Pre-reading questions:
- What came to mind when you read the title above?
- Do you think medicines are always effective?
Medicines that can treat cancer can result to heart damage. They are known as checkpoint inhibitors. There are currently four checkpoint inhibitors in the market. They are used to treat six types of cancer. Checkpoint inhibitors are sometimes mixed with one another for better results.
They are lifesaving drugs that can lead to deaths in rare cases. Less than 1 percent of cancer patients taking them have suffered heart failures. They somehow destroy the immune system and the heart. Doctors are still researching for treatment for heart problems caused by these medicines.
Vocabulary:
rare – [adjective] very uncommon
immune system – [noun] a system that protect human body from infections and diseases
cancer – [noun] a serious illness caused by abnormal cells and that can spread from one infected part to other parts of the body
Comprehension Questions:
- What are checkpoint inhibitors?
- How many types of cancer can these medicines treat?
- What do these medicines do to a patient’s body?
- How many patients have suffered heart failures after taking them?
- What are doctors doing to prevent heart failures caused by these medicines?
Express Your Opinion:
- Do you always take medicines when you are sick or not feeling well? Discuss.
- Do you think having a healthy lifestyle is enough to make us safe from serious illnesses? Discuss.
- Do you agree that drugs are both safe and dangerous to people’s health? Discuss.