Background: Cancer is a nonselective disease. Cancer can occur at any age, and although treatments have been improved, cancer still can be a deadly disease. Some cancer is linked to environmental causes such as cigarette smoke or UV radiation. Other causes may be genetic, such as inheriting the gene for breast cancer. Early detection can impact the outcome of cancer; therefore, it is important to recognize early symptoms and tests for prevention.
Tanya has received some troubling results from her “23 and Me” DNA test. She has inherited BRCA1 gene for breast cancer.
Even though Tanya has the breast cancer gene, it does not necessarily mean she will ever develop breast cancer. However, she does have a chance. In this unit, you are going evaluate the medical histories and breast cancer risks of Tanya’s friends and estimate how they might reduce their risks. You will learn about the various risk factors, both genetic and lifestyle related, as well as prevention methods for breast cancer.
With advancements in medicine, genetic testing can be used to determine if you have gene for a specific type of cancer. For example, the BRAC1 is a gene for breast cancer, but just because you have the gene you may not develop cancer; however, it still gives a person a greater risk. In this assignment, you are going to evaluate the medical histories and breast cancer risks of Tanya’s friends and estimate how they might reduce their risks. You will learn about the various risk factors, both genetic and lifestyle related, as well as prevention methods for breast cancer.
For this assignment, you will use a Patient Case Study Profile Form [DOCX] (attached) to evaluate four patient profiles and their medical histories. Refer to the resources listed in the Breast Cancer Risks, Genetics, and the Environment section.
- Examine the four patient profiles and medical histories of Tanya’s friends (Mary, Paula, June, and Nora) with respect to their breast cancer risk.
- Use the various resources presented to help you analyze the cancer causes for each profile.
- Use the National Cancer Institute’s Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool to estimate the patient’s risks of developing breast cancer.
- Provide recommendations for each patient profile as to how they might reduce their cancer risk.
- Enter your recommendations in the Patient Case Study Profile Form next to each patient.
- Make sure that you read the Homework: Patient Case Study Profile Scoring Guide prior to submitting your document to ensure you have met all of the expectations for this assignment.
- It is recommended to review the scoring guide prior to downloading your document, or documents, to your computer, since all work must be completed within the lab.
By successfully completing this assignment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and assessment criteria:
- Competency 2: Apply concepts of human biology to the social sciences.
- Examine each patient profile and cancer risks.
- Analyze each patient profile cancer risks and causes using provided resources.
- Use the risk calculator to estimate the patient’s risks of developing breast cancer.
- Recommend how each patient might reduce their risk of cancer.
