Question

Part III: Dr. Hernandez sits down with Ann and her partner. The doctor is sorry to report that Ann has breast cancer; however, because it was caught early and responds to estrogen and progesterone, the prognosis is good. At this point it looks like the cancer is stage 1. However, as Ann is young, the doctor wants to perform a couple tests. The first test is a genetic sequencing test for BRCA1 and BRCA2, as well as testing for other genes known to increase the risk of cancer. The other test is an Oncotype DX test on the tumor cells. This is a gene expression test, where the results correlate with how aggressive the cancer cells are. Ann is overwhelmed, but wants to do everything she can to get rid of this disease.

3. Both these tests take time and will inform Ann’s treatment plan for the best possible outcome. While she is waiting on results, Ann begins to research the main types of treatments that are available to treat breast (and many other) cancers. One of these is chemotherapy. There are many types of chemotherapy, but in general:

a. How does chemotherapy work? INSERT ANSWER

b. What are some side effects of chemotherapy? INSERT ANSWER

c. Based on your knowledge of chemotherapy and cell division, why do you think chemotherapy leads to these side effects? INSERT ANSWER

Answer 1

3a. ANS: Depending on the type of chemotherapy there are different goals, this could be to kill all the cancer cells or relive symptoms, these are just a few. It is usually administered with an infusion or pills and is given over intervals of time. Chemo will kill all cells in the body that grow fast, including cancer cells, this is why you lose your hair. The chemo kills the cells that produce it. The healthy cells are said to repair themselves after chemo is finished

3b. ANS: The American Cancer Society lists an extensive amount of side effects, these effects occur because the chemo follows all the fast moving cells in the body and this can damage healthy cells in the process, causing blood cells to form in bone marrow, hair loss, cells in the mouth, digestive track and reproductive system. To name a few of the extremely long list of side effects; fatigue, mood changes, “chemo brain”, nerve and muscle problems, anemia, infection, and more (NCS 2017).

3c. ANS: The researcher considered the information gathered in the previous semester and concluded an assumption that, chemo leads to all these side effects because, it is similar to antibiotics and selective toxicity, like the antibiotic it is not only killing the cancerous cells but, all cells that “appear” cancerous by the fact that they are quickly multiplying. In the case of antibiotics, they kill all the bacteria, not just the harmful stuff.