A doctor begins a skin cancer patient on a new treatment

Question

A doctor begins a skin cancer patient on a new treatment that has met with great success in other patients. The new treatment involves a new drug and is less painful and invasive than some of the other available options and is more advanced and specialized. However, after she begins the new treatment, the patent`s health begins to decline.
 
Which of the following, if true, would give the best partial explanation of the discrepancy below?
 
 
(A) While this drug does kill these cancer cells, this is just one application for which it is commonly prescribed.
(B) The drug is not particularly discerning between cancer and non-cancer cells.
(C) The patient began other treatments right after she started taking the drug.
(D) Right after beginning the drug, the patient recovered from a case of pneumonia.
(E) Of all the cancer drugs on the market, the prescribed drug has the highest success rate.

nakib77 · Answer

I am torn between C and D.

but on the exam day I will choose C.

christoph · Answer

E) is out
B) is out b/c the arg says the drug is spezialized. moreover it states that the drug is successful with other patients. out
D) out b/c recover means that he gets better
A) too general

C) is left ! why ? b/c it may habe negative side effects with other drugs

GMATT73 · Answer

OA is B 

OE:

Step 1: ID Question Type and Task
The question asks you to explain the discrepancy which indicates that this is a Paradox Question.
 
Task: Find the seemingly contradictory issue and pose it in the form of a question.
 
Step 2: Read the Argument and Extract Necessary Information: 
The necessary information is the paradox, identify the paradox and pose it to yourself as a question. 
 
Paradox: Why would the patient`s health decline after starting a drug that is successful in other patients and by most standards better than other drugs?
 
Step 3: Formulate an Answer to the Question
Formulate a resolution to the paradox (if possible). 
 
Remember, the best answer provides a connection between the two sides of the paradox without changing or discounting either side.
 
Step 4: Eliminate Answer Choices:
 
 
(A) Keep it. This might explain why what was expected didn`t occur.
 
(B) Keep. This presents a partial explanation for the ineffectiveness of the treatment, by suggesting that it caused as many problems as it cured. 
 
(C) Keep it. This might explain the discrepancy.
 
(D) Doesn`t explain. It is irrelevant that the patient just recovered from pneumonia.
 
(E) Doesn`t explain. This further confirms the paradox since the success should be expected in this patient.
 
Step 5: Identify differences in remaining choices
 
(A) This choice is partially irrelevant since the other treatments for which it is used are not relevant to our issue here.
 
(C) This choice requies the assumption that the treatments are in conflict, but does not directly point to negative consequences of other treatments. 

(B) This provides the best explanation, though it does not address why the treatment was successful in other patients it does clarify why it was successful in this patient

vc019 · Answer

A - Cannot be inferred.
B - Correct.
C - Maybe correct.
D - Out of Scope
E - Out of Scope.

Between B & C I vote for B.

A doctor begins a skin cancer patient on a new treatment

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