Cancer Research, biology homework help

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Write a research paper on a specific type of cancer occurring in either the digestive system or endocrine system.

Your assessment involves researching a cancer that affects the digestive or the endocrine system and learning how the disease affects the body as it progresses or spreads. You will also examine the therapies available for treatment of this specific type of cancer, and lifestyle choices, such as changes to diet and nutrition, that might aid in prevention or treatment of this type of cancer.


Assessment Instructions

Fundamentally, cancer is a failure of the immune system. Cancer kills because it spreads and disturbs homeostasis. For this assessment, select, research, and then describe a specific type of cancer occurring in either the digestive system or endocrine system. Note: If you choose the digestive system, you may discuss a cancer of the primary digestive system or that of an accessory organ. To select the specific type of cancer you wish to research for this assessment, you are encouraged to refer to the materials linked in the Resources.

In order to complete this assessment, you will need to find high-quality, appropriate, and credible research resources on a specific type of cancer. Resources in the Capella library are recommended because they have been selected for quality and credibility, and are peer-reviewed. If you conduct Internet research outside the library, your resources must be reliable. The "Top 100 List: Health Websites You Can Trust" article, linked in the Resources under the Internet Resources heading, will be of particular help in selecting appropriate sources.

Assessment points will be deducted for citing unreliable sources such as Wikipedia, or other sites based on user-generated content. These sites are not peer-reviewed, and, in the case of Wikipedia, anyone can add an entry or change an entry. Hence, these types of sources should not be cited in college-level research papers. However, you may find Wikipedia useful as a starting point for your Internet research, as Wikipedia entries may provide links to other resources that are reputable and reliable.

Based on your research, write a paper that addresses all of the following:

  • Identify the type of cancer of the endocrine or digestive system that you have researched. Which cancer did you choose, and what part of the body does that cancer affect?
  • What are the biological changes that occur at the level of the cell that result in this type of cancer? What are the biological changes that occur at the level of the major organ as this cancer progresses?
  • What characteristics of cancer cells distinguish them from normal cells?
  • Consider how the disease affects the body as it progresses or spreads. What are some specific aspects of homeostasis that the spreading disease could affect? What self-regulating systems are upset because of this disease?
  • Which therapies are available for treatment for this specific type of cancer? How do these therapies work biologically to treat this type of cancer?
  • What are some lifestyle choices that might aid in prevention or treatment of this type of cancer? How do you incorporate these lifestyle choices in your daily life?
  • How are the biological changes of this cancer, at the level of the cell and organ, similar to and different from changes in other types of cancer?

Formatting Requirements

  • Written communication: Written communication should be free of errors that detract from the overall message.
  • APA formatting: References and citations should be formatted according to APA (6th edition) style and formatting.
  • Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12-point.

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Explanation & Answer

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Gastrointestinal carcinoid cancer.
In this essay, the type of cancer that will be covered is Gastrointestinal tracts. This type of
cancers affects the gastrointestinal tract. This tumor begins forming in the neuroendocrine cells
which are in the gastrointestinal tract, especially in the ileum, the rectum or the appendix. The
main functions of the gastrointestinal tract are to digest the intake, absorb the nutrients and water
and finally to eliminate bodily waste. That means this type of cancer affects the said operations.
The gastrointestinal tract has neuroendocrine cells- a hybrid of both the hormone-making cells
and the nerve cells. The role of neuroendocrine cells is the production of hormones which
facilitate and help control the digestive juices and the digestive muscles that help the digested
food to move through the stomach and the ileum. When a patient is infected with this type of
cancer, there is always the formation of multiple gastrointestinal carcinoid tumors. These tumors
develop in the body with time, for a long time, they do not produce any signs or symptoms or
cause any problem to the body (THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY COMPREHENSIVE
CANCER TUMOR).
Routine gastrointestinal carcinoid cancer is not possible because every patient’s disease forms
differently from another patient’s disease. This type of cancer can form in the duodenum, ileum,
the stomach, the colon the appendix or the rectum.
Gastrointestinal carcinoid cancer has symptoms like any other disease. At early stages, the
disease does not show any sign or produce any hormones. The symptoms which are identified at
late stages of this disease. The problems are caused by the tumor growth in the stomach which
produces hormones. Common signs of symptoms include abdominal pain, variation in stool
color, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, yellowing of the skin and eyes, weight loss, blood in stool,

pain in the rectum, constipation (THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY COMPREHENSIVE
CANCER TUMOR).
Carcinoid syndrome happens when the gastrointestinal tumors spread to the liver or any other
part of the body. This is not a normal case with most patients, and it normally occurs to not more
than 20% of the patients with this disorder. Normally, the gastrointestinal hormones are
metabolized and destroyed by the liver enzymes. This means that when the tumor extends to the
liver, the liver is unable to function properly since there are no enzymes to destroy the excess
hormones that are made by the tumor. The high number of these hormones remain in the body
system causing a carcinoid syndrome. Carcinoid syndrome also occurs when the tumor cells
enter the blood. Notable signs of this syndrome are redness in both the face and neck, pain in the
abdomen, feeling bloated, diarrhea, fast heartbeat and wheezing (National Cancer Institute).
There are various therapies that are applied to patients with gastrointestinal cancer.
Chemotherapy
In this type of therapy anti-cancer drugs are injected into a vein in some patients while to other
patients, anti-cancer pills are administered by mouth. Once these drugs enter the bloodstream,
they spread to all body parts and thus this method is so useful to cancer that has spread to several
body organs. Chemo-drugs include Capecitabine, Carboplatin, Cisplatin, Docetaxel, among
others. Depending on the condition of the patient perhaps the stage of cancer, these drugs can be
administered alone or in combination with other chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Chemo can
be given in various ways i.e. before stomach surgery i.e. Neoadjuvant, after the stomach surgery
i.e. adjuvant treatment or giving chemo as the main (primary) treatment of gastrointestinal
intestinal cancer. Chemotherapy is administered in stages, and every stage lasts for few weeks.

Chemotherapy has several side effects which the patients experience once it is administered. The
side effects only last for a short time. Some of these side effects are: higher chances of infection
due to reduced white blood cells, diarrhea, mouth sores, loss of appetite, loss of hair among
others. (American Cancer Society)
Targeted therapy
This type of therapy may work where chemotherapy have failed. They are more powerful than
chemo drugs and have fewer severe after treatment side effects. The main role of chemotherapy
is to target cells that divide rapidly. Examples of targeted therapy drugs are: Ramucirumab,
Trastuzumab among others. (American Cancer Society)
Radiation therapy
This method uses highly powered rays to kill the rapidly multiplying cancer cells in the affected
part of the body. It is administered in various ways in order to help the patient. It can be done
before surgery of the patient and administered together with chemo in order to shrink the tumor
and thus surgery becomes easier. It can also be administered after surgery to kill the remnant
cells which cannot be treated with surgery. Personal data such as age, health condition and other
personal reference are taken into account before performing radiation therapy. (American Cancer
Society)
Lifestyle have a big role that it plays in getting and treatment of this kind of cancer. There is a
diet which facilitates the growth of cancerous cells in the body while other diet helps in
preventing and fighting cancer in the body.
A person whose BMI is higher than 35 kg/m2 has a higher chance of suffering from colon
cancer.

Higher consumption of the western diet i.e. consumption of higher amount of processed food
increases the mortality rate of cancer patients. The patients should then try to take less amounts
of processed food, less of fat and red meat.
Physical fitness which is associated with 6 hours of physical activity weekly improves the
survival chances of patients with cancer. Physical exercises are highly encouraged to patients
with colon cancers. (Cancer Therapy Advisor) In case of a cancer patient, they should seek a
physical exercise trainer and set aside some hours in the...


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