Biomed Unit 3-How to Conquer Cancer

Unit 3- How to Conquer Cancer 3.1- Detecting Cancer Vocabulary Cancer A malignant tumor possible of continuous growth that can grow locally and systemically. Risk Factors Something which increases a person’s risk or susceptibility. Cell Cycle An ordered sequence of an eukaryotic cell’s life events. Apoptosis The changes a cell undergoes as it goes into cell death, brought on by signals triggering suicide proteins. Oncogenes A gene that could potentially cause a cancerous change in normal cells. Tumor Suppressor Genes Regulates a cell’s activity during division and replication. Biopsy The removal and examination of tissues, cells, or fluids. Osteosarcoma Cancer originating in the bone/ bone tissues. Proto-oncogenes A normal gene that corresponds to an oncogene, it can cause cancer but requires an altercation or mutation to become an oncogene. Cell Cycle ● Checkpoints in a cell cycle ensure that the cell can continue in the cycle without mutations. ○ Cells that are damaged undergo apoptosis ● Cancer is caused when there is a problem in the oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes. Cancer ● Four main types of cancer: ○ Carcinomas ○ Sarcomas ○ Lymphomas ○ Leukemias ● Cancer can arise from the loss of normal growth control, the balance between new cells and cell death become unbalanced. ● Methods of spreading: ○ Invasion- direct migration of cancer cells into nearby tissue. ○ Metastasis- cancer cells traveling via lymphatic and blood vessels around the body and grow in normal tissues. ● Benign tumors grow locally but can’t spread by invasion or metastasis but malignant tumors can only spread by invasion or metastasis. ● DNA repair genes code for proteins that normally correct errors arising when cells replicate DNA before division. 3.2- Reducing Cancer Risk Cancer Screening ● Breast Cancer: ○ Mammogram: an x-ray of the breast commonly used to detect early signs of cancer. ○ Breast MRI: Uses magnetic waves to take an image of the breast used for screening when women are at higher risk for developing breast cancer. ○ Clinical breast exam: A healthcare professional palpates to breasts to feel for lumps or bumps. ○ Self Exam: Identifying any changes felt in the breast. ● Cervical Cancer: ○ Pap smear: Examines the vagina and cervix, cells and mucus from the cervix and the area around it are collected and tested for precancerous cell changes. ● Colorectal Cancer: ○ Looks for precancerous polyps ,or signs of them, in the colon to be removed before they become cancerous. ○ Stool tests, flexible sigmoidoscopy, colonoscopy, and CT colonography are used to look for these polyps. ● Lung Cancer: ○ Low Dose Computed Tomography (LDCT): X-ray machine using a low dose (of radiation to create a detailed image of the lungs. ● Prostate Cancer: ○ Blood Test: Measures the amount the levels of prostate-specific antigen proteins in the blood to screen for abnormally high levels which may indicate prostate cancer. Reducing Cancer Risk ● Maintaining a healthy lifestyle can help to reduce a person's risk of developing cancer from external factors: ○ Not smoking or using tobacco products ○ Maintain a healthy weight ○ Exercise ○ Healthy Diet ○ Limited alcohol consumption 3.3- Treating Cancer Cancer Treatments ● Surgery: ○ Removing the tumor and surrounding tissues. ○ Surgery is often used to remove all or some of the cancerous tissue after diagnosis, or to ease cancer symptoms or to shrink tumors before other treatments. ○ Side effects: ■ Pain in surgical site ■ Infection ■ Bleeding ■ Damage to surrounding tissues ■ Anesthetic reactions ■ Fatigue ■ Appetite loss ■ Swelling ■ Drainage ■ Bruising ■ Numbness or nerve damage ● Chemotherapy: ○ A type of cancer treatment using powerful chemicals that target and kill fastgrowing cells within the body. ○ Often used in combination with other treatments. ○ Side effects: ■ Nausea ■ Vomiting ■ Diarrhea ■ Hair loss ■ Loss of appetite ■ Fatigue ■ Fever ■ Mouth sores ■ Pain ■ Constipation ■ Bruising ■ Bleeding ■ Damage to lungs ■ Heart problems ■ Infertility ■ Kidney damage ■ Nerve damage ■ Second cancer ● Radiation Therapy: ○ The radiation makes small breaks in the DNA of exposed cells, the breaks help prevent cancer cells from continuing to grow and divide. ○ Often used in combination with other treatments. ○ Side effects: ■ Hair loss at treatment site ■ Skin irritation ■ Fatigue ■ Dry mouth ■ Difficulty swallowing ■ Sore throat ■ Nausea ■ Mouth sores ■ Tooth decay ■ Cough ■ Shortness of breath ■ Frequent urination ● Immunotherapy: ○ Can be used to teach or boost the immune system to destroy cancer cells. ○ Can be used alone or in combination with other cancer treatments. ○ Side effects: ■ Pain/ swelling/ soreness ■ Rash ■ Fever/ chills ■ Dizziness ■ Nausea and vomiting ■ Muscle/ joint aches ■ Fatigue ■ Headache ■ Shortness of breath ■ Abnormal blood pressure ■ Heart palpitations ■ Risk of infection ■ Organ inflammation ● Targeted therapy: ○ Used to prevent cancer from growing and spreading. ○ Targeted therapy is used for patients with cancers whose tumors have the specific gene mutation that codes for the target. ○ Side effects: ■ Skin problems ■ Delayed clotting ■ High blood pressure ● Hormone therapy: ○ Used to stop or slow the growth of cancer cells that use hormones to grow, such as prostate and breast cancers. ○ May be used in combination with other treatments. ○ Side effects: ■ Tiredness ■ Digestive system problems ■ Hair loss ■ Muscle and bone changes ■ Weight gain ■ Headaches or memory loss ● Stem cell transplant: ○ Used to restore the blood-forming stem cells in patients whose stem cells are damaged. ○ Given with radiation and high dose chemotherapy. ○ Side effects: ■ Mouth/ throat pain ■ Nausea and vomiting ■ Infection ■ Bleeding ■ Interstitial pneumonitis ■ Graft versus host disease ■ Acute GVHD ■ Graft failure 3.4- Building a Better Cancer Treatment Vocabulary Phase I Evaluate safety of drug, determine safe dosage range, identify side effects, test small groups of people. Phase II Learn more about safety and side effects, sharpen estimates of proper dosage, determine effectiveness, test larger groups of people. Phase III determine effectiveness, determine side effects, test large groups of people. Phase IV Collect additional information after the drug enters the market: drug’s risks, drug’s benefits, optimal use. Controlled experiment One group receives the treatment another group does not . Randomized Control group and treatment group are chosen at random. experiment Double-blind Neither subjects nor scientists know who is assigned to which group experiment until after the data are collected. Single-blind Subjects do not know which group they are assigned to but researchers experiment know, this is prone to researcher bias. Treatment group Given experimental drugs. Control group given standard treatment or a placebo. Placebo An inactive pill, liquid, or powder that has no treatment value. Randomized, double Neither patients nor researchers know who is in what group, prevents blinds subjects in different groups from behaving different ways, and prevents scientists from introducing any unconscious bias into the data collection process. Open trials Set up where researchers and subjects know what treatment is being given, often used to test surgical procedures and medical devices, that by nature, cannot be done without the subject or researcher knowing who is receiving the treatment, however these are more prone to error and bias than double blind studies. Factorial trials Used to test medicines in combination. Crossover trials Used to test two treatments, set up where each participant gets both treatments being tested. Some participants are assigned at random to receive drug A and when done, receive drug b. Other patients receive drug B and when done, receive drug A. Orphan drug trials Used to test drugs designed to treat rare diseases, tested on a small number of participants who are very sick, if drug works, improved health is usually readily available. Safety and Ethical Clinical trials are designed to protect the health of the participants. Regulations Clinical trials done in the United States must be approved and monitored by an Institutional review Board. Institutional Review IRBs are independent committees composed of physicians, Boards statisticians, community advocates, and others. The IRB assures that clinical trials are scientifically worthy and that ethical guidelines are met. Clinical Trials ● Clinical trial bias: ○ Double blind trials are the least biased because neither subjects nor scientists know who is assigned to which group until after the data are collected. ○ Single blind experiments are the most prone to biases because the scientists know ahead of time and may influence the results. ● Placebos: ○ In certain trials some patients are given a placebo in place of the drugs to serve as a reference point in results. ○ It may be viewed as unethical to give someone a placebo if they are coming to the clinical trial as a last resort treatment. By giving a patient a placebo, they will not be receiving any treatment at all and therefore the condition will only continue to get worse which is detrimental to the patient and their quality of life.