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Chordoma Research Paper Outline

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Title Chordoma Description: Chordomas are cancerous tumors that occur anywhere on the spine. They grow slowly and can metastasize to other areas of the body. Other names for this disorder include CHDM, chordocarcinoma, chordoepithelioma, notochordal sarcoma, and notochordoma. Chordomas are rare and most often occur in people ages 40 to 70. Males are affected twice as often as females. About half of all chordoma cases appear at the base of the spine, while about a third occur at the base of the skull, and the rest appear in the kneck, upper back, or lower back vertebrae of the spine. Chordomas in the spine can cause the back, arms, or legs of the affected individual to feal weak or numb. Chordomas occurring at the base of the skull can cause double vision or headaches. Chordomas on the tailbone result in a large lump and can affect the function of the bladder or bowel.. …show more content…

What parts of the body does it affect? How common is it? Are there multiple forms/causes for developing the condition? How long can an individual survive? Genetic/Chromosome Changes: Chordomas are associated with the T gene, or T brachyury transcription factor. The normal function of this gene is to provide instructions for making brachyury. Brachyury is a protein in a family called T-Box proteins. Their purpose is to control other genes and their activity. To do this, they bind to specific regions of DNA. T-Box proteins are essential in the development of embryos. The T gene is located at 6q27. This means that it is located on the long (q) arm of chromosome 6 at position 27. It is located from base pairs 166,157,656 to 166,168,669. What are the most common genetic/chromosome changes related to this form of cancer? Which genes are responsible? Where are these genes located? How are the genes different from normal individuals?

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