A set of drugs that fight off cancer is linked to heart complications, a study warns. These medicines called checkpoint inhibitors, caused a few of their takers to develop heart trouble by triggering the body’s immune system to attack the heart. The drugs are a form of immunotherapy that trains the body to counter malignant cells and they have been proven to be very effective for many as they resulted to longer remissions even to those who are suffering from advanced cancer.
Although the adverse effect has only been observed to less than a percent of the patients, doctors need to conduct cardiac testings prior to taking the said drugs. Taking two different checkpoint inhibitors appears to raise the risk of developing complications. Given the advancement in medicine, an accurate prediction as to whether patients might be vulnerable to cardiac complications is still a far possibility. Close monitoring of the drugs’ intake remains the best measure.
Vocabulary:
immunotherapy – [noun] the treatment or prevention of disease by taking measures to increase the immune system functioning
trigger – [verb] to cause something to start
remission – [noun] a period of time during a serious illness when the patient’s health improves
adverse – [adjective] harmful; dangerous
complication – [noun] a secondary disease or condition that happens in addition to another disease or condition
True or False:
- Checkpoint inhibitors, drugs that are taken by cancer patients, caused a few to develop heart trouble by triggering the body’s immune system to attack the brain and heart.
- These drugs are a form of immunotherapy that trains the body to counter malignant cells.
- There is no need for doctors to conduct cardiac testings prior to taking the said drugs.
- Taking two different checkpoint inhibitors appears to lower the risk of developing complications.
- The best measure to avoid heart complications while taking the drug is close monitoring of the drugs’ intake.
Express your opinion:
- Self-medication is absolutely okay.
- Herbal medicine works better than pharmaceutical medicine.
- We should ban medical testings on animals.
Defend your argument:
- Prevention is better than cure.
- Taking supplements is necessary to keep ourselves healthy.
- Share your thoughts about this quote: “The greatest medicine of all is teaching people how not to need it.” – Hippocrates