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Argumentative Essay On Cancer

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It is one of the most dreaded messages to receive. . . “You have cancer”. In 2017, it is estimated that 1,688,780 people in the United States will receive this news (“American Cancer Society”). A diagnosis of cancer can be devastating for a person and his or her family. Many consider a cancer diagnosis a death sentence. It is important to understand what exactly cancer is. Despite a lack of new treatment methods, cancer survival rates are increasing; not much new techniques are being used, and cancer cannot be cured unless more research is done.
The origin of cancer within a person could be a result of multiple variables. Cancer could simply be a malfunction within the body. All living things are composed of cells. Cells house the genetic makeup of a person: deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA. The human body is composed of trillions of cells which constantly divide to replace old or damaged cells (“The Cells”). For cells to divide, enzymes within the cell must duplicate the DNA. Mistakes in copying genetic code are common. This division of cells usually occurs in a consistent and controllable manner as the cell has the ability to check its DNA for errors and self-destruct if an error is potentially harmful; however, not all mistakes are caught. If the mistake in the DNA is not noticed and taken care of, the cell can develop and begin to behave abnormally. It may gain the ability to stimulate its own growth and ignore signals to stop. When this happens, a cluster of abnormal

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