Applying Chemistry to Fighting Cancer Essay - 912 Words

In 2013, the United States was said to have an estimated 1.6 million cancer patients. The majority of cancer patients turn to chemotherapy in hope to kill off all the spreading cancer cells so they can have a chance to live again. Chemotherapy is defined as the use of any drug to treat any disease, however people most commonly associate chemotherapy with drugs used to treat cancer. Although chemotherapy could be very effective, the rate of success solely depends on the type of cancer the patient has and could potentially be only one or two percent successful. Cancer is a method by which normal cells of the body mutate and develop quickly into abnormal cells. As early as the 1880s, the only method of treatment of cancer was a radical†¦show more content†¦Not long after the discovery of the benefits of the nitrogen mustard agent, well known pediatric pathologist Sidney Farber, discovered a compound related to the vitamin folic acid. In his research, he discovered a compound wh ich was named aminopterin. He identified its effectiveness in treating acute leukemia in children and its use produced remissions in many children. It was the use of the chemical compound, aminopterin, which started scientists discovering other drugs to treat various types of cancer. Aminopterin became the prototype for methotrexate, which is a commonly used chemotherapy drug today. In the beginning of the 1900s, Paul Ehrlich began developing drugs to treat extremely harmful diseases like cancer. He was actually the first person who created the name â€Å"chemotherapy†, and gave it the definition of using chemicals to treat diseases. He was the first scientist who was known to use animals to demonstrate the effectiveness of chemicals against certain diseases. As stated earlier, methotrexate is used today to treat many cancers, but it was first discovered in 1951 by Jane Wright to be effective in treating solid tumor cancers, like breast cancer, as opposed to leukemia, which i s a cancer of the bone marrow. All of these scientists and discoveries have contributed to cancer drug development, which has grown into a multi-billion dollar industry. In 1955, the United States Congress created a National Cancer Chemotherapy Service Center due to theShow MoreRelatedOncology : Beating Cancer One Day At A Time Essay1196 Words   |  5 PagesOncology: Beating Cancer One Day at a Time It is a world epidemic, â€Å"the second leading cause of death in the United States, exceeded only by heart disease.†(CDC, Statistics for Different Kinds of Cancer). Bringing not only physical dame but as well as psychological damage. I’m speaking of course on cancer. Cancer affects the lives of millions on this world. 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