According to “Blood pressure drug 'fights cancer'” in the BBC News Health(2013), the researchers used Losartan which is a blood pressure drug to make the blood vessels work more effectively to convey blood; as a consequence, the chemotherapy drugs easily deliver to the target. This test was accomplished in mice, but they plan to run this approach with the patients who are suffering from an inoperable pancreatic cancer.
Since the medical science has rapidly improved, many treatments are launched for the patients who have to face with the terrible diseases such as cancer, heart disease, or diabetes. These treatments are so effective and there are fewer side effects. I’ve read the interesting article about a new cancer drug in Time. The author says that the researchers have found the new substance that can use instead of chemotherapy drug. The patients just take 2-3 pills a day to cure themselves from the cancer and side effects are fewer than using chemotherapy drugs. I think it’s a very good news for the patients who suffer from not only the symptoms of disease but also the side effects of the drug; however, this approach is ready for some kind of cancer.
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Reference
Michelle Roberts.(2013,October 1). Blood pressure drug 'fights cancer'. BBC News Health. Retrieved October 1,2013 from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-24346541
That's good news, and shows yet again that drugs offer some very real advantages, although I think that even the drugs with unpleasant side-effects still offer very real advantages, including perhaps the addictive recreational drugs that are so very popular with so very many people across every level of society.
ReplyDeleteThere was a very different story on the BBC News last night which I think might be relevant here. Many people with cancer end up dying in agony, and they want to be able to legally tell their doctors to kill them. At the moment, very countries allow such doctor assisted euthanasia, instead forcing their dying citizens to live in pain, suffering and misery until death releases them.
ReplyDeleteShould your country allow doctor assisted suicide for people who want it?
In fact, one Australian state did make this legal for a short time, but it was overruled by the federal government. I think the state government was right: if citizens want to die and have a good reason for that, they should be able to instruct their doctors to give them a lethal dose of drugs (those useful drugs again!) to end their lives painlessly and in comfort.
I always Think about mercy killing when I was a student because the end of life should be peaceful and painless. I always order my close friends that if one day I have a severe trauma, diseases or vegetative condition, please inject me to die soon. I saw the sad euthanasia scene in the medical series Grey's Anatomy, in fact, It isn't only depend on the patient's requiring, but it's also have a many many factors. For example, who want to do a mercy killing?, Have relatives right to stop mercy killing? which condition should doctor let them go?, so in many countries this concept still unacceptable. However, I support this idea because I don't want to see myself painful in physical or mental side.
DeleteI had actually thought of it before, but Four's comment again reminded me of one of my aunts, who died of liver cancer. The end of her life was awful. She wanted to die, but was not allowed to. She was kept alive against her wishes in a hospital, with visits from her family that were painful for all. It was known that the cancer would shortly kill her whatever was done and that all the money and resources spent on forcing her to live a bit longer were not going to any more useful purpose.
DeleteLike Four, I think her wishes should have been respected and her doctors should have killed her as she wanted. I would want the same.
I also like the further questions that Four asks us to consider.