TREATING CANCER

Criterion D

Name: Hannah
Class: 6.3
 G6 Criterion D Student Guide - Cancer

IB Command Terms
Analyse: Break down in order to bring out the essential elements or structure.
(To identify parts and relationships, and to interpret information to reach
conclusions.)

Describe: Give a detailed account or picture of a situation, event, pattern or

process.

Discuss: Offer a considered and balanced review that includes a range of

arguments, factors or hypotheses. Opinions or conclusions should be
presented clearly and supported by appropriate evidence.

Document: Credit sources of information used by referencing (or citing),

following one recognized referencing system.
References should be included in the text and also at the end of the piece of
work in a reference list or bibliography.

Outline: Give a brief account or summary.

State: Give a specific name, value or other brief answer without

explanation or calculation.

Summarize: Abstract a general theme or major point(s).

IB Definition
Economic: Production, distribution, and use of income, wealth, and
commodities.

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 G6 Criterion D Student Guide - Cancer

Section A: The Problem

IB Command Term
Outline: Give a brief account or summary.

Include a definition of cancer in your outline of the problem.

Before you describe a solution to cancer, you need to make it clear that
cancer is a problem.

Outline the problem of cancer - include a statistic to show that cancer is a real
problem:

P: Cancer is one of the most deadly diseases in the world because it can happen

anywhere on your body, and it is difficult to cure.

E: Cancer is typically deadly, but scientists are trying to find a way to treat cancer

in patients. In 2025, an estimated 2,041,910 people will be diagnosed with cancer,

and 618,120 people will die from it (National Cancer Institute). In 2025, an

estimated 14,690 children and adolescents ages 0 to 19 will be diagnosed with

cancer, and 1,650 will die of the disease (National Cancer Institute).

A: This suggests that cancer is a real problem because too many people are

diagnosed with it.

S: This is significant because the number of people diagnosed with cancer in 0-19-

year-olds is alarming.

Cancer is one of the most deadly diseases in the world because cancer can

happen anywhere on your body, and it is difficult to cure. Cancer is typically

2 | Page
 G6 Criterion D Student Guide - Cancer
deadly, but scientists are trying to find a way to treat cancer in patients. In 2025, an

estimated 2,041,910 people will be diagnosed with cancer, and 618,120 people will

die from it (National Cancer Institute). In 2025, an estimated 14,690 children and

adolescents ages 0 to 19 will be diagnosed with cancer, and 1,650 will die of the

disease (National Cancer Institute). This suggests that cancer is a real problem

because too many people are diagnosed with it. This is significant because the

number of people diagnosed with cancer in 0-19 years old is alarming.

Do not forget to document sources to include in-text citations

3 | Page
 G6 Criterion D Student Guide - Cancer

Section B: The Scientific Solution

IB Command Term
Summarize: Abstract a general theme or major point(s).

1-2 3-4 5-6 7-8

State a scientific State a scientific Outline a Summarize a

method that can method that can scientific method scientific method
Science can
be used to treat be used to treat that can be used that can be used
solve problems
cancer with cancer to treat cancer to treat cancer
limited success

Summarize how chemotherapy can be used to treat cancer:

Chemotherapy is a type of therapy scientists mainly use to treat cancer. In the

1930s, researchers investigated the idea of fighting by injecting compounds

derived from mustard gas into the veins of cancer patients.

It took a lot of time, trial and error to find treatments that did more good than harm,

and in 1947, they discovered what became known as the first chemotherapy drugs

(TED-Ed). As a result, today, there are more than 100 chemotherapy drugs.

Chemotherapy drugs are delivered through pills and injections and use "cytotoxic

agents," which means compounds that are toxic to living cells. These medicines

cause some level of harm to all cells in the body, even healthy ones (TED-Ed).

This point is significant because scientists are looking to find a cure to treat cancer

cells with chemotherapy, and maybe try to find another way to treat cancer in

patients. We would also need scientists to find better ways to lessen the harm it

4 | Page
 G6 Criterion D Student Guide - Cancer
causes to patients taking it.

Do not forget to document sources to include in-text citations

5 | Page
 G6 Criterion D Student Guide - Cancer

Section C: Pros and Cons of the Scientific Solution

IB Command Term
Describe: Give a detailed account or picture of a situation, event, pattern or
process.

You need to include arguments about the positives and negatives of

chemotherapy.

1-2 3-4 5-6 7-8

State the State the Outline the Describe and

implications of implications of implications of summarize the
the the the implications of
Implications of chemotherapy in chemotherapy in chemotherapy in the
Scientific treating cancer, treating cancer, treating cancer, chemotherapy in
solutions interacting with interacting with interacting with treating cancer,
an economic an economic an economic interacting with
factor, with factor factor an economic
limited success factor

Benefits of Chemotherapy:

Around the world, people are constantly getting diagnosed with cancer.

Chemotherapy is one of the solutions given to these patients.

In 2018 alone, over 17 million people worldwide received a cancer diagnosis (TED-

Ed). Chemotherapy has good and bad effects on the body. Also, doctors usually

give options to help manage these side effects, such as strong anti-nausea

medications and cold caps for hair loss.

Therefore, chemotherapy can help, but it's expensive to afford either way,

considering the other treatments that come with it.

Even if you are diagnosed, it's pretty much the only way you can treat cancer. So,

scientists would need to try to make it cheaper for other people so they can be

6 | Page
 G6 Criterion D Student Guide - Cancer
treated if they have cancer.

Do not forget to document sources to include in-text citations

7 | Page
 G6 Criterion D Student Guide - Cancer

Section C: Pros and Cons of the Scientific Solution

Disadvantages of Chemotherapy:

There are a lot of benefits to chemotherapy, but it has one big disadvantage, and

that is that it affects other healthy cells in the body that naturally have to renew

rapidly. Hair follicles, the cells of the mouth, the gastrointestinal lining, the

reproductive system, and bone marrow are hit nearly as hard as cancer. Similar to

cancer cells, the rapid production of these normal cells means that they’re reaching

for resources more frequently, and are therefore more exposed to the effects of

chemotherapy (TED-Ed). That can also lead to some common side effects of

chemotherapy, which include hair loss, fatigue, infertility, nausea, and vomiting,

which can be a bit overwhelming, but at least it's not all too bad. Although these

side effects can make your brain and body hurt, at least after chemotherapy, you

will not have cancer.

Do not forget to document sources to include in-text citations

8 | Page
 G6 Criterion D Student Guide - Cancer

Section D: Societal Factor (Economic)

IB Definition
Economic: Production, distribution, and use of income, wealth, and commodities.

1-2 3-4 5-6 7-8

State the State the Outline the Describe and

implications of implications of implications of summarize the
the the the implications of
Implications of chemotherapy in chemotherapy in chemotherapy in the
Scientific treating cancer, treating cancer, treating cancer, chemotherapy in
solutions interacting with interacting with interacting with treating cancer,
an economic an economic an economic interacting with
factor with factor factor an economic
limited success factor

Economic benefits associated with chemotherapy:

Although AARP The Magazine shows average total costs of cancer treatment run

in the $150,000 range, it doesn’t paint an accurate picture.

Total out-of-pocket costs depend on a number of factors, including insurance

coverage, types of cancer and treatment, frequency of treatment, and costs related

to the cancer center.

Economic problems associated with chemotherapy:

Cancer death rates are approximately 20% higher among residents of the poorest

U.S. counties compared to the most affluent counties. The largest gaps are seen in

preventable cancers, including lung, cervical, colorectal, and liver cancers. The

9 | Page
 G6 Criterion D Student Guide - Cancer
economic burden of cancer is substantial in all countries and reflects health care

spending as well as lost productivity due to morbidity and premature death from

cancer. As cancer treatment costs increase, prevention and early detection efforts

become more cost-effective and potentially cost-saving.

In chemotherapy, there are some economic benefits and some economic

problems. All countries experience economic problems due to cancer, as it adds to

their health care spending as well as lost productivity due to death. As cancer

treatment costs increase, prevention and early detection efforts become more cost-

effective and potentially cost-saving (The Cancer Atlas). Meanwhile, the average

total cost of cancer treatment is about $150,000. Total out-of-pocket costs depend

on a number of factors, including insurance coverage, types of cancer, and

treatment (Selby). Although all countries struggle with cancer, it is still a burden to

some countries without good health care, and people with cancer might die if no

type of treatment can resolve it. Overall, the economy is affected by cancer. It will

remain a problem unless scientists try to figure out a solution to this worldwide

problem.

Do not forget to document sources to include in-text citations

10 | Page
 G6 Criterion D Student Guide - Cancer

Section E: Conclusion

IB Command Term
Summarize: Abstract a general theme or major point(s).

Highlight the most important information about treating cancer using

chemotherapy.

1-2 3-4 5-6 7-8

State the State the Outline the Describe and

implications of implications of implications of summarize the
the the the implications of
chemotherapy chemotherapy chemotherapy the
Implications of in treating in treating in treating chemotherapy
Scientific cancer, cancer, cancer, in treating
solutions interacting with interacting with interacting with cancer,
an economic an economic an economic interacting with
factor, with factor factor an economic
limited factor
success

Summarize your findings to write a conclusion:

In conclusion, over billions of people get diagnosed with a certain type of disease

called cancer, which affects the body in many areas of the human cells.

Chemotherapy is typically one of the ways of treating cancer, so far as we already

know. Chemotherapy uses some very powerful drugs to kill cancer cells or stop

them from spreading rapidly. While it can be effective, it also attacks the healthier

cells, causing some side effects such as nausea, vomiting, hair loss, etc. The

chemotherapy treatment is helpful, but it's not very affordable. The average cost for

this treatment is around $150,000. It would also need to depend on the type of

cancer, the treatment frequency, and your insurance. This will create financial

11 | Page
 G6 Criterion D Student Guide - Cancer
problems, especially for the poor who are diagnosed, as they don’t have much

money and can’t pay for the treatment. It will lead to an increase in the cancer

death rate. Although chemotherapy saves many lives, its expensive cost and side

effects make people hard to be approachable. Based on my research, I conclude

that chemotherapy is a helpful but imperfect treatment. It works scientifically by

targeting cancer cells, but its economic problems and health risks show that we

need a better, more affordable cancer treatment for the billions of people

worldwide.

12 | Page
 G6 Criterion D Student Guide - Cancer

Use Scientific Language Clearly and Precisely

1-2 3-4 5-6 7-8

The student is able to:

Apply scientific Sometime,s Usually apply Consistently

language to apply scientific scientific apply scientific
communicate language to language to language to
Scientific understanding, communicate communicate communicate
language but does so understanding understanding understanding
with clearly clearly and
limited and precisely precisely
success

Read back over your report.

Check to ensure that you write clearly and concisely

and use scientific vocabulary.

13 | Page
 G6 Criterion D Student Guide - Cancer

Section F: Bibliography

IB Command Term
Document: Credit sources of information used by referencing (or citing),
following one recognized referencing system.
References should be included in the text and also at the end of the piece
of work in a reference list or bibliography.

Ensure that you have included in-text citations within your report.

MyBib is an easy way to create the required in-text citations for your report.

All of the url links in the Google Slides presentation should be included
in your bibliography.

1-2 3-4 5-6 7-8

Document Sometimes, Usually Document

Documenting sources, with document document sources
Sources limited sources sources completely.
success. correctly. correctly.

Prepare an alphabetically organized list of works cited:

Consider using MyBib to organize your bibliography.

Complete your bibliography on the next page.

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 G6 Criterion D Student Guide - Cancer

Section F: Bibliography

Bibliography:

FuseSchool - Global Education. “What Is Cancer? | Genetics | Biology |

FuseSchool.” YouTube, 8 Jan. 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?

v=KMkmkpitAH0.

National Cancer Institute. “Cancer Statistics.” National Cancer Institute, 9

May 2024, www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/understanding/statistics.

Accessed 21 May 2025.

Pancreatic Cancer UK. “Advantages and Disadvantages of Chemotherapy.”

Pancreatic Cancer UK, Pancreatic Cancer UK, Aug. 2019,

www.pancreaticcancer.org.uk/information/treatments-for-pancreatic-

cancer/chemotherapy/advantages-and-disadvantages/.

Selby, Karen. “High Cost of Cancer Treatment.” Asbestos, 9 Dec. 2019,

www.asbestos.com/featured-stories/high-cost-of-cancer-treatment/.

Accessed 21 May 2025.

TED-Ed. “How Does Chemotherapy Work? - Hyunsoo Joshua No.”

YouTube, 5 Dec. 2019, www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgWQCGX3MOk.

Accessed 21 May 2025.

The Cancer Atlas. “The Economic Burden of Cancer.” The Cancer Atlas,

2017, canceratlas.cancer.org/taking-action/economic-burden/. Accessed 21

May 2025.

15 | Page
 G6 Criterion D Student Guide - Cancer

IB Command Terms
Analyse: Break down in order to bring out the essential elements or structure.
(To identify parts and relationships, and to interpret information to reach
conclusions.)

Describe: Give a detailed account or picture of a situation, event, pattern or

process.

Discuss: Offer a considered and balanced review that includes a range of

arguments, factors or hypotheses. Opinions or conclusions should be
presented clearly and supported by appropriate evidence.

Document: Credit sources of information used by referencing (or citing),

following one recognized referencing system.
References should be included in the text and also at the end of the piece of
work in a reference list or bibliography.

Outline: Give a brief account or summary.

State: Give a specific name, value or other brief answer without

explanation or calculation.

Summarize: Abstract a general theme or major point(s).

IB Definition
Economic: Production, distribution, and use of income, wealth, and
commodities.

16 | Page
 G6 Criterion D Student Guide - Cancer
Paste all your paragraphs here to form an essay.
Times New Roman, 12 point font, double spaced.

Cancer is one of the most deadly diseases in the world because cancer can happen

anywhere on your body, and it is difficult to cure. Cancer is typically deadly, but scientists

are trying to find a way to treat cancer in patients. In 2025, an estimated 2,041,910 people

will be diagnosed with cancer, and 618,120 people will die from it (National Cancer

Institute). In 2025, an estimated 14,690 children and adolescents ages 0 to 19 will be

diagnosed with cancer, and 1,650 will die of the disease (National Cancer Institute). This

suggests that cancer is a real problem because too many people are diagnosed with it. This is

significant because the number of people diagnosed with cancer in 0-19 years old is alarming.

Chemotherapy is a type of therapy scientists mainly use to treat cancer. In the 1930s,

researchers investigated the idea of fighting by injecting compounds derived from mustard

gas into the veins of cancer patients. It took a lot of time and trial and error to find treatments

that did more good than harm, and in 1947, they discovered what became known as the first

chemotherapy drugs (TED-Ed). As a result, today, there are more than 100 chemotherapy

drugs. Chemotherapy drugs are delivered through pills and injections and use "cytotoxic

agents," which means compounds that are toxic to living cells. These medicines cause some

level of harm to all cells in the body, even healthy ones (TED-Ed). This point is significant

because scientists are looking to find a cure to treat cancer cells with chemotherapy, and

maybe try to find another way to treat cancer in patients. We would also need scientists to

find better ways to lessen the harm it causes to patients taking it.

Around the world, people are constantly getting diagnosed with cancer.

Chemotherapy is one of the solutions given to these patients. In 2018 alone, over 17 million

people worldwide received a cancer diagnosis (TED-Ed). Chemotherapy has good and bad

effects on the body. Also, doctors usually give options to help manage these side effects, such

17 | Page
 G6 Criterion D Student Guide - Cancer
as strong anti-nausea medications and cold caps for hair loss. Therefore, chemotherapy can

help, but it's expensive to afford either way, considering the other treatments that come with

it. Even if you are diagnosed, it's pretty much the only way you can treat cancer. So, scientists

would need to try to make it cheaper for other people so they can be treated if they have

cancer.

There are a lot of benefits to chemotherapy, but it has one big disadvantage, and that

is that it affects other healthy cells in the body that naturally have to renew rapidly. Hair

follicles, the cells of the mouth, the gastrointestinal lining, the reproductive system, and bone

marrow are hit nearly as hard as cancer. Similar to cancer cells, the rapid production of these

normal cells means that they’re reaching for resources more frequently—and are therefore

more exposed to the effects of chemotherapy (TED-Ed). That can also lead to some common

side effects of chemotherapy, which include hair loss, fatigue, infertility, nausea, and

vomiting, which can be a bit overwhelming, but at least it's not all too bad. Although these

side effects can make your brain and body hurt, at least after chemotherapy, you will not have

cancer.

In chemotherapy, there are some economic benefits and some economic problems. All

countries experience economic problems due to cancer, as it adds to their health care

spending as well as lost productivity due to death. As cancer treatment costs increase,

prevention and early detection efforts become more cost-effective and potentially cost-saving

(The Cancer Atlas). Meanwhile, the average total cost of cancer treatment is about $150,000.

Total out-of-pocket costs depend on a number of factors, including insurance coverage, types

of cancer, and treatment (Selby). Although all countries struggle with cancer, it is still a

burden to some countries without good health care, and people with cancer might die if no

type of treatment can resolve it. Overall, the economy is affected by cancer. It will remain a

problem unless scientists try to figure out a solution to this worldwide problem.

18 | Page
 G6 Criterion D Student Guide - Cancer
In conclusion, over billions of people get diagnosed with a certain type of disease

called cancer, which affects the body in many areas of the human cells. Chemotherapy is

typically one of the ways of treating cancer, so far as we already know. Chemotherapy uses

some very powerful drugs to kill cancer cells or stop them from spreading rapidly. While it

can be effective, it also attacks the healthier cells, causing some side effects such as nausea,

vomiting, hair loss, etc. The chemotherapy treatment is helpful, but it's not very affordable.

The average cost for this treatment is around $150,000. It would also need to depend on the

type of cancer, the treatment frequency, and your insurance. This will create financial

problems, especially for the poor who are diagnosed, as they don’t have much money and

can’t pay for the treatment. It will lead to an increase in the cancer death rate. Although

chemotherapy saves many lives, its expensive cost and side effects make people hard to be

approachable. Based on my research, I conclude that chemotherapy is a helpful but imperfect

treatment. It works scientifically by targeting cancer cells, but its economic problems and

health risks show that we need a better, more affordable cancer treatment for the billions of

people worldwide.

Works Cited (Bibliography)

FuseSchool - Global Education. “What Is Cancer? | Genetics | Biology | FuseSchool.”

YouTube, 8 Jan. 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMkmkpitAH0.

National Cancer Institute. “Cancer Statistics.” National Cancer Institute, 9 May 2024,

www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/understanding/statistics. Accessed 21 May 2025.

Pancreatic Cancer UK. “Advantages and Disadvantages of Chemotherapy.”

Pancreatic Cancer UK, Pancreatic Cancer UK, Aug. 2019,

www.pancreaticcancer.org.uk/information/treatments-for-pancreatic-cancer/

chemotherapy/advantages-and-disadvantages/.

19 | Page
 G6 Criterion D Student Guide - Cancer
Selby, Karen. “High Cost of Cancer Treatment.” Asbestos, 9 Dec. 2019,

www.asbestos.com/featured-stories/high-cost-of-cancer-treatment/. Accessed 21 May

2025.

TED-Ed. “How Does Chemotherapy Work? - Hyunsoo Joshua No.” YouTube, 5 Dec.

2019, www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgWQCGX3MOk. Accessed 21 May 2025.

The Cancer Atlas. “The Economic Burden of Cancer.” The Cancer Atlas, 2017,

canceratlas.cancer.org/taking-action/economic-burden/. Accessed 21 May 2025.

20 | Page