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Breast Cancer Cancer is the leading cause of dea

Cancer is the leading cause of death in the united Stats today, and the leading type of cancer is breast cancer. Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed type of cancer, and this year alone, more than 15,000 women will be diagnosed with the disease, while some 40,000 will die of it. Recent surveys indicate that while many types of cancer are on the wane, breast cancer is on the rise. Scientists are trying to understand the etiology of the disease and to isolate any element which may cause it. Most recently, scientists have isolated a gene on chromosome 17, a gene called BRCA 1. Scientists think this gene may be the cause of breast cancer, and they hope that further research will prove whether or not this is so.

Among the factors known to affect cancer rates are heredity, viruses, ionizing radiation, chemicals, and alterations in the immune system. Studies now suggest that these elements may interact in a multifactorial, sequential process leading to malignancy. Yet, cancer is essentially a genetic process, and inherited gene abnormalities or those induced by a virus or damage from an outside source are then subject to a series of sequential mutations in time leading to a single cell that is malignant and that proliferates as a clone. One of the external factors may be diet, which could account for 40 percent of cancers, though the causative relationship remains unclear. Research may clarify how these external factors interact with the genetic cause as well. An analysis of current research will help identify areas where further research is needed.

Two independent research teams recently reported finding the BRCA 1 gene product in the nuclei of human cells, including ovarian and breast cancer cells. In one study, the immunogen used was the BRCA 1 carboxyl-terminal peptide.

BRCA 1 is a gene that is altered in certain families with an inherited susceptibility to breast cancer. Women who inherit this gene in th...

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Breast Cancer Cancer is the leading cause of dea. (1969, December 31). In LotsofEssays.com. Retrieved 07:18, March 28, 2024, from https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1708052.html