Download Understanding Cancer

Understanding Cancer
Names_______________________________________
Section 1: Factors Reported to Be Associated with Cancer
Visit http://science.education.nih.gov/supplements/nih1/Cancer/activities/activity2_videos.htm to fill out the
following chart. View the News Alert videos and use the information provided to identify what each video
suggests is the cause of cancer and what evidence supports that claim.
News Alert Video
Factor Proposed to Cause Cancer
To go down a chimney sweep and get
Cancer and Chemical
dirty
Poisons
Cancer and Your
Family History
Cancer and
Radiation Exposure
Cancer and UV Light
Evidence
It was shown that kids who do not wash as
often as they should, get dirt trapped in
their skin folds.
Families pass down a form of cancer
through genetics
There was once a man who had a tumor in
his eye, and was cured. After the man had
children, his two daughters had received
his form of eye cancer through genetics.
Exposure to radiation through machines
A noticeably high rate of radiation
appeared in men who had direct contact
with radiation when using bare hands.
The suns rays can effect the skin of
people who have no protection to the
harmful rays.
Doctors have warned that the sun’s rays
may be directly linked to skin cancer.
Section 2: Building an Explanation for the Cause of Cancer
View the animations on the website by clicking on “cell cycle animations.” Think about the information each
animation presents. Then, write a one-sentence statement for each that summarizes what you learned.
Animation 1:
Cancer involves . . . a tumor that is produced by a mutated cell that divides more than it should.
Animation 2:
Cell division normally is . . . a process in which mitosis and meiosis both go through but mitosis produces body
cells while meiosis develops sex cells.
Animation 3:
Cell cycle regulation is accomplished by . . . the balance of tumor suppressor genes and protoncogenes helps
regulate the division of cells and keeps a happy medium.
Animation 4:
Cancer-causing agents often . . . cause changes in DNA called mutations and are caused by certain chemicals.
Some cancer causing agents do not always fit a simple pattern.
Animation 5:
When damage occurs to genes that regulate the cell cycle . . . mutated protoncogenes change into oncogenes,
this causes a cell to divide more than it should. The tumor suppressor gene can become inactive.
Section 3: Explaining Factors Associated with Cancer
Review your notes from Section 1. Then, write a sentence that describes how our current understanding of
cancer explains the role that each factor plays in causing cancer.
Cancer and Chemical Poisons
Cancer and Your Family History
Cancer and Radiation Exposure
Cancer and UV Light
Section 4: How does chemotherapy work?
Visit http://www.enile.co.uk/portfolio/cancer/lymph03.html to answer the following question.
Describe the three types of chemotherapy that are featured in this animation.