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Death Be Not Proud
In the book, Death Be Not Proud, John Gunther Jr. is exposed to four different treatments: Surgery, The Gerson Diet, Mustard Gas, and X-Ray therapy.
In the end none of these prevailed. In today's time these treatments have either been improved upon or replaced
by new technology. Today Surgery, Radiation treatment, Biological treatment, and chemotherapy are some
of the most common treatments available. Each one is more efficient then that of the 1940's.here are some of the differences.
To Begin with, Surgery has changed greatly over the past years. The kind that Johnny under went
depended much more on the surgeon's eye during the surgery. They did not have computers to assist them in
locating and removing the brain tumor as they do today. Now a person undergoing surgery may need to do some tests
before they go into surgery. Some of these tests include CT, MRI, and PET scans. They help locate the tumor as precisely
as it possibly can. These tests are now in Three-D instead of the Two-dimensional ones used earlier. Also a major change
in surgery is the tools used during it. Lasers are the most commonly used instrument in surgery. When accompanied by a computer it can be
programmed to fire its intense beams at the tumor. These are the major differences between the surgery of the 1940's and today.
Secondly, The Gerson Diet is a restrictive diet that Johnny had to survive through. It was a salt less and fatless diet that was all organic
and nothing was cooked. Although this is still a possible cure many people do not use it, because it is a very difficult and expensive treatment.
Another treatment that is like the diet is Biological treatment. The goal of this is the make it difficult for the tumor
by changing the biological environment or changing their behavior. There are many different types of Biological treatment.
Angiogenesis inhibitors, Anti-sense therapy, and Differentiators are therapies that change the tumors behavior so it destroys itself.
Another therapy is Gene Therapy. This is a therapy that seeks to repair or replace the defective genes. This therapy is still currently under research,
but can be used by people if they want to.
Next, The mustard gas treatment that Johnny used was an early version of chemotherapy. They injected small doses of
gas into Johnny's arms with the thought that gas would kill all abnormally fast growing cells. In today's time chemotherapy
drugs, such as Tamoxifen and RU-486, are injected into the arm everyday for a certain amount of time until they get
"a break". A person on Chemotherapy has a schedule. For example they might be on chemotherapy for a week and
then off a week, or they might be on a month and off two weeks. This goes on for however long the doctor thinks necessary. The schedule
depends on the person and the tumor, and the affects it has on the person.
Lastly, Johnny underwent X-Ray treatment. His head was placed under an x-ray and the invisible beams went directly into the tumor.
This is still a treatment, but there are now other radiation treatments, Gama rays and Photon radiation, can be used instead.
Radiation therapy is also now an addition treatment used to clear up any of the tumor that could not be removed by surgery.
In conventional radiation therapy a person is usually on it one or two weeks after surgery, or as soon as the surgical wound heals.
It is usually given over an extended period of time in small doses.
In conclusion, Surgery, The Gerson Diet, Mustard Gas, and X-Rays have changed greatly over the past years. They are
now more effective and quicker then the treatments that were used on Johnny Gunther. The progress we have made is only the
start of what could be the end of brain tumors and their killings.
