Origins of Chemotherapy

[BDHUNTR]

I just learned this yesterday. Who would have ever guessed?

In 1943 a U.S. stockpile of mustard gas was bombed in Bari, Italy, by a surprise air raid by the Luftwaffe, accidentally exposing thousands of civilians and 628 friendly troops. The mustard gas was aboard ship to use as a retaliatory strike weapon should the Nazis use chemical weapons first during the invasion of the Italian mainland. It was noted by medical workers that the white cell counts of exposed soldiers were decreased, and mustard gas was investigated as a therapy for Hodgkin's lymphoma, a form of cancer. Study of the use of similar chemicals as agents for the treatment of cancers led to the discovery of mustine, and the birth of anticancer chemotherapy.

I always knew chemo drugs were poison, but who knew they were THAT bad? Mustard gas is some mean stuff. I'm glad the TONS of it that were stockpiled about 8 miles from my house in Aberdeen Proving Ground have finally been destroyed (or so we're told).

[Paradoxical Cat]

I just learned this yesterday. Who would have ever guessed?

In 1943 a U.S. stockpile of mustard gas was bombed in Bari, Italy, by a surprise air raid by the Luftwaffe, accidentally exposing thousands of civilians and 628 friendly troops. The mustard gas was aboard ship to use as a retaliatory strike weapon should the Nazis use chemical weapons first during the invasion of the Italian mainland. It was noted by medical workers that the white cell counts of exposed soldiers were decreased, and mustard gas was investigated as a therapy for Hodgkin's lymphoma, a form of cancer. Study of the use of similar chemicals as agents for the treatment of cancers led to the discovery of mustine, and the birth of anticancer chemotherapy.

I always knew chemo drugs were poison, but who knew they were THAT bad? Mustard gas is some mean stuff. I'm glad the TONS of it that were stockpiled about 8 miles from my house in Aberdeen Proving Ground have finally been destroyed (or so we're told).

Look up Cisplatin or Methotrexate. Remember: chemo is supposed to kill that which is you without killing you.

Sulfur mustard is not the first weapon to be re-purposed for medicine. Diisopropylfluorophosphate, a World War I nerve gas, is used in a diluted form to treat glaucoma.

Putting the "mother" back into "chemotherapy."

PC-

[*wk*]

This is why traditional chemotherapy is losing favor to newer treatments. Most newer therapies are called targeted immune therapies, and are virtually free of side effects. 2 such medications are Herceptin and Avastin. Both are used in treatment of breast and colon cancer. The way they work is totally different from anything used in the past. My wife is on Herceptin for her metastatic breast cancer. Gets a 30 minute infusion every 3 weeks, and has been cancer free for over 2 years now. At the time of her diagnosis, they told her she had an 80% chance of NOT living 2 years. Modern medicine truly is a remarkable thing...