Breast Cancer Susceptibility Screening
Introduction
In 1994, researchers isolated a gene, BRCA1, that has had an unprecedented impact on the study of cancer genetics. BRCA1 is a breast cancer susceptibility gene, meaning that women who possess certain mutations in this gene also possess a greatly inc reased risk of acquiring familial breast cancer. Just a year later, a second breast cancer susceptibility gene, BRCA2, was discovered. Mutations in these two genes alone appear to be responsible for approximately 70% of breast cancer cases in families w ith an inheritance pattern affecting several generations.
Due to the impressive statistics and the potential to alter the lives of millions of women, BRCA1 and BRCA2 have continuously been the focus of intensive research in laboratories around the world. Research has led to the development of genetic scree ning techniques to detect possible cancer-causing mutations. Along with the evolution of screening techniques, however, has come public scrutiny. The ethics of genetic testing for breast cancer must be examined as a critical aspect of the issue. In thi s paper, I am going to discuss the following areas pertaining to the topic of breast cancer susceptibility screening:
A review of some basic concepts of cancer genetics
General information about BRCA1 and BRCA2
Technical aspects of screening, including the major characteristics of each method
Ethical considerations, explaining views on both sides of the issue
Public policy regarding genetic screening
My personal opinion regarding genetic testing for breast cancer
Concepts in Cancer Genetics
The human body contains two major classes of regulatory genes that are necessary for normal cell growth control....
... middle of paper ...
... registered member to access this site; hit Cancel In Username/Password box to register) http://www.medscape.com/ACCC/OncIssues/1997/v12.n02/oi1202.02.alexandre.html
Eng, C., and J. Vijg. 1997. Genetic testing: the problems and the promise. Nature Biotechnology 15:422-426.
1997. Genetic testing: the controversial background check. People's Medical Society 16:1-4.
Lancaster, J.M., M.E. Carney, and A. Futreal. BRCA 1 and 2 -- a genetic link to familial breast and ovarian cancer. Obtained from the WWW: (Must be registered member to access this site; hit Cancel in Username/Password box to register) http://www.medscape.com/Medscape/womens.health/1997/v02.n02/w134.lancaster/w134.lancaster.html
Sidransky, D. 1996. Advances in cancer detection. Scientific American 275:104-109.
Stix, G. 1996. Is genetic testing premature? Scientific American 275:107.
...Journal." Canadian Medical Association Journal - March 8, 2011. 22 July 2003. Web. 08 Mar. 2011.
The capitalists of this period were justly considered captains of industry, because of the many job opportunities they had created. Thousands if not millions of Americans found work, thanks to Carnegie’s
In Gattaca, the plot focuses on the ethics, the risks, and the emotional impact of genetic testing in the nearby future. The film was released in the 90s; yet in the present, the film does not give the impression of science fiction. Today, genetic testing is prevalent in many aspects of the scientific community. This paper will describe genetic testing, its purpose, diagnostic techniques that use genetic testing, relating Huntington’s disease to genetic testing, and the pros and cons of genetic testing.
Bowers, L., Allan, T., Simpson, A., Nijman, H., & Warren, J. (2007). Adverse Incidents, Patient
Peterson, G. M. Lessons from familial cancers. Mid-Atlantic Cancer Genetics Network Newsletter. Fall 1999. http://www.macgn.org/nl13e.html.
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.
American society has been affected over the years due to many people and laws. Athletes and sports have had their share of effect on society as well. Almost three fourths of society has played or watched some kind of sporting event. Where would society be today without sports? No one will ever know, but sports and athletes have affected society in many aspects all over the nation. Sports have brought people in the American society closer together. Some states in America rely on sports to help out with their economy, but sports have also created problems for society. Sports like golf, basketball, baseball, football and boxing all have effected American Society in their ow...
... Medicine. 3rd ed. Vol.3. Detroit: Gale, 2006.2139-2141. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 3 Apr. 2014.
"Politics has come to be considered not only inappropriate in the arena of sports, but actually antithetical to it," Zirin says. "We want so much to see sports solely as an arena of play, not seriousness. But here's the thing, this can cheapen not only the greatness and relevance of sports to us as a society, but also the courage of the athletes" (The Nation). The pursuit of fame, wealth and status can blind the human conscious, which is why it is important for us to encourage athletes to speak their minds. As a nation, we should not silence the athletes, because it is the truly courageous athletes who have the audacity to stand up when it’s not popular. Sports should be used as a platform for a certain kind of politics: militarism, nationalism. There is a rich tradition of resistance to politics in sports, but their actions have been integral to country’s struggle for racial and gender equality; sports are a safe place to discuss these difficult topics.
The "Genetic Screening" Genetic Screening. NDSU,. Web. The Web. The Web.
The American Cancer Society publishes current advances made in cancer research on their website. Many of the exciting discoveries about how best to treat the disease focus on the genetic aspects associated with certain types of cancer. In addition, treatments aimed at genetic solutions to cancer may be more effective and may cause fewer adverse side effects than traditional cancer treatments (American Can...
Web. The Web. The Web. 1 Apr 2011. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/150999.php>.
Genetic testing, also known as screening, is a rapidly advancing new scientific field that can potentially revolutionize not only the world of medicine, but many aspects of our lives. Genetic screening is the sequencing of human DNA in order to discover genetic differences, anomalies, or mutations that may prove pathological. As genetic screening becomes more advanced and easily accessible, it presents society with difficult questions that must be asked about the boundaries of science and to what degree we are allowed to tamper with the human genome. To better understand the potential impact of genetic screening on our society, we must examine the potential benefits in comparison to the possible negative impact it may cause. With this knowledge in hand, we can examine what the future holds for this field of study and the best possible direction to take.
Jacques Louis David supported the French Revolution from start to finish. He joined the Mountain, the Jacobin club, supported the Constitutional Monarchy and the Reign of Terror, and finally became the court painter to General Napoleon Bonaparte. David was extremely dedicated to having a Republican government, and while many people were fleeing the country for greater opportunities all over the world, David stayed behind to help abolish the old power.
Genetic testing has become very popular as technology has improved, and has opened many doors in the scientific community. Genetic testing first started in 1866 by a scientist known as, Gregor Mendel, when he published his work on pea plants. The rest was history after his eyes opening experiments on pea plants. However, like any other scientific discovery, it bought conflicts which caused major controversies and a large population disagreed with the concept of playing with the genetic codes of human beings. Playing God was the main argument that people argument that people had against genetics. genetic testing became one of the major conflicts conflicts to talk about, due to the fact that parents could now have the option of deciding if they