Breast cancer is the second most common cancer, and 232,000 women are diagnosed with it each year (nationwide). For years now, researchers have been trying to find an answer to this unanswered question: Is there a cure for this disease, and what is it? Chemotherapy is one of the answers to this question, but it has many harmful effects. Despite the fact that women with breast cancer still undergo harmful procedures such as chemotherapy, research has shown that there are more effective options, such as targeted intraoperative radiation therapy and hormone therapy. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Chemotherapy is harmful and not the best choice out there. Chemotherapy commonly requires women to undergo hours and hours of treatments and visits to the doctor. Some chemotherapy drugs can prevent cancer from returning and dying, but they cause heart and immune problems (Simon). Because it creates more problems instead of solving them, it gives a negative view of them. Chemotherapy is also very imprecise and can lead to unplanned results. It not only kills cancer cells but also kills healthy, normal cells (Simon). Since it doesn't offer a direct target, it's difficult to hit without damaging the surrounding area. Chemotherapy also permanently damages the brain and causes cognitive problems. “A quarter to a third of women” reported various outcomes such as “concentration, motor function and memory,” which can be long-term and permanent. Not only can the symptoms be permanent, but they can also be life-changing. These symptoms consist of things like “multitasking and processing speed” (Schug). “What is less known is how cancer treatment affects crucial brain functions, such as speech and cognition” (Neighmond). This brain damage is called “chemo brain” and affects the “gray” parts of the brain that handle speech and cognition. Targeted intraoperative radiotherapy is a more effective option, rather than chemotherapy, in breast cancer patients. Targeted intraoperative radiotherapy, or TARGIT, requires just one quick and simple treatment, compared to chemotherapy which requires many long-lasting operations. Catharine Paddock says TARGIT “uses a miniature X-ray machine to deliver targeted radiation to the tumor site” and can be done over and over again in one operation. Because women only have to go there once for treatment, “at the same time as the lumpectomy” (Paddock). This option is one of the best solutions overall as it reduces overexposure of the heart, organs, and breasts to toxins and radiation. Like all operations, TARGIT has some side effects but they are extremely acute and minor compared to chemo. There has been research suggesting that "[r]are adverse effects following IORT including wound healing problems (2%)" (Intraoperative). Although the chance of wound healing problems is small, it is still an advantage over chemotherapy. Hormone therapy is another option for women with breast cancer, which is more precise and accurate than chemotherapy. Hormone therapy is a drug treatment that uses drugs to block the growth of hormones. As the Temple University Health System states, “[it] blocks the effect of estrogen on cancer cells…has no effect on estrogen levels; instead, they prevent estrogen from causing the growth of breast cancer cells” (“Hormonal”). This treatment only helps you and does not constitute a.