancer progressed chemotherapy, as an effective medication for cancer, proves to be ineffective at certain stages which causes physically and emotionally damages the patient.
Claim: Physical Effects
Developing cancer is a major shock to a patient’s life physically, which will change the way a long- suffering individual performs things that were normal to them. For …show more content…
Recognizing cancer related mood changes is a very important while going through the treatment process for cancer. Patient will feel stages of depression stage such as feeling down and out, trouble concentrating and remembering the task at hand. Some patients find that they experience irritability which includes a sudden outburst of anger and crying (Mood Changes, n.d paras. 3). Other patients may even feel hopeless and form of worthlessness that may drive them to thoughts of suicide (Mood Changes, n.d paras. 3). The use of pain medication and substance abuse also rises as treatment progresses. “Cancer treatment, including many of the chemotherapy medications, can directly impact the way people feel emotionally and physically” says Dr. Thielking. However, confusion, disorientation or hallucinations are the most serve side effects a patient may experience. (Mood Changes, n.d paras.
Claim: Physical Effects
Developing cancer is a major shock to a patient’s life physically, which will change the way a long- suffering individual performs things that were normal to them. For …show more content…
Recognizing cancer related mood changes is a very important while going through the treatment process for cancer. Patient will feel stages of depression stage such as feeling down and out, trouble concentrating and remembering the task at hand. Some patients find that they experience irritability which includes a sudden outburst of anger and crying (Mood Changes, n.d paras. 3). Other patients may even feel hopeless and form of worthlessness that may drive them to thoughts of suicide (Mood Changes, n.d paras. 3). The use of pain medication and substance abuse also rises as treatment progresses. “Cancer treatment, including many of the chemotherapy medications, can directly impact the way people feel emotionally and physically” says Dr. Thielking. However, confusion, disorientation or hallucinations are the most serve side effects a patient may experience. (Mood Changes, n.d paras.