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1:3 Definition Assignment: Cancer Ali Scott May 27 2016 For this assignment I will give three definitions of the disease cancer, specifically for an audience of “non-­‐technical readers”. I will define cancer with a parenthetical definition, a sentence definition, and an expanded definition. The objectives of this assignment are to appreciate the importance and role of definitions in technical writing, understand how audience and purpose indicate the need for definition, differentiate between the levels of details in definition, and to select the right level of detail according to the situation. Parenthetical Definition The doctors found a tumor and discerned that she must have cancer (an uncontrollable cell division disease). Sentence Definition Cancer is a disease characterized by cell proliferation, which often results in tumors. This cell division is uncontrollable due to mutations in a cell’s DNA (genetic coding). Expanded Definition Cancer is a disease characterized by cell proliferation, often resulting in tumors (see figure 1). Figure 1. Cancerous Cell Proliferation from “Bladder Cancer.” Genetics Home Reference. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 17 May 2016. Web. 24 May 2016. The term “cancer” is derived from the Greek words for crab, likely because of the crab-­‐like projections that branch off of a cancerous growth as the cells divide (“The History of Cancer”). There are checkpoints in cell division, and if a cell doesn’t meet the necessary requirements, the cell will not divide. A cancerous cell has a mutation in it’s DNA (genetic coding) that disrupts one of these regulatory checkpoints, and therefore the cell divides uncontrollably (“Cancer”). Cell proliferation can form two types of tumors, but only one type is cancerous (“Types of Tumors”). Benign tumors grow slowly, do not spread, and are not cancerous. Malignant tumors are cancerous, as they grow quickly and can spread throughout the body, invading surrounding tissues and complicating health. There are many day-­‐to-­‐day risk factors that can cause these mutations in DNA that lead to cancerous growth. These include tobacco, workplace chemicals, old age, obesity, lack of exercise, excess alcohol, radiation, infections, and genetic inheritance (Kennedy). Works Cited “Cancer.” Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic, 23 May 2015. Web. 24 May 2016. “The History of Cancer.” American Cancer Society. American Cancer Society, 06 Dec. 2014. Web. 24 May 2016 < www.cancer.org/acs/groups/cid/documents/ webcontent/002048-­‐pdf.pdf>. Kennedy, Tim. “What Causes Cancer?” Patient. EMIS Group plc, 20 Oct. 2014. Web. 24 May 2016.
“Types of Tumors.” Canadian Cancer Society. Canadian Cancer Society, n.d. Web. 24 May 2016.