Unit 3.3: Treating Cancer

Question 1

3.3.1 Diary of a Cancer Patient

Surgery

Answer 1

• Removes tumor and its surrounding tissue in operation
• Very effective depending on the cancer
• Use sharp tools to cut throught the skin
• Anesthesis is used
• Used when one part of the body contains the solid tumor in that specific area
• Side effects: Pain, infection, bleeding, scarring, blood clots etc…

Question 2

3.3.1 Diary of a Cancer Patient

Chemotherapy

Answer 2

• Uses drugs to destroy cells and prevent tumor growth
• Given intravenously
• Both healthy and cancerous cells can be destroyed
• Interfers with cell cycle/mitosis and cell’s metabolism
• Side effects: hair loss, weight loss, nausea, vomitting etc..

Question 3

3.3.1 Diary of a Cancer Patient

Radiation Therpay

Answer 3

• Uses high energy waves (x-rays, gamma rays, etc) to damage cancer cells
• Destroys genetic material of cancer cells
• 3 types: External Beam (several angles), Internal Beam (Brachytherapy), Proton Beam
• 3 ways that radiation kills cancer: Base and sugar damage, single strand break, double strand break
• Side effects: skin changes, fatigue, site-specific side effects, etc…

Question 4

3.3.1 Diary of a Cancer Patient

Immunotherapy

Answer 4

• Support/boost/change patient’s immune system to recognize and destroy cancer cells
• Block tumor cells from deactivating T-cells
• Ex: T-cell transfer therapy, treatment vaccines, immune system modulators, etc…
• Used for cancers that hasn’t responded to other treatments and those that come back
• Side effects: flu like symptoms and organ damage

Question 5

3.3.1 Diary of a Cancer Patient

Targeted Therapy

Answer 5

• Targets proteins that control cell growth and division
• Similar to chemotherpay
• Blocks enzymes that signal cancer growth/apoptosis
• Drug finds and damages cells with large # of receptors
• Recommend when other treatments are not effective
• Side effects: blod clotting, liver problems, etc…

Question 6

3.3.1 Diary of a Cancer Patient

Hormone Therapy

Answer 6

• Slows/stops the growth of cancer that uses hormones to grow via chemicals
• AKA endocrine therapy
• Adds, blocks, or removes hormones
• Mainly treats prostate and breast cancer
• Side effects: hot flashes, mood changes, fatigue, etc…

Question 7

3.3.1 Diary of a Cancer Patient

Stem Cell Transplant

Answer 7

• Replaces damaged/cancerous blood cells with healthy ones
• Treat conditions affecting blood cells
• Aka bone marrow transplant
• Collects stem cells from donor
• Conditioning via chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy
• Side effects: nausea, vomitting, mouth sores, etc..

Question 8

3.3.1 Diary of a Cancer Patient

Precision Medicine

Answer 8

• Correlates an individual’s genomic, environmental and lifestyle info to plan an effective treatment
• Helps identify those w/ high risk of cancer & lower people lower their risk
• Medical model that tailors the patient based on their risk of disease
• Side effects: skin problems, fatigue, constipation, etc…

Question 9

3.3.1 Diary of a Cancer Patient

Who were two important figures who discovered Cancer Treatments?

Answer 9

1. James Allison
2. Carol Greider

Question 10

3.3.1 Diary of a Cancer Patient

What are some factors that determine treatment plan an oncologist chooses?

Answer 10

Age, type of cancer, rate of cancer metastasis, and genral health

Question 11

3.3.2 Biofeedback Therapy

What is biofeedback therapy?

Answer 11

• Helps patients becomes familiarized with the way their body reacts to stress
• Learn ways to use the mind to influence involuntary functions
• Patients monitor the way relaxation techniques change physiological output
• Ex: making slight changes in your body, such as relaxing muscles, to help relieve pain or reduce tension.

Question 12

3.3.2 Biofeedback Therapy

What are some types of Biofeedback therapy?

Answer 12

1. Breathing: sensors on chest & stomach
2. Brain Waves: EEG monitors brain waves; tells mental state
3. Heart Rate: sensors on chest & finger; measures change in heart rate
4. Muscle Actvity: EMG measures muscle tightening & quick contractions
5. Sweat Gland Activity: pads on wrist/finger; measure sweating of skin
6. Temperature: pads on feet/fingers; measure blood flow

Question 13

3.3.2 Biofeedback Therapy

EEG

Answer 13

• Electroencephalogram
• Detects electrical activity in brain
• Uses electrodes attached to the brain

Question 14

3.3.2 Biofeedback Therapy

EMG

Answer 14

• Electromyography
• Measures muscle response or electrical activity to a nerve of muscle
• Electrodes through skin into muscle

Question 15

3.3.2 Biofeedback Therapy

EKG/ECG

Answer 15

• Electocardiogram
• Records the electrical signals in the heart
• Electodes on chest/limb

Question 16

3.3.2 Biofeedback Therapy

EOG

Answer 16

• Electrooculogram
• Measures electrical activity in muscles that control eye movement
• Electrodes places around eye

Question 17

3.3.3 Design of a Prosthetic Arm

What happends during a limb-salvage surgery?

Answer 17

• Surgeon removes entire tumor while perserving nearby tendons, nerves, and blood vessels
• Bone that is removed is replaced by another bone in body or via endoprosthesis
• Endoprosthesis: artifical bone made out of metal or other materials

Question 18

3.3.3 Design of a Prosthetic Arm

What is a prosthetic?

Answer 18

Artifical device to replace/augment a missing/impaired part of body

Question 19

3.3.3 Design of a Prosthetic Arm

What is an Orthotist? What do they do?

Answer 19

• Helps patients who require external devices to support their bodies
• Make braces (orthoses) and custom fit them to their patient
• Courses in anatomy & physiology, biomechanics, pathophysiology, and engineering is crucial

Question 20

3.3.3 Design of a Prosthetic Arm

What is the function of skeletal muscle and what are the types of skeletal muscle in the body?

Answer 20

Skeletal muscles are involved in voluntary movement and maintaining posture
1. Abdominal - breathing, balance, bladder control, trunk support and rotation
2. Anterior Thigh - strong extension of leg and flexion of thigh
3. Back - movements of shoulder, spine
4. Foot - plantar flexion, ankle movement, inversion and eversion of foot
5. Forearm - extension of hand & supination of forearm
6. Hand - abduction and adduction of wrist, movement of fingers
7. Head/Neck - flexion and rotation of neck, movement in larynx bone, located on face and scalp as well
8. Leg - inversion/eversion of foot, knee stabilization
9. Facial - facial expression and emotions
10. Mastication - jaw and mandible movement
11. Hamstring - movements and stabilization at hip & knee joints, flexion of leg, extension of thigh
12. Shoulder - movement in shoulder girdle and upper limb
13. Thoracic - Adjust volume of chest cavity during inspiration and expiration
14. Arm - flexion of forearm into elbow joint, flexion of shoulder, supinate forearm

Question 21

3.3.3 Design of a Prosthetic Arm

What is the difference between an upper extremity amputation and lower extremity amputee?

Answer 21

• Upper: loss of all or part of an arm; loss of ability to perform job skills/normal activities
• Lower: loss of all or part of one or more legs; loss of ability to walk/rin