Genetics in Treating and Developing Cancer Paper Example

Introduction

Cancer has continually become a global burden. In 2018, a report by world health organization associated cancer to an estimated number of 18.1 million emerged cases of cancer. Moreover, cancer is associated with 9.6 million deaths in the same year. Furthermore, research has indicated that each man among five had developed cancer during their life, while each woman among six, had also developed cancer in the course of their lifetime(Jacobs, 2014). The imminent threats to the increased emergence in the cancer cases, as well as its association with deaths, have led to the investment by health organizations and governments to research on the causes and search solutions. Scientists have therefore shifted attention to a new approach towards the fight against cancer, in which several genes have been identified (Roukos, 2009). Examples of such genes are the BRCA2, BRCA1, and p53 genes, collectively known as the suppressor genes. The biological mutation of the suppressor genes is what causes the development of cancerous tumors (the uncontrollable growth of cells) (Jacobs, 2014).

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A lot of research has been conducted about the influence of the environmental factors as well as lifestyle factors on cancer. Despite the numerous analyses, the role of genetics, which provides an excellent opportunity for the management and treatment of cancer, has been overlooked (Roukos, 2009). Also, the existing researches display a clear deficiency by the public in the understanding of cancer on a molecular basis. Hence, the objective of my research is to explain the roles of genetics in the management and treatment of cancer. The research is therefore based on two questions; what is the relationship between genetics and development of cancer? And what is the relationship between genetics and treatment of cancer?

Discussion of Sources

My research will be based on three sources. The three sources are:

1. Roukos, D. H. (2009). Assessing both genetic variation (SNPs/CNVs) and gene-environment interactions may lead to personalized gastric cancer prevention. Expert review of molecular diagnostics, 9(1), 1-6.

In this article, Roukos provides a well-detailed description of the prevention of cancer, with a sharp focus on gastric cancer. He also explains the contribution of both the genetics and the environment to cancer.

2. Mundade, R., Imperiale, T. F., Prabhu, L., Loehrer, P. J., & Lu, T. (2014). Genetic pathways, prevention, and treatment of sporadic colorectal cancer. Oncoscience, 1(6), 400.

This article is similar to the article by Roukos. Furthermore, this article expounds on the relationship between genetics and the development of cancer.

3. Jacobs, C. (2014). Cancer genetics: The basics. Introduction. Genetics for Health Professionals in Cancer Care, 11-17. doi:10.1093/med/9780199672844.003.0002

This article discusses the relationship between cancer and genetics. Jacobs also explains the role of genes and the associations of this role to the development of cancer.

The three sources are relevant for my study because all of them have given valuable insight into the medical and lifestyle changes that can be implemented to avert the causes of cancer. Besides, the sources have described the relationships between cancer and genetics. I, therefore, have selected these three sources because they contained content that stipulates the information required for my research.

Audience

The audience for my study will be any person infected with cancer as well as any person who is trying to avoid cancer. Ideally, my research heeds that the general public is not well informed about the relationship between cancer and genetics. Therefore, the project will be of significant assistance in creating awareness about the connection to any person who is trying to prevent cancer as well as those seeking to avoid the spread of the disease through birth.

Tailoring the Message

The audience for my study is general. I will, therefore, be targeting people across different ages, languages, personalities, and backgrounds. So that I address my message, I will outline and put it into evidence through different educational backgrounds and ages that my audience exhibit. Therefore, I will employ the use of a moderate language, avoid complex biological terms and provide accurate explanations, as well as using illustrations to enhance understanding of my audience.

Ideally, the work of genes in our bodies is to control the functioning of cells by making proteins. The genes have specified instructions to make proteins for the cells. The foundation of all types of cancer is as a result of the mutation of the genes in a cell. When the genes mutate, the specific instructions for the provision of proteins by the genes to the cells is altered with, causing the particular cells to develop abnormally and uncontrollably. The growth is what is termed as cancer. Two types of genetic mutations exist, the germline mutations and acquired mutations. The acquired mutations are considered the most common result of cancer. The type of mutation is linked to the damage of genes in the cause of a person's life, whose division causes the formation of the cancerous tumors (Roukos, 2009).

Cancers acquired through mutations are known as sporadic cancers. Also, the acquired mutations are not transferable from parents to children. Also, sporadic cancers are associated with causes such as excessive smoking of tobacco, the exposure to ultraviolet radiations, viruses and age (Mundade, Imperiale, Prabhu, Loehrer, & LU 2014). On the other hand, germline mutations are not very common. The mutations are said to occur in the sperm or egg cells, becoming directly transferred from a parent to a child during conception. The germline mutations cause cancers called inherited cancers, contributing to about five to twenty percent of the overall cancer cases globally.

The understanding of the relationship between genetics and cancer is, therefore, an issue of utmost importance since the mutation of the genes forms the basis to the development of cancer. Also, cancer treatment is continually becoming based on methods such as pharmacogenetics and gene therapy, which have been proven to work better in complementing the existing methods of cancer treatment such as chemotherapy (Mundade, Imperiale, Prabhu, Loehrer, & LU 2014). Chemotherapy is associated with patient fatigue, loss of hair and the weakening of the immune system which negatively affects the recovery of patients - furthermore, the procedure targets dividing cells as opposed to the cancerous cells.

Pharmacogenetics

Pharmacogenetics is a method of treatment used to supplement the harms associated with chemotherapy. The therapy is based on the treatment that focuses on a patient's genetic characteristics to improve the patient's response to cancer medication, in particular drugs. The efforts of pharmacogenetics will lead to the fine-tuning of chemotherapy functions while putting into consideration the patient's metabolic functions as well as decreased body functions. In administering more effective dosage to the patients, it is possible to target the genetic origin of the cancerous cells, thus eliminating or reducing their growth to a large extent.

Gene Therapy

Gene therapy is a form of programmed cell death which involves the introduction of a gene into a tumor using a retrovirus (a set of RNA viruses which supplements a DNA copy of their genome into the host cell to duplicate). Tumor cells appear different from normal cells since they contain distinct antigens on the surface. Even though the normal cell also contains the antigens on the surface, it includes a small level percentage to the cancerous cells. The scenario makes it possible for the retrovirus to attach itself to the cancerous cells, releasing the DNA of the viral to the cell (Mundade, Imperiale, Prabhu, Loehrer, & LU 2014). When the DNA is attached to the cell, it can regain its normal function of self-regulation and recover, although slowly and systematically. The theory of gene therapy is an active contribution to the treatment of cancer. However, the method is only useful during the initial stages of cancer.

To conclude, as cancer continues to be a global burden, contributing to more deaths, research about curbing its effects continue to intensify. In particular, there has been a noticeable correlation between the development of cancer and genetics (Jacobs, 2014). The correlation between cancer and genetics nonetheless provides an opportunity for treatment and control of the disease. Treatment of cancer has been intensified and improved through the discovery of procedures such as gene therapy and pharmacogenetics, both of which are genes related procedures

Significance Between Genetics and Cancer

Hereditary testing helps gauge your opportunity of creating malignancy in your lifetime. It does this via scanning for explicit changes in your qualities, chromosomes, or proteins. These progressions are called changes. Hereditary tests are accessible for certain kinds of malignant growth. These include:

• Bosom malignant growth
• Ovarian malignant growth
• Colon malignant growth
• Thyroid malignant growth
• Prostate malignant growth
• Pancreatic malignant growth
• Melanoma
• Sarcoma
• Kidney malignant growth
• Stomach malignant growth

Hereditary testing may help:

• Foresee your danger of a specific illness
• Find on the off chance that you have qualities that may pass expanded malignant growth hazard to your kids
• Give data to control your medicinal services

No hereditary test can say on the off chance that you will create malignant growth without a doubt. Be that as it may, it can let you know whether you have a higher hazard than a great many people.

Just a few people with a quality transformation will create malignant growth. I don't get this' meaning? A lady may have a 45% to 65% possibility of bosom malignant growth. Be that as it may, she may never build up the infection. In the mean time, a lady with a 25% possibility may create bosom malignant growth.

Hazard factors for genetic malignancy

A genetic malignancy is any disease brought about by an acquired quality change. An acquired quality methods it is passed from parent to kid inside a family. The accompanying components recommend a conceivable expanded hazard for inherited malignancy:

• Family ancestry of malignant growth. Having at least 3 relatives on a similar side of the family with the equivalent or related types of malignant growth.
• Disease at an early age. Having at least 2 relatives determined to have malignant growth at an early age. This factor may contrast contingent upon the kind of malignant growth.
• Numerous tumors. When one relative creates at least 2 sorts of disease.
• Uncommon malignancies. A few sorts of disease, for example, ovarian malignancy, adrenocortical malignancy, or sarcoma, are connected to acquired hereditary changes.

Motivations to think about hereditary testing for malignancy

Hereditary testing is an individual choice made for various reasons. It is likewise a mind boggling choice best made subsequent to conversing with your family, human services group, and hereditary instructor.

ASCO prescribes thinking about hereditary testing in the accompanying circumstances:

• An individual or family ancestry proposes a hereditary reason for disease.
• A test will obviously demonstrate a particular hereditary change.
• The outcomes will help with finding or the executives of a condition. For instance, you may find a way to bring down your hazard. Steps may incorporate medical procedure, prescription, visit screening, or way of life changes.
• ASCO additionally prescribes hereditary advising when hereditary testing. Become familiar with these proposals on hereditary testing for dis...