10.1 Section Title
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Critical Thinking Exercise
Diagnosing Cancer
Cancer is a scary word for many. The National Cancer Institute has recently completed an epidemiological study that examines the potential risk and protective factors related to the presence of cancer. Countless individuals, however, are unaware of the indirect influences in their lives and environment that may put them at risk. Visit https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/ as a reference for answering the questions that follow Siobhan’s story.
Siobhan (pronounced shi-vawn), a 17-year-old American female, is an avid lacrosse player on her high school varsity team. She is physically active and eats a pretty well-balanced diet for her age. She was recently injured and had to sit out several games. The doctor finally cleared her and she is back on the field. Unfortunately, her knee is still swollen at the area of impact of the injury, but she does not tell anyone for fear of missing out on playing. Eventually, when the pain becomes too much she tells her parents, and they take her to the family doctor. He cannot find a reason for the pain and refers Siobhan to an orthopedic specialist, who runs some bloodwork. The specialist becomes concerned by Siobhan’s white blood cell count and refers her to an oncologist.
Question
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Per the National Cancer Institute’s epidemiological studies, youths under the age of 20 are more likely to be diagnosed with bone cancer or leukemia than any other type.
Question
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It was noted that not only is Siobhan physically active and eats a good diet, she is also part of a sports team and therefore more likely to be connected socially to peers. She has a supportive family and a specialist leading her treatment.
Question
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There is no research to support that eating sugar is related to making cancer symptoms worse. Additionally, completely removing sugar from the diet has not been associated with improvement in cancer symptoms. The only caution is that an overconsumption of sugar can result in obesity, and obesity is a risk factor for certain types of cancer.
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There are only a few heritable or genetic types of cancers; only approximately 5 to 10% of cancers are the result of genetic mutations that can be inherited. The other 90 to 95% of cancers are individual mutations that occur within a particular individual due to environmental or internal factors.
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Surgery is one type of treatment and the majority of cancer patients will receive that option at some point in their treatment. Surgery can be performed for diagnostic or preventive reasons, with different reasons for each. In addition, chemotherapy and radiation therapy are other applicable forms of treatment that could each present their own benefits and concerns. Fatigue is a common side effect for both chemo and radiation; patients need to consider the impact of various negative side effects on their quality of life. Some patients may decide that enduring such negative side effects is not worth the chance of extending their life.