Changes in protein glycosylation in cancer - Book Report/Review Example

According to Wickus and Robbins (2006) changes in the cellular glycosylation are as a result of diseases. Cancer is one such disease, and basing on this study, such changes in the cellular glycosylation have quite a functional significance. The paper provides an overview of a complex topic on the mechanism of cellular glycosylation with a focus on the documented changes in protein glycosylation in cancer. In this part, it is worth noting that the incomplete synthesis of the O-linked glycans, which involves changes in cancer-associated glycosylation, shall be highlighted alongside discussing the statistics of the possible associated functional significance of the cancer.

It is quite a new approach and of significant importance that the associated changes in line with glycoprotein might have a different approach in so far as anti-tumor therapy is concerned. According to American Cancer Society (2006) basing on NCHS and SEER program data, 1,399,790 persons were to be diagnosed with cancer. 564,830 of the estimated population were to die by 2006. It was also estimated that by 2006, 14,357 new cases due to childhood cancer alongside 2,394 deaths, would occur among those aging 20 years and below.

Even, though, the childhood cancers are quite rare, cancer has been documented as the being the leading disease causing death among those within this age group (Swann, R., etal, 2012). According to American Cancer Society (2006) death rates occurring due to childhood cancers have reduced significantly from 47% since 1975. According to this study, the childhood cancer rates vary by age. As opposed to adult cancer, the adolescent and paediatrics cancers are best described using a combination of the primary site and histological type (Swann, R., etal.,2012).

Table 1 (Appendix A) indicate statistics of diagnosed median age cancer cases for the selected sites of primary cancer basing on