Breast Cancer: Searching for the Mean Genes Essay

Total Length: 695 words ( 2 double-spaced pages)

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cancer genes that are associated with breast cancer. Scientists have known for years that the most common breast cancer genes are BRCA1 AND BRCA2, but there are many more than those two genes that scientists now much cope with. Another aspect of the focus is on whether or not to tell a woman that she has genes that might lead to breast cancer; the ethical questions are serious and this is complicated by the fact that ovarian cancer and breast cancer "share genetic risk factors."

The overall problem is breast cancer, but within the problem of breast cancer is determining which genes are likely to cause tumors and which are present but do not necessarily lead to breast cancer. The identification of BRCA1 and BRCA2 was thought to hold the keys to identifying those women who had those genes as possible breast cancer victims. But with the "rapid expansion of next-generation DNA sequencing," scientists have learned that there are perhaps "dozens" of additional genes that could be linked to breast cancer (Kean, 2014, p. 1457).

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What is being investigated is why certain genes "shut down" and why the DNA can't repair a double strand break. Also being investigated is why certain mutations increase a woman's chance of cancer two and three-fold in terms of risk (Kean, 1458).

THREE: Experiment: There is no one specific experiment in this article to report, but there are results of research that are key to understanding the difficulty scientists have in finding the right key to unlock the mystery of why certain genes lead to breast cancer in women. In laboratory work scientists have learned that a gene called PALB2, which, on the one hand, works with PRCA2 in repairing breaks in the DNA double-strand, but on the other, can cause mutations that mean a two-fold to three-fold chance of becoming cancerous. But coming up with a theory or strategy to deal with PALB2 is difficult because it appears very rarely (Kean, 1458).

FOUR: Measurement / Data Collection: It is very difficult to measure the impacts of various mutations because….....

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"Breast Cancer Searching For The Mean Genes" (2014, April 07) Retrieved June 1, 2024, from
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/breast-cancer-searching-mean-genes-186985

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"Breast Cancer Searching For The Mean Genes" 07 April 2014. Web.1 June. 2024. <
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/breast-cancer-searching-mean-genes-186985>

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"Breast Cancer Searching For The Mean Genes", 07 April 2014, Accessed.1 June. 2024,
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/breast-cancer-searching-mean-genes-186985