CHEMOTHERAPY

The presentation of the article The Cancer Genome reminded me of the book Before I Die by Jenny Downham. It entails a tragic story of a young girl diagnosed with leukaemia. Having gone through four years of chemotherapy, she decides to stop treatment and make a bucket list of things to do with her time left instead. Her one wish before she dies was to experience what it meant to really live.

For me this was the turning point on how I viewed cancer. Yet after the heart wrenching presentation, I somehow grew a deeper hatred for the disease. Even though I have never experienced anything remotely close to having cancer, this topic is very easy to resonate with. I think it is because of the common controversy on the idea of chemotherapy.  I think chemotherapy treatment really depends on the patient though. Because chemotherapy is so destructive to the body. First of all, no one should be making the decision of chemotherapy other than the patient and their parents if they are not of age. However, there are some cases which I think are more fitted for chemotherapy. One being the young. If you have so much to live for and so many people to live for, how do you just let go of life without giving a fighting shot? Also if the cancer is not that sever, chemotherapy treatment may be a good idea if the cancer can be put into remission and there is a chance at a semi-normal life. So I think for these two cases chemotherapy is a good idea because it will slow the disease and kill the cancer cells. Even though it will cause hair loss and a lot of discomfort, when the end prize is life, it is worth it.

However, I also think that some people are unfitted for chemotherapy and that is the old and the severally affected. I think once a person is old enough, the pain and trouble of chemotherapy is not worth living their last few years of life as a patient. Instead I think it would be nice if they made a bucket list and go out to do some of the stuff they never thought that they would do. Another is if the cancer is too sever to cure. If chemotherapy will only delay the spread of the cancer by a bit, then I don't think it is worth it. Why live a bit longer while not really living when you can live a bit shorter but truly live.

When it comes down to it though, it is a personal decision that has to be made by the one affected. However if to list the advantages and disadvantages of chemotherapy here would be
my list in a nut shell:
Advantages: To slow down the spread of cancer by killing cancer cells and relieving the symptoms of cancer as well as to increase chances of survival and extend life span.
Disadvantages: Life during chemotherapy will consists of side effects such as nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, fever, hair loss, organ damage, weekly treatments and high expenses.

The problem is that chemotherapy is not a cure, but an delay. So is the price of chemotherapy worth this 'delay' in death. Obviously there would be a lot that goes into considering whether chemotherapy is right for an individual. Personally, it would be a hard decision to make and I would really have to weigh my options of this one. I think I will definitely do it if I am young, if not just for me then probably for my parents.

However, if I am really old I actually think that cancer would be an ideal way to die once I am done everything I need to in life. Then I can have a predetermined time frame of when I am going to die. Then I can go out and do all the things I would never do if I knew I had more time. It also would give me time to say goodbye to my family and those important to me. But this would be when I have already finished living my life and is ready to go. Other wise, if I still have something or someone to live for, I will fight cancer. Or die trying.