I know that cancer is a deadly disease and you would want to do all you can to prevent it from happening, especially to your two daughters. There is a variety of genetic testing that you can use to your advantage to check for breast cancer, which I would not blame you for using. However, before you go off and have your daughters tested for cancer, please note that these tests may be unnecessary and there is a possibility that you are wasting money. I will tell you about what I have learned from biology class and from my research, accompanied with a few examples. I will start off with what genes may induce cancer. One gene called the proto-oncogene, is a normal cell that codes for proteins that maintain the growth of the cell and reproduction (Mandal, 2014). However, if the sequence of its DNA is altered in any way, it will produce a protein that would interfere with the regulation of the cell, causing it to over produce by dividing and growing uncontrollably. Because of this mutation and boost in gene expression, the proto-oncogene becomes an oncogene, which can activate cancer cells. One example would be the Myc gene. This is a proto-oncogene that codes for transcription factors. If the sequence of this gene were changed, it would result in high production rates of these transcription factors, contributing to the formation of tumors. A tumor suppressor gene, on the other hand, …show more content…
I will discuss the pros and cons first. BRCA testing can help identify early signs of cancer for individuals that do not have cancer. With that, they will be able to consult with a doctor and determine the best option for their situation. Negative test results can provide peace of mind and relief. A few risks of BRCA testing include financial impacts and emotional distress (Howard-Mcnatt, 2013). If someone is tested positive for the BRCA tests, it can greatly affect their way of thinking, their health, and their
An advantage of this test would give this couple a peace of mind to an understanding of this disease and the risks or chances of having a child with CF. If neither has the recessive gene they can proceed to have children with less of a fear or emotional turmoil than normal for parents. A disadvantage would produce more anxiety, stress, and fear if both tested positive for this gene. As a family health nurse I would help ease their emotions and may refer them to a genetic counselor who would explain further testing and alternatives that will help guide them to becoming
There are numerous risk factors for breast cancer. Genetics or family history of breast cancer in a one first-degree relative with breast cancer doubles a woman’s risk. Having two first degree relatives rises a woman’s risk by three times. A person’s personal history who have had one breast with cancer is three to four times as likely of developing a new cancer. White women are slightly more likely to develop breast cancer than are African-American women, but African-American women are more likely to die from this cancer. However in women under 45 years of age, breast cancer is more common in African-American women.
The cell cycle is the process by which cells progress and divide. In normal cells, the cell cycle is controlled by a complex series of signaling pathways by which a cell grows, replicates it’s DNA and divides, these are called proto-oncogenes. A proto-oncogene is a normal gene that could become an oncogene due to mutations. This process has mechanisms to ensure that errors are corrected, if they are not, the cells commit suicide (apoptosis). This process is tightly regulated by the genes within a cell’s nucleus. In cancer, as a result of genetic mutations, this process malfunctions, resulting in uncontrolled cell proliferation. Mutations in proto-oncogene or in a tumour suppressor gene allow a cancerous cell to grow and divide without the normal control imposed by the cell cycle. A change in the DNA sequence of the proto-oncogene gives rise to an oncogene, which
My sister, Kathy, was diagnosed with cancer in 2013. I was shocked because my sister was always the healthy one among all us girls, the type of cancer, Kathy called colon cancer, Cancer that forms in the tissues of the colon. Most oncogene mutations of indisputable normal genes designate proto-oncogenes. Proto-oncogenes determine the “excellent” genes that usually rule what cell do and the way typically it distribute. Once a factor mutates (changes) into cell, it come back a "hurtful" factor that may become usefulness on or activated once it's not believe to be. Once this occurs, the cell becomes out of management, which might pass to cancer. As scientists learn additional throughout oncogenes, they will be powerful to develop a medication that inhibits or restrain them.
Cancer is a very large issue in the world. Cancer is a sickness that can lead to many life threatening problems and can eventually lead to death. There are many different kinds of cancer that can effect a person without them even knowing it is there. One type of cancer that can be easier to detect would be skin cancer. Skin cancer can be diagnosed by seeing a doctor or dermatologist, if they see an abnormal mole or spot on your skin, they many ask to remove the spot and test it in their laboratory. If the spot or mole comes back positive for skin cancer, they next will run more tests to see if it has spread throughout the body. The first thing the doctor will ask you is the time frame from when you first started noticing this on your body,
There are more than a million people suffer from cancer in the United States every day. Lung cancer is not the only type of cancer but it affects many people and families every day. Lung cancer makes the lives of its patients and the families. Lung cancer is one of the deadliest types of cancer and also one of the most common. Hundreds of thousands of people get diagnosed with lung cancer every year in just the United States. Also close to just as many people die from lung cancer in the US every year. I am going to talk about lung cancer and what it is, how to lower your risk of getting it, statistics of it, and the research and treatment of it.
Tumors are formed by the alteration of the body’s own cells. This can be caused by environmental factors such as radiation, like UV exposure, chemicals or viruses 1. These can disrupt genes that control growth and cause an increase in cell division and proliferation. Proto-oncogenes are those genes that control normal but essential cell processes that keep cell growth and death in check. Two important categories are apoptosis genes, which regulate cell death, and tumor suppressor genes, which decrease cell propagation 1 . If these genes were mutated to the point where they cannot produce a functioning protein, cell division would continue far past what it was supposed to and unhealthy cells would be allowed to live and continue to multiply. This is what creates a malignant tumor. Certain conditions in the body can also promote the growth of cancer cells. One of these is a deficiency of natural killer (NK) cells, which are able to kill cancer cells by creating a pore in the cell membrane with perforin and releasing granzymes into the cell. Low levels of perforin allow for tumor growth 1. Chronic inflammation can also ...
If two parents get tested and find out that their child could have the disease, they could choose to get an abortion, which would be abusing the benefits of genetic testing. In the Jewish testing article it says “or they may choose to end the pregnancy” (Goldschmidt). In this case, taking the life of an unborn child due to genetic testing is an example of how genetic testing can be morally unsound. Also, if a cure is found for genetic testing, the treatments can be very harsh. In the Patients in Limbo article is says “every month for the first two years of her life” (Marcus). Although a cure was found, this child had to undergo extreme treatment in order to have the chance of being cured for the condition. As just a young child, depending on the type of treatment it is, this can be too extreme for such a young patient and can deteriorate the young ones body. In this situation, although genetic testing led to results, it also led to things that can cause pain and suffering, which is not what genetic testing should be used to
All cancer has a genetic basis. It is triggered by mutations in the genes of a cell which then cause the cell to abnormally reproduce. Many of these gene changes are caused by random mutations when the cell is dividing. It only takes one cell mutating to cause cancer. There are no symptoms for the beginning of cancer and only five to ten percent of all cancers are caused by parents passing down genetic mutations to their children. The remaining are caused by environmental changes (Douglas).
Within the past thirty years, researchers have found strong evidence linking genes and disease. The development of predictive genetic tests followed shortly after the isolation of certain candidate genes. Although predictive genetic screening is only available for a handful of diseases, its effects and ramifications have become hotly debated issues in a wide range of areas, from government to religion. The debate began in the 1993 when researchers isolated the BRCA1 gene, which is associated with increased risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer. The discovery of this gene led to excitement and speculation of developing a predictive genetic test to identify those women at risk for these cancers. In this paper, I will first describe the biology of genetic testing, and then discuss the pros and cons of predictive genetic testing.
The first step in this process is initiation which started by exposure of cells to carcinogenic substances which lead to genetic damage that, if not fixed, results in irreversible mutations. The mutated cells start growth till formation of a colony. The second stage is a promotion, in which carcinogens or other factors modify the environment in a way assists growth of mutated cell population over normal cells. The main difference between the these two stages is that the later one is reversible, so it may be the target of future chemoprevention strategies (Mediana et al., 2008).
Not only can a negative genetic testing result affect your well-being, but also your ability to obtain health and life insurance. “Genetic testing may permit a much more complete and refined classification of people into risk categories, and so move us further away from sharing the financial burdens of illness and further in the direction of individualized premiums based on individual risk factors ("Genetics And The Moral Mission Of Health Insurance").... ... middle of paper ... ...
These oncogenes cause cancer because they do not allow the cells to self-destruct or become epistatic. There have been several research projects which have been testing epistatis. Transfecting DNA To perform the experiments for this research, the researchers had to grow certain pieces of DNA.... ... middle of paper ...
(2) Even people that don 't have any disease could be more prepare, and prevent it from developing in the future by being more aware thanks to the genetic test provided. Genetic screening is another valuable technology that could help a parent keep track of their baby 's health by examining their chromosomes. Genetic testing and screening could impact the life all patients in a positive way, therefore the opposing side should be grateful, and take advantage of this opportunities provided. For example, a person goes to genetically test themselves in a clinic, and they come to find out that they could potentially develop heart problems in the future. Now they can be more aware, and prepared. They could in many different ways like changing their diet or exercising more so they could better protect their heart, and decrease the chances of having the heart problems, like they where presented in the genetic test. What if the person didn 't know they had a chance to have problems? and start eating unhealthy foods that could likely speed up their changes of developing a heart disease. My point is that the same thing goes to those parent who want to get a update of their unborn child 's health. Many healthy mother don 't really expect that their pregnancy will bring some implications, but in
Genetic testing can help people determine why they get cancer or other diseases. Genetic testing is recommended to people who have a family history of a genetic disease, have children who are born with genetic defects, and have gone through more than one miscarriage in the past. Though these te...