Breast cancer is the second most common cancer, and 232,000 women are diagnosed with it each year (National). For years, 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. Although women with breast cancer still undergo dangerous procedures such as chemotherapy, research has proven that there are more effective options, such as targeted intraoperative radiation therapy and hormonal therapy. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essayChemotherapy is harmful and not the best choice. Chemotherapy usually requires hours and hours of constant treatments and doctor visits. Some chemotherapy drugs can prevent cancer recurrence and death, but cause heart and immune problems (Simon). Since it creates more problems instead of solving them, it gives a negative view of the situation. Chemotherapy is also very imprecise and can cause unintended results. This not only kills cancer cells, but also healthy, normal cells (Simon). Since it doesn't offer a direct target, it's difficult to hit it without damaging the area around it. Chemotherapy also permanently damages the brain and causes cognitive problems. “A quarter to a third of women” reported several problems 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 include 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). These brain injuries are called “chemo brain” and affect the parts of the brain that are “gray” and handle speech and cognition. Intraoperative targeted radiotherapy is a more effective option than chemotherapy in patients with breast cancer. Targeted intraoperative radiotherapy, or TARGIT, requires only 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 that this can be done and repeated in one operation. As women only have to go once, this can be taken care of, “at the same time as their lumpectomy” (Paddock). This option is one of the best overall solutions because it reduces overexposure of the heart, organs and breast to toxins and radiation. Like all operations, TARGIT has some side effects but they are extremely acute and minor compared to chemotherapy. Research has been done and suggests that “[a]verse effects following IORT included problems with wound healing (2%)” (intraoperative). Although the risks of wound healing problems are slim, they are still an advantage over chemotherapy. Hormone therapy is another option for women with breast cancer that is more precise and accurate than chemotherapy. Hormone therapy is a drug treatment that uses drugs to block the.