A Letter to My Aunt about BRCA Testing

level? A mutation in just one allele of proto-oncogenes can cause over production of cells tumor, and thus tumor formation, because they are dominant. Tumor suppressor genes require mutations of both alleles to inhibit function because they are recessive.

In addition to translocations and gene amplifications, deletions can occur and also result in oncogene activation. This can be by the removal of negative regulatory elements or the elimination of regulatory protein domains. However it is more common for a deletion to cause the loss of a tumor suppressor and therefore lead to a cancerous cell i.e. one which rapidly divides.

Scientists have found a number of risk factors that may influence the probability of someone getting Hodgkin’s disease, but it is still not clear how these factors increase the risk (4). For example, some researchers think that infections with the Epstein-Barr virus may sometimes cause damage to the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) in the B lymphocytes, which leads to the creation of Reed-Sternberg cells (4). DNA is the set of instructions sent to the genes that dictates cell functions. Some genes are responsible for controlling when cells grow, divide, and die (4). Genes that assist the cells ability to grow, divide, and stay alive are known as oncogenes (4). Genes that slow down cell division or cause cells to die at the proper

Tumour suppressor genes: In health this family of genes usually act as a counter balance for oncogenesis. It is thought that they may be responsible for repairing gene damage in cells, or are growth inhibitor genes. In Hodgkin’s disease, there are often evidences of mutation in tumour suppressor genes as well as other genes.

You are sitting in the counselor's office, waiting. You are staring at the walls, trying not to think about what you are considering, but still thinking about it. Will I get cancer? Do I have the gene that will increase my likelihood of getting cancer ? My grandmother had cancer. Two of my aunts have had cancer. What about me? If I have this test, what happens then? The door opens and in walks the counselor. Time to find out about genetic screening.

Cancer is a disease in which abnormal cells grow or multiply without control, the cells can also affect other parts of the body by spreading. There are different types of cancer. They are usually named after the organ or cell they start in. The body is completely made up of cells, and of course we all know that cancer starts in cells, when cells become old they die and new cells are produced. This process sometimes goes wrong and the cell can mutate and affect normal cell growth. Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers there is. Breast cancer is

BRCA1 is a gene that produces tumor suppression proteins which play critical roles in DNA repair, cell cycle checkpoint control, and maintenance of genomic stability. Inherited mutated BRCA1 causes DNA damage to not be repaired properly and these cells can then form genetic alterations leading to female breast cancer (Easton 1999). Breast cancer is a disease where malignant cancer cells form in the tissue of the breast and invade surrounding tissues and spread.

There is many risk factors that have an increase in a woman to develop breast cancer, but it is not yet known what are the risks to develop cancerous cells. Therefore, there is a possibility that

First I will start this week's assignment by defining what BRCA1 is. BRCA1 is defined as human genes that produce tumor suppressors proteins. These proteins are suppose to be able to help repair damaged cells, which is why they can help the cell's genetic material. If these proteins get injured, this is when cancer can potentially happen because they can develop addition genetic alterations. So from now knowing this, you can see how this could have the potential of predicting cancer. This week's assignment question is asking us to think with our sociological imagination, why BRCA1 may not predict breast cancer in the future. Before going into this topic and stating what I think, I am going to refresh our memories and say what sociological imagination

It all starts off as a big puzzle, you have all these pieces that connect together that leads to a sequence of numbers. These numbers may be in order and fit perfectly into your puzzle, but then there is that one out of place piece that makes the puzzle not complete, that essentially is what the BRCA 1 gene mutation is, just a misplaced puzzle piece. The BRCA 1 gene mutation can go by many names like breast cancer 1, early onset or IRIS, but no matter what name you call it, it still inflicts some questions and concerns. The BRCA 1 gene mutation is a human gene that produces tumor suppressor proteins located on chromosome 17 at position 21. These proteins when not mutated, help repair damaged DNA and play a role in ensuring the stability of one 's cellular genetic material. When the gene becomes mutated, faulty, or altered it has the reverse effects. The protein sometimes does not form or forms incorrectly, therefore leading to DNA damage that may not be repaired properly. This results in an unfinished puzzle piece, which leads to the development of genetic alterations, in other words, could increase your risks of certain cancers. The BRCA 1 gene mutation is just like all other genes is inherited and passed on by your family, but it does not mean you will have the mutation. The BRCA 1 gene mutation can be inherited from either of your parents when one of your parents carries the mutation you have a fifty percent chance of inheriting the mutation. If you do inherit this

Many people assume to have cancer there needs to be a diagnosis, but what if cancer lives in everyone? Hypothetically, but almost literally cancer is like a car crash considering the body works like the gas pedal controlling the speed of cell division although sometimes “cancer cuts the brake lines” causing cells to divide too quickly ultimately the crash happens without the possibility of stopping it (Windelspecht). Basically the body has the control to cause cancer to form. Michael Windelspecht in her TED Talk titled, “The Cancer Gene We All Have,” reports the body having genetic mechanisms to control cell division such as, BRCA1 also known as the breast cancer susceptibility gene 1. BRCA1 belongs to tumor suppressor genes that helps repair some mutations, unfortunately some mechanisms work better than others causing some individuals to be diagnosed with cancer and others not to be. Cancer is a genetic mutation although anyone could get diagnosed.

Like all cancers, breast cancer develops because of defects in the DNA of a single cell. Cancers arise when there is an accumulation of genetic mutations within genes that control cell growth and division or the repair of damaged DNA. This causes damage allowing cells to grow and divide uncontrollably forming a tumour. These mutations are called somatic mutations and are not inherited (GHR, 2007) In addition to these genetic changes researchers have identified many other factors that increase the risk of developing of breast cancer, these were previously mentioned.

Oncogenes is the result of when an proto-oncogene mutates. Proto-oncogenes is a gene that “codes for proteins that regulate cell growth and differentiation” (lecture

At present, most people are familiar with BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations, which are inherited gene mutations—or abnormalities in the DNA sequencing—that increase the risk of developing breast cancer.

Cancers consist of single clones or several clones of cells that are capable of partially (benign tumor) or fully (malignant cancer) independent growth in the host. The essence of carcinogenesis is the activation (deregulation) of genes that regulate cell growth via bypassing the host’s regulatory circuits. Multiple genes must be deregulated for the development of fully malignant